Should I ED Bowdoin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does actually track interest.

Definitely for the 249 track athletes.
https://ope.ed.gov/athletics/#/institution/details

And everyone else. Bowdoin is the origin of the quote “if it comes down to two applicants, we’re going to pick the one who toured every time.”

Yes, but how fast did they tour? What was their time?

😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does consider interest according to CDS and our CCO.

That's interesting since the Director of Admissions stated they don't track interest, in the info session. Also Bowdoin slashed their ED admit rate last year. Historically around 30%, last year 17%. Guarantee that 17% included few to no unhooked kids.

With these ED numbers, the top SLACs will increasingly see a decline in the quality of their top-notch, non-hooked applicants. Why? Because these applicants will wisely forego ED at these schools and instead use their ED card at the lower Ivies or the Vanderbilts and Northwestern’s of the world. Many will get in. The top SLACs will miss these top tier students. Sure, they will still have plenty of first gen and decent students. But the brilliant ones who were miles above the athletes will be gone. Perversely, the athletes, who are themselves “good” students, will no longer be overmatched; they will be amongst the best students these schools have. And, no, that’s not a good thing..

[Anonymous]

Waste of an ED. Consider ED2 when athletes are already in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waste of an ED. Consider ED2 when athletes are already in.

Conventional wisdom is that ED2 has an even lower admit rate. I personally don't think ED is good strategy for any of the elite NESCAC schools. There are so many good schools for which ED is an actual hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does consider interest according to CDS and our CCO.

That's interesting since the Director of Admissions stated they don't track interest, in the info session. Also Bowdoin slashed their ED admit rate last year. Historically around 30%, last year 17%. Guarantee that 17% included few to no unhooked kids.

With these ED numbers, the top SLACs will increasingly see a decline in the quality of their top-notch, non-hooked applicants. Why? Because these applicants will wisely forego ED at these schools and instead use their ED card at the lower Ivies or the Vanderbilts and Northwestern’s of the world. Many will get in. The top SLACs will miss these top tier students. Sure, they will still have plenty of first gen and decent students. But the brilliant ones who were miles above the athletes will be gone. Perversely, the athletes, who are themselves “good” students, will no longer be overmatched; they will be amongst the best students these schools have. And, no, that’s not a good thing..

ED is still a hook for some excellent LACs, such as Middlebury and Colby. Just not the very top ones. Bowdoin seems to be having a moment, with lots of student enthusiasm reflected in their steep decline in admit rate. It's now quite a bit 'easier' to get into Williams.

[Anonymous]

If it's your first choice, I'd say go for it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does consider interest according to CDS and our CCO.

That's interesting since the Director of Admissions stated they don't track interest, in the info session. Also Bowdoin slashed their ED admit rate last year. Historically around 30%, last year 17%. Guarantee that 17% included few to no unhooked kids.

With these ED numbers, the top SLACs will increasingly see a decline in the quality of their top-notch, non-hooked applicants. Why? Because these applicants will wisely forego ED at these schools and instead use their ED card at the lower Ivies or the Vanderbilts and Northwestern’s of the world. Many will get in. The top SLACs will miss these top tier students. Sure, they will still have plenty of first gen and decent students. But the brilliant ones who were miles above the athletes will be gone. Perversely, the athletes, who are themselves “good” students, will no longer be overmatched; they will be amongst the best students these schools have. And, no, that’s not a good thing..

That's exactly right. Bright and accomplished students - especially the unhooked - who are applying to top schools almost always apply ED now. Even the middle class since the financial aid is generally very good at T20 private colleges. Colleges that refuse to consider these brilliant but unhooked applicants in the early round will lose these students to Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, Chicago, Northwestern, Cornell, and the other top schools that do take a considerable amount of unhooked applicants in the ED/SCEA round.

It's surprising that Bowdoin chooses not to take more in the ED round. They may think it's more equitable to only consider Regular Decision, but in the end they are simply reducing the quality of applicants. You can get away with it if you are MIT or Stanford. But that's not Bowdoin. Or any SLAC for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does consider interest according to CDS and our CCO.

That's interesting since the Director of Admissions stated they don't track interest, in the info session. Also Bowdoin slashed their ED admit rate last year. Historically around 30%, last year 17%. Guarantee that 17% included few to no unhooked kids.

With these ED numbers, the top SLACs will increasingly see a decline in the quality of their top-notch, non-hooked applicants. Why? Because these applicants will wisely forego ED at these schools and instead use their ED card at the lower Ivies or the Vanderbilts and Northwestern’s of the world. Many will get in. The top SLACs will miss these top tier students. Sure, they will still have plenty of first gen and decent students. But the brilliant ones who were miles above the athletes will be gone. Perversely, the athletes, who are themselves “good” students, will no longer be overmatched; they will be amongst the best students these schools have. And, no, that’s not a good thing..

