I’m looking for real reasons to choose Bowdoin over some other LACs that gave our S19 some merit. Anyone out there who faced this choice in the past? He’ll probably be a math or physics major. I also think he would be interested in the geology/earth science curriculum there as a minor. That is something his others don’t have. We are in the Midwest and he’s interested in getting out of dodge for a while. We visited in the summer and he loved it. He knows it will be cold during the school year but he’s used to that. Not a deal breaker.
He is returning for admitted student days and I’d like him to know where to look to find the special things about Bowdoin. Sell me on the school!
Not to hijack your thread or anything, but I am also in the same position. I was offered a generous merit scholarship from a ranked ~30 LAC and also admissions to similar schools as your son. My response isn’t Bowdoin specific as I don’t attend the school, but suitable for his personal career goals / whatever institutional attributes he sees positive.
What others, such as my counselor, have recommended to me is to visit and have a notebook. In this notebook, have your son write down any questions he has (prior to visiting) and the answers to them. Also, make a pro/con list. Ultimately, if money is not a major concern, I think he should go wherever he determines he “fits” well after visiting all options.
Another thing to consider is that, if he wants to do grad school, undergrad prestige is not nearly as important as GPA. I’m sure he got the merit scholarship at a competitively ranked school, so attending here to save for grad school would not hurt either. I know this is easier said than done (I also am struggling with the decision of merit v. prestige), but I think it’s something to consider.
Got it. Well, if he’s planning on working after college on the East coast, then Bowdoin alumni network from Boston to Washington, DC is very strong. Bowdoin’s access to the coast is unique among the other NESCAC schools…and really any other top 30 LAC. Even Colby and Bates don’t have the same access. For Math and Physics, I was going to point out that Bowdoin has great 3/2 program with Caltech (http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/apply/32-program), but as you can see, Grinnell also has that relationship.
I know you said he’s not considering grad school but this article did make me think about the benefits that prestige/higher ranked undergrad could provide. I imagine the same theory would apply even more so taking grad school out of the equation. A case to be made for paying for the highest ranked school you can get into maybe? I am trying to figure it all out myself, and my daughter chose more merit and better fit over a higher ranked school, so clearly we did not follow the advice in the article… Just an interesting perspective since I often was told “your undergrad doesn’t really matter if you’re planning on law school/med school/grad school.”
@2019RuralMe I agree. Access to the coast makes Bowdoin different. As do the environmental studies/geology options. Anyone have anything else? Searching for needle in a haystack maybe but I’d love to find someone who was comparing Grinnell and Bowdoin.
I’ve never been to Grinnell so I can’t really compare them directly, but it seems to me that, while neither school is a household name, Bowdoin has more of a national reputation, and Grinnell is more regional. I suspect this is reflected in each school’s student body, to the extent that’s important to you.
Perhaps an indication of this are the fairly frequent reference in pop-culture to Bowdoin, such as in the best-ever episode of the Sopranos (“College” in which Meadow was rejected from Bowdoin, and Tony killed a mob turncoat on her college visit to Maine); Dr. McDreamy of Grey’s Anatomy having attended Bowdoin (leading to Patrick Depsey actually receiving an honorary degree for his charity work in Maine); the TV show MAS*H based on the book written by Bowdoin alum Robert Hooker (Hawkeye Piece attended a fictional college based on Bowdoin), and many other examples.
I have been to both more than once. Bowdoin is beautiful and wealthy (as is Grinnell) & enjoys the best location of the three elite Maine LACs. The town is charming.
Grinnell has a lower student population, but a much larger international group of students.
Both are great schools. Bowdoin College is considered to be very prestigious in the NE US.
Because of the significant differences in locations & types of students, it should be an easy decision after visiting both schools.
@alum88 ok well that made me laugh but I don’t think those reasons are worth $90k.
Grinnell is not regional. They have kids from all 50 states and it’s ranked number 11 LAC in the country. Our S is leaning towards Bowdoin for the chance to take a break from the midwest and to be near the ocean. Grinnell does not have any geology or environmental majors like Bowdoin does. That’s the kind of stuff I’m thinking about.
Adding that Bowdoin’s student numbers do not include the typical 175 students studying abroad at any point in time. Bowdoin’s typical class size is commonly around 500 (class of 2022 is 511). Some (many?) LACs report student numbers net of those studying abroad so that student:prof ratio stays low. I expect Grinnell does this too, but you would need to verify.
If anyone cares - Grinnell 1662 kids with 304 international. Bowdoin 1813 with 110 international. I could see how the feeling of the campuses could be different with those numbers. I don’t like it but I think the internationals at Grinnell tend to stick together. If that’s the case, if makes Grinnell especially small when it comes to making friends, etc.
The biggest difference (beyond location), in my opinion, will be the type of student each school attracts.
Bowdoin College attracts lots of applications from private schools–both boarding & day.
@homerdog Wow, that’s a high percentage of international students, who I suspect produce a lot of revenue for the school as full-pay students. So that, plus the Warren Buffet money, makes it pretty flush (which is important).
Also, not to quibble over details, but Grinnell’s website says 37 states are represented. https://www.grinnell.edu/about/at-a-glance It would be interesting to see the numerical distribution by state/region.
Someone also mentioned that the Bowdoin student body is wealthier. That’s possible, but the stats also show it has more students of color so it appears to be somewhat more diverse (at least based on skin color/race).
Don’t get me wrong, I think Grinnell’s a great school. My sense is just that it’s not quite as well known.
PS- One other point-- Bowdoin has performed remarkably as a top producer of Fulbright scholars. I think they had 19 last year, which I believe was 2nd in the nation. I read Grinnell had 6, which is also very good.
I could see myself retiring in Brunswick, ME; Iowa, not so much. But that’s just me. Seriously, during our Bowdoin visit, what distinguished the campus most was the combination of preppy (literally) and outdoorsy. I believe that the college owns a nearby island or some other inholding where it runs outdoor recreation and education programs. The food on campus is excellent. The town is charming. From campus, there is easy transport by train to Portland, ME and Boston.
My impression of Grinnell (second-hand from folks I know who sent kids there and from my own research), is that the facilities are state of the art, the student body skews a bit more towards quirky/nerdy than preppy, and as previously mentioned, the % of international students is relatively high for a LAC. While Grinnell’s ranking has risen quite dramatically over the last decade or two, Bowdoin has long enjoyed a prestigious reputation beyond its region. Grinnell probably has more name recognition in the midwest.
As you know, academics will be excellent at both. Maybe have your son do a deeper dive into the faculty and courses in the Math and Physics departments to see what excites his interest.
