How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of student is Bowdoin looking for?

Intellectual Engagement:
Curiosity, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and a love for big, difficult questions.

Cooperative Spirit:
Students who enjoy brainstorming, teamwork, and collaborating with faculty.

Personal Qualities:
Empathy, awareness of others, kindness, creativity, and strong motivation.

Engagement Beyond Academics:
Bright and engaged students both inside and outside the classroom.
Value for Learning: A genuine appreciation for a strong residential and in-person educational experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a billionaire, instead of giving HYP another 100 million, I'd offer 10mm each to 10 of these colleges to help pay for one new 200-bed dorm each. Effectively adding a whole SLAC-size group of kids to the pool.

These schools could all grow 10%. Kids would be happier to have a few more kids. Classes would go from 12 kids per class to 13. who cares.

We need to expand opportunities

Because when you grow, acceptance rate goes up and endowment per student goes down. We can’t have that, can we?

That’s not really the problem. The issue is you tend to want to be able to offer what you promote at an LAC. 200 new kids means extra millions needing to go towards summer research project and internship funding. It means needing to add more faculty in various areas- you need faculty to advise and organize senior theses. If those students go into lab science, waste management and spending shoots up. You also will have to spend more on financial aid.

Could some of them expand? Sure, and many are making attempts through donor dollars. But overwhelmingly, it costs money to add students to campus, and you get very little out of 100 person expansion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of student is Bowdoin looking for?

Intellectual Engagement:
Curiosity, a willingness to take intellectual risks, and a love for big, difficult questions.

Cