@Arlingtonvamom Yes, that’s kind of where we are at in terms of the other schools. I think it’s hard to shift gears so quickly from the “dream” of Bowdoin to moving on but if she’s lucky enough to get into Hamilton, I do think she’ll get excited.
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I’d be asking a completely different question. My question would be “Are there Safety type schools we haven’t thought of yet that my D could get excited about?”
I wish I had a dollar for every hour that folks spend strategizing about the reach schools while completely ignoring the “We’d LOVE to have you” schools.
Will she get into Bowdoin RD? Nobody knows. My suspicion would be that it’s a “soft no” because of the Legacy. So no in ED means no in RD, just not as mean as a total December rejection. Just my suspicion.
Will she get into Hamilton? Nobody knows.
But I’d sure as heck be encouraging my D to leave the reachy schools aside for a week and focus on the sure bet schools. I know half a dozen kids IRL who got into their (hated) safeties and rejected everywhere else. THOSE are miserable families come April. Shlepping the kid to admitted student days at places the kid already hates, but knowing that there needs to be a decision at the end of it… or wait out the summer with a few waitlists. ugh.
What are her current safeties and what doesn’t she like about them? We can probably get you another 2-3 colleges she’d love. And then go figure out the Hamilton piece knowing there’s something wonderful ahead, however the chips fall.
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To use another example, scroll down to “Middlebury College Alumni Starting Salaries”: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/middlebury-college-3691.
I’m a great fan of both Hamilton and early decision, but . . . in your daughter’s case I think I would advise her to sit tight with Bowdoin and other RD applications until the RD decisions come out.
There’s no way to get a handle on whom she may be competing with in the EDI, EDII or RD rounds, and trying to predict what Bowdoin (or Hamilton) will do next is an impossible – and highly frustrating – puzzle. For better or worse, ED choice is an emotional as well as statistical decision, and if your daughter isn’t ready to let Bowdoin go, then she might be better off seeing the process through to the end.
Basically, there’s risk both ways. Applying ED2 to Hamilton (not her 1st choice) and potentially eliminating Bowdoin (her 1st choice) from the running, is, to me, riskier emotionally than waiting out RD decisions from Bowdoin, Hamilton and the others on her application list.
As others have pointed out, the best thing to do right now is to beef up her likelies and safeties. Has she looked at Davidson? Not a safety, but similar in culture to many others on her list.
Good luck and keep us posted!
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A post was split to a new thread: Colleges like Hamilton
I would go for ED2 at Hamilton. Her chances are much greater during the ED2 round.
Have you heard of Mitch Steven’s book “Creating a Class” – Mitch spent a year in the admissions office at an unnamed college learning about college admissions. It is widely speculated that Mitch spent that year at Hamilton. Read the book for an inside view of how Hamilton makes decisions.
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@momrath just to clarify my daughter’s decision to ED1 to Bowdoin is that she liked the town of Brunswick, the campus, the food(!) and the idea she was going to my school. There is not a particular academic program. Also, thought legacy boost might help her. Hamilton seems to have stronger arts, which is her primary EC so there are some pluses for Hamilton as well. She has recently met with her GC who claims the deferral was not just a courtesy BUT they have not seen many get in after deferral from Bowdoin so felt chances are slim. With that in mind, could you elaborate why you are a fan of Hamilton?
@sgopal2 thank you–I am not familiar with the book but will do!
Hamilton, in Brief (Opinion)
Legacy of having been two colleges of complementary characteristics and emphases manifests in enhanced academic, social and architectural dimensions and balance. Beautiful, spatially luxuriant campus. Access to nearby suburban amenities. Academically strong across humanities and arts, sciences and math and social sciences. Arts facilities and museum occupy the center of campus; science building is largest academic facility on campus. Great variety in places to live and eat. Rarefied student profile. A writers’ college, for those who wish to enhance this skill. Winter snow suitable for the adventurous — find your inner Buck. Surrounding area of 10,000 residents among the safest locations in the nation, with zero reported violent crime in a recent year. Charming Clinton (see photo), as well as the authentically rural countryside in its vicinity, will have greater appeal to some prospective students than to others.
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@njmomster, Hamilton was high on my son’s shortlist. Ultimately he was accepted ED to Williams, so that was that; however, I have no doubt he would have been completely satisfied with Hamilton had things turned out differently. His other favorites were Kenyon and Wesleyan. Conn College and Skidmore were a little further down the list but still solid choices. He didn’t visit Middlebury or any of the Maine schools so I can’t make a physical comparison.
My son’s academic focus was art studio and art history, which are both quite strong at Hamilton. I would agree that Clinton is a quintessentially charming country town (especially in summer).
For my outdoorsy, Eagle Scout son, Hamilton’s remote and insular environment was a major plus, same for Wlilliams and Kenyon. I think there’s a distinct difference between choosing these rural schools because of their settings, not in spite of. It helps to want to be there.
You might ask Bowdoin how many deferred applicants they usually admit in the RD round. Williams, for example, says they "typically later admit 20 to 30 deferred applicants.”
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Thank you-seems Williams is more transparent about these numbers than Bowdoin is. I have never seen it published. I appreciate the information. thank you!
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The more commonly reported one is #admitted from WL. And those can be students who were deferred to RD in the ED round as well as ones who ended up there with an RD application.
My hunch here, though, is that the ED applicant is appealing at this point as they would seem more likely to take the spot offered given that theycwere first choice in the fall.
Update: she just got into Hamilton ED2! Unlike ED 1 it feels little “unfinished” since she submitted so many other applications that will be withdrawn, but she is super happy and I do think it’s a great place for her. thanks all for the input!
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Can you share what else was on her RD list (target/safety end of the spectrum) Curious what else she liked as my jr crafts her list
Ed 1 -Bowdoin, deferred
Middlebury
Amherst
Williams
Wesleyan
Vassar
Colby
Bates
Tufts
Haverford
Union -accepted Union scholar and a lot of merit $
Trinity
Skidmore
Richmond -EA deferred
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very NESCAC 
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Very similar to my DD’s list. Except add Colgate, Wake , and UvA and subtract Haverford, Amherst and Vassar
I’m surprised that Wesleyan and Bates stayed on her list given that she took off Vassar and Haverford–these four schools have similar vibes and are pretty different from Wake, UVA, and Colgate.
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Congrats on the acceptance!
Wow. This was almost exactly my student’s list a couple of years ago. Except the deferral was from Yale. Very, very conflicted about doing ED2 someplace, but decided to do Tufts ED2 and was accepted. Same feeling. It felt so unfinished after all the work on the RD applications. In the ends, it all worked out well, though.
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I am so glad to your student…in the end…is happy. Def feeling a little unfinished at the moment.
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