Anonymous wrote:What does bowdoin have/is doing that ranks it near Williams or Amherst? It seems really stagnant and uninteresting.
Academics on par overall between the three, but Bowdoin has particular strength in:
Government (largest department, with strong connections on Capitol Hill)
Sciences (esp. Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences)
Soon: Computer Science/AI (Reed Hastings donated to fund a new program and expand faculty)
Not to mention reputation for highest QoL (facilities, forms, food) and student happiness which I think is the major reason why Bowdoin has been rising & winning cross-admits against W/A of late
Far from stagnant tbh
I don’t see how Bowdoin leads this. Other than Mamdani, there really haven’t been many Bowdoin alum in government (at the high level). Especially compared to Williams and Amherst. It has a pretty small computer science department. It’s nice that it spends a lot on making the experience good, but academically it appears very mediocre.
Very confused what you mean by mediocre. I don’t think any of these schools are mediocre on an absolute or even relative basis.
Other than Mamdani and Pearson who graduated this century, there are numerous govt officials in Bowdoin’s history including ambassadors, senators, even POTUS. George Mitchell is one. The late Ed Lee was another.
Alumni list aside, the fact is that Bowdoin’s most popular major is Government and for that reason it does have a lot of student interest and success in that field. Your original comment was “near” so I don’t even have to make an argument for superiority here.
It has student interest, but you're just describing an overcrowded major. Here confirms my suspicions that CS is overcrowded: https://bowdoinorient.com/2024/12/06/as-student-enrollment-trends-and-liberal-arts-values-collide-faculty-disagree-over-how-to-respond/. Williams has a lot of current very important alumni in government: Lina Khan, Wahidullah Waissi, Philip Wilcox, Steven Fagin, Victoria Coates, Elsie Kanza, Don Beyer, and there's many more recent alum who have made world history (Notably Reza Pahlavi). I really don't think Bowdoin is anywhere near comparable to Williams in anything other than environmental science.
So you are saying that Bowdoin is mediocre in Government because it is too popular a major? Overcrowded, when the average class size is <20? Curious. And those names of yours seem comparable to what Bowdoin has produced. Not going to get into a whole bake-off here on lists but I'll also give you Lawrence Lindsey, Christopher Hill, Thomas Pickering, and you can do your research for more. But if you really want to continue going through life believing Bowdoin is far inferior to Williams despite all available evidence showing otherwise, be my guest. This is a pretty pointless argument. Nobody is disagreeing that Williams is still the #1/2 LAC. But that gap is not enormous and contrary to remaining "stagnant", by admission stats, endowment AUM, and any other measure it's clear that Bowdoin has even closed some of the gap over the past ten years, which is exactly the opposite of stagnation.
Re the CS point: CS is getting (overly) popular at every school. And as the article states, the school is responding to increased demand by hiring more faculty...
I think you must be a parent and a particularly obsessed one at that. Cannot possibly be a Williams grad yourself - those I know are far more gracious and all of us who went to top-end LACs know our schools are very comparable.
Meh. There's a real prestige drop after Amherst. I've met many Ephs and Mammoths in my career, but I really don't think of Bowdoin as particularly prestigious. Maybe that's "elitist" or whatever word this forum uses for opinions they dislike, but the reality is that Williams and Amherst alum dominate industry, government, and academia better than Bowdoin and most other LACs (I give a nod to Swarthmore, Pomona, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Vassar)
Not that I think you're elitist, but I'd really like to know from what vantage point you are casting this judgment. Because I am in the periphery of some of the most elite circles on this planet (work in NYC high finance, know billionaire families socially) and I have never heard this view expressed. Indeed, the people sending their children to Trinity, Dalton, et al. all know W/A are the highest-ranked, but still very much respect LACs beyond those two schools.
This;
I’m on the other coast and now work on Sand Hill Rd. I know families with kids at Williams, Midd, Bowdoin, Swat, etc. All families in the same bracket as mine which is mid-8’s to lower 9 figures. Everybody knows all of these schools and nobody considers one better than the others. One kid at Williams is still mad that she was rejected by Haverford.
This didn't happen. People here pretending to be socialites is hilarious, because it is so performative.