That's exactly right. Bright and accomplished students - especially the unhooked - who are applying to top schools almost always apply ED now. Even the middle class since the financial aid is generally very good at T20 private colleges. Colleges that refuse to consider these brilliant but unhooked applicants in the early round will lose these students to Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, Chicago, Northwestern, Cornell, and the other top schools that do take a considerable amount of unhooked applicants in the ED/SCEA round.

It's surprising that Bowdoin chooses not to take more in the ED round. They may think it's more equitable to only consider Regular Decision, but in the end they are simply reducing the quality of applicants. You can get away with it if you are MIT or Stanford. But that's not Bowdoin. Or any SLAC for that matter.

ED applicants are disproportionately white. Bowdoin historically has had trouble attracting students of color to Maine. They are definitely very concerned about diversity. You can't tell me the "optional" videos don't factor in that. They also ask if you're Hispanic when you register for information sessions. Given how in demand the school is right now, they can afford to cherrypick as much as they want in order to get the class makeup they prefer. RD helps with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

However, he demonstrated strong interest

Which Bowdoin says they don’t care about…

Bowdoin does consider interest according to CDS and our CCO.

That's interesting since the Director of Admissions stated they don't track interest, in the info session. Also Bowdoin slashed their ED admit rate last year. Historically around 30%, last year 17%. Guarantee that 17% included few to no unhooked kids.

With these ED numbers, the top SLACs will increasingly see a decline in the quality of their top-notch, non-hooked applicants. Why? Because these applicants will wisely forego ED at these schools and instead use their ED card at the lower Ivies or the Vanderbilts and Northwestern’s of the world. Many will get in. The top SLACs will miss these top tier students. Sure, they will still have plenty of first gen and decent students. But the brilliant ones who were miles above the athletes will be gone. Perversely, the athletes, who are themselves “good” students, will no longer be overmatched; they will be amongst the best students these schools have. And, no, that’s not a good thing..

That's exactly right. Bright and accomplished students - especially the unhooked - who are applying to top schools almost always apply ED now. Even the middle class since the financial aid is generally very good at T20 private colleges. Colleges that refuse to consider these brilliant but unhooked applicants in the early round will lose these students to Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Duke, Rice, Chicago, Northwestern, Cornell, and the other top schools that do take a considerable amount of unhooked applicants in the ED/SCEA round.

It's surprising that Bowdoin chooses not to take more in the ED round. They may think it's more equitable to only consider Regular Decision, but in the end they are simply reducing the quality of applicants. You can get away with it if you are MIT or Stanford. But that's not Bowdoin. Or any SLAC for that matter.

ED applicants are disproportionately white. Bowdoin historically has had trouble attracting students of color to Maine. They are definitely very concerned about diversity. You can't tell me the "optional" videos don't factor in that. They also ask if you're Hispanic when you register for information sessions. Given how in demand the school is right now, they can afford to cherrypick as much as they want in order to get the class makeup they prefer. RD helps with that.

As does test optional, which they plan to stick with.

[Anonymous]

I feel like Slacs can’t win on here. Either they take a good chunk of their class in ED and are labeled a joke like Colby and Bates, or they are “too selective” and scaring applicants away. Would love to know what a happy medium would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like Slacs can’t win on here. Either they take a good chunk of their class in ED and are labeled a joke like Colby and Bates, or they are “too selective” and scaring applicants away. Would love to know what a happy medium would be.

The ideal fix would be to ban early decision entirely and limit apps to 10 max.

Which will never happen. So everybody will continue to approach college admissions like it's an elaborate exercise in game theory. SLACs have a much harder time because they are so small and every admittance matters. Whereas Stanford can take in a football team Early Decision and Harvard can bring in a hockey team SCEA, and no one blinks an eye because it doesn't matter when the freshman class is 1700 students.

[Anonymous]

idea fix would be to lose half their sports teams.

also, if I were these schools, I'd build another dorm or two on their many acres. add 400 more kids. move these enrollments from 2000 to 2400.

nobody would care if the average class size went from 17 to 20. the cafeterias and gyms can handle it. Just adds a few more kids who aren't athletes or drama kids or activists .. add some norms. round out the class.. and all that tuition drops to the bottom line, which must be good for something .

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t ED.

[Anonymous]

Bowdoin admissions today is very different than just a few years ago. I would only apply ED if kid has their heart set on it. Otherwise, I'd go with a more likely strategy elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:idea fix would be to lose half their sports teams.

also, if I were these schools, I'd build another dorm or two on their many acres. add 400 more kids. move these enrollments from 2000 to 2400.

nobody would care if the average class size went from 17 to 20. the cafeterias and gyms can handle it. Just adds a few more kids who aren't athletes or drama kids or activists .. add some norms. round out the class.. and all that tuition drops to the bottom line, which must be good for something .

Agree - this is a great idea and would have a significant impact across the board.