Sure did, she goes to school with my D and I’ve heard it more than once firsthand. I’m not close to socialite. I went to a public, made a pile in tech, and now invest in tech. I just happen to be a lot smarter and wealthier than you.
As I’ve said in other threads, I have a second kid at another one of these schools and she isn’t giving up anything in terms of education to the one at Williams.
Way to throw away your entire point. I don't understand why LAC parents feel the entitlement and need to try to assure everyone their kid is making the smartest choice possible going to a tiny college in the middle of nowhere. Some people's insecurities will always show.
I think that you are confused. I actually know a bit about these schools and it’s pretty obvious that you are just talking out your ass. Trust me, none of us are insecure about where we send our children to college because we can send them anywhere without regard to cost or what others think.
Anonymous wrote:While I’m sympathetic to OP’s concern that our yearning for linguistic shortcuts has inadvertently left her school out of a reference to highly selective LACs, I’m disappointed that her real motivation seems to be the inclusion of her school. Instead of being enlightened, OP turns out to be a snob begging for a ticket to the WASP party. Is that the typical Bowdoin product?
I (OP) have already stated I am just bemused by the whole concept of ‘WASP’ rather than “begging for a ticket” to anything.
Maybe the facetiousness of my earlier comment about “our failing” wasn’t obvious (this was my only comment btw, in case you are misattributing someone else’s words to me) but no, I am not actually upset that we are excluded from this special club haha
I have worked on the east coast in a snobby industry for over a decade since I graduated, and my school is recognized plenty enough to satisfy me!
I think the real reason they don’t like to include Bowdoin is that they like using Bowdoin to make the Middlebury tier sound better. But we all know Midd is a step down. I think the only contender to join WASP-B is Claremont McKenna - in about 10 years.
Here's a fun fact for you. Since 2000, Middlebury has ranked in the top five LACs in USNews 12 times. In the same time period, Bowdoin has ranked in the top five 8 times. CMC has never ranked in the top 5. Its highest ranking was 6 in 2021.
We’re also in 2025 where Middlebury has fallen behind.
^+1, Colby has dynamic President and things there are on the upswing. Lots of momentum on campus still trails Bowdoin but now ahead of both Midd and Bates.
Anonymous wrote:Agree Middlebury has fallen with decline in domestic applications, budget deficits, and poor leadership. Colby will sooon overtake them.
You’re right about one thing—Middlebury HAD poor leadership under Laurie Patton, who turned a blind eye to budget deficits for a decade. By all accounts, Ian Baucom (who came to Midd from UVA and just started in July) is singularly focused on righting the ship. Made tough decisions right out of the gate and is impressing students, faculty, and alumni with his strong leadership skills and strategic planning. Let’s give him a year or two before passing judgement.
Anonymous wrote:Agree Middlebury has fallen with decline in domestic applications, budget deficits, and poor leadership. Colby will sooon overtake them.
No one will take Colby seriously until it stops playing games to boost application numbers and publishes its CDS. Still a relatively easy admit from our top private compared to AWS, Bowdoin, Midd, etc.
Anonymous wrote:Agree Middlebury has fallen with decline in domestic applications, budget deficits, and poor leadership. Colby will sooon overtake them.
No one will take Colby seriously until it stops playing games to boost application numbers and publishes its CDS. Still a relatively easy admit from our top private compared to AWS, Bowdoin, Midd, etc.
Among NESCACs it’s Williams and Amherst slight step down Bowdoin, another step down Hamilton small step Midd small step Colby and then who cares rest are not worth the money.
Anonymous wrote:What does bowdoin have/is doing that ranks it near Williams or Amherst? It seems really stagnant and uninteresting.
Academics on par overall between the three, but Bowdoin has particular strength in:
Government (largest department, with strong connections on Capitol Hill)
Sciences (esp. Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences)
Soon: Computer Science/AI (Reed Hastings donated to fund a new program and expand faculty)
Not to mention reputation for highest QoL (facilities, forms, food) and student happiness which I think is the major reason why Bowdoin has been rising & winning cross-admits against W/A of late
Far from stagnant tbh
I don’t see how Bowdoin leads this. Other than Mamdani, there really haven’t been many Bowdoin alum in government (at the high level). Especially compared to Williams and Amherst. It has a pretty small computer science department. It’s nice that it spends a lot on making the experience good, but academically it appears very mediocre.
Very confused what you mean by mediocre. I don’t think any of these schools are mediocre on an absolute or even relative basis.
Other than Mamdani and Pearson who graduated this century, there are numerous govt officials in Bowdoin’s history including ambassadors, senators, even POTUS. George Mitchell is one. The late Ed Lee was another.
Alumni list aside, the fact is that Bowdoin’s most popular major is Government and for that reason it does have a lot of student interest and success in that field. Your original comment was “near” so I don’t even have to make an argument for superiority here.
It has student interest, but you're just describing an overcrowded major. Here confirms my suspicions that CS is overcrowded: https://bowdoinorient.com/2024/12/06/as-student-enrollment-trends-and-liberal-arts-values-collide-faculty-disagree-over-how-to-respond/. Williams has a lot of current very important alumni in government: Lina Khan, Wahidullah Waissi, Philip Wilcox, Steven Fagin, Victoria Coates, Elsie Kanza, Don Beyer, and there's many more recent alum who have made world history (Notably Reza Pahlavi). I really don't think Bowdoin is anywhere near comparable to Williams in anything other than environmental science.
So you are saying that Bowdoin is mediocre in Government because it is too popular a major? Overcrowded, when the average class size is <20? Curious. And those names of yours seem comparable to what Bowdoin has produced. Not going to get into a whole bake-off here on lists but I'll also give you Lawrence Lindsey, Christopher Hill, Thomas Pickering, and you can do your research for more. But if you really want to continue going through life believing Bowdoin is far inferior to Williams despite all available evidence showing otherwise, be my guest. This is a pretty pointless argument. Nobody is disagreeing that Williams is still the #1/2 LAC. But that gap is not enormous and contrary to remaining "stagnant", by admission stats, endowment AUM, and any other measure it's clear that Bowdoin has even closed some of the gap over the past ten years, which is exactly the opposite of stagnation.
Re the CS point: CS is getting (overly) popular at every school. And as the article states, the school is responding to increased demand by hiring more faculty...
I think you must be a parent and a particularly obsessed one at that. Cannot possibly be a Williams grad yourself - those I know are far more gracious and all of us who went to top-end LACs know our schools are very comparable.
Meh. There's a real prestige drop after Amherst. I've met many Ephs and Mammoths in my career, but I really don't think of Bowdoin as particularly prestigious. Maybe that's "elitist" or whatever word this forum uses for opinions they dislike, but the reality is that Williams and Amherst alum dominate industry, government, and academia better than Bowdoin and most other LACs (I give a nod to Swarthmore, Pomona, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Vassar)
Not that I think you're elitist, but I'd really like to know from what vantage point you are casting this judgment. Because I am in the periphery of some of the most elite circles on this planet (work in NYC high finance, know billionaire families socially) and I have never heard this view expressed. Indeed, the people sending their children to Trinity, Dalton, et al. all know W/A are the highest-ranked, but still very much respect LACs beyond those two schools.
This;
I’m on the other coast and now work on Sand Hill Rd. I know families with kids at Williams, Midd, Bowdoin, Swat, etc. All families in the same bracket as mine which is mid-8’s to lower 9 figures. Everybody knows all of these schools and nobody considers one better than the others. One kid at Williams is still mad that she was rejected by Haverford.
I don’t know anyone in SV who addressed their work as “sand hill road.” People here really pretend like they’re in the know when they’re cosplayers, at best.
Sand Hill Road specifically refers to VC/the financial sector in SV rather than the tech scene. It is pretty uncommon to reference it in this way but it’s understood if you work in the alternative investments industry.
Anonymous wrote:What does bowdoin have/is doing that ranks it near Williams or Amherst? It seems really stagnant and uninteresting.
Academics on par overall between the three, but Bowdoin has particular strength in:
Government (largest department, with strong connections on Capitol Hill)
Sciences (esp. Environmental and Oceanographic Sciences)
Soon: Computer Science/AI (Reed Hastings donated to fund a new program and expand faculty)
Not to mention reputation for highest QoL (facilities, forms, food) and student happiness which I think is the major reason why Bowdoin has been rising & winning cross-admits against W/A of late
Far from stagnant tbh
I don’t see how Bowdoin leads this. Other than Mamdani, there really haven’t been many Bowdoin alum in government (at the high level). Especially compared to Williams and Amherst. It has a pretty small computer science department. It’s nice that it spends a lot on making the experience good, but academically it appears very mediocre.
Very confused what you mean by mediocre. I don’t think any of these schools are mediocre on an absolute or even relative basis.
Other than Mamdani and Pearson who graduated this century, there are numerous govt officials in Bowdoin’s history including ambassadors, senators, even POTUS. George Mitchell is one. The late Ed Lee was another.
Alumni list aside, the fact is that Bowdoin’s most popular major is Government and for that reason it does have a lot of student interest and success in that field. Your original comment was “near” so I don’t even have to make an argument for superiority here.
It has student interest, but you're just describing an overcrowded major. Here confirms my suspicions that CS is overcrowded: https://bowdoinorient.com/2024/12/06/as-student-enrollment-trends-and-liberal-arts-values-collide-faculty-disagree-over-how-to-respond/. Williams has a lot of current very important alumni in government: Lina Khan, Wahidullah Waissi, Philip Wilcox, Steven Fagin, Victoria Coates, Elsie Kanza, Don Beyer, and there's many more recent alum who have made world history (Notably Reza Pahlavi). I really don't think Bowdoin is anywhere near comparable to Williams in anything other than environmental science.
So you are saying that Bowdoin is mediocre in Government because it is too popular a major? Overcrowded, when the average class size is <20? Curious. And those names of yours seem comparable to what Bowdoin has produced. Not going to get into a whole bake-off here on lists but I'll also give you Lawrence Lindsey, Christopher Hill, Thomas Pickering, and you can do your research for more. But if you really want to continue going through life believing Bowdoin is far inferior to Williams despite all available evidence showing otherwise, be my guest. This is a pretty pointless argument. Nobody is disagreeing that Williams is still the #1/2 LAC. But that gap is not enormous and contrary to remaining "stagnant", by admission stats, endowment AUM, and any other measure it's clear that Bowdoin has even closed some of the gap over the past ten years, which is exactly the opposite of stagnation.
Re the CS point: CS is getting (overly) popular at every school. And as the article states, the school is responding to increased demand by hiring more faculty...
I think you must be a parent and a particularly obsessed one at that. Cannot possibly be a Williams grad yourself - those I know are far more gracious and all of us who went to top-end LACs know our schools are very comparable.
Meh. There's a real prestige drop after Amherst. I've met many Ephs and Mammoths in my career, but I really don't think of Bowdoin as particularly prestigious. Maybe that's "elitist" or whatever word this forum uses for opinions they dislike, but the reality is that Williams and Amherst alum dominate industry, government, and academia better than Bowdoin and most other LACs (I give a nod to Swarthmore, Pomona, Wellesley, Wesleyan, and Vassar)
Not that I think you're elitist, but I'd really like to know from what vantage point you are casting this judgment. Because I am in the periphery of some of the most elite circles on this planet (work in NYC high finance, know billionaire families socially) and I have never heard this view expressed. Indeed, the people sending their children to Trinity, Dalton, et al. all know W/A are the highest-ranked, but still very much respect LACs beyond those two schools.
This;
I’m on the other coast and now work on Sand Hill Rd. I know families with kids at Williams, Midd, Bowdoin, Swat, etc. All families in the same bracket as mine which is mid-8’s to lower 9 figures. Everybody knows all of these schools and nobody considers one better than the others. One kid at Williams is still mad that she was rejected by Haverford.
I don’t know anyone in SV who addressed their work as “sand hill road.” People here really pretend like they’re in the know when they’re cosplayers, at best.
Sand Hill Road specifically refers to VC/the financial sector in SV rather than the tech scene. It is pretty uncommon to reference it in this way but it’s understood if you work in the alternative investments industry.
They are the group of people whom along with Palo Alto big law send their kids to these schools. Their kids also typically attend a small number of very selective private high schools rather than Palo Alto or Gunn. They are vital to tech but not directly part of what most consider the SV tech culture.
Anonymous wrote:Agree Middlebury has fallen with decline in domestic applications, budget deficits, and poor leadership. Colby will sooon overtake them.
Midd is on the rise again with a fantastic new president.
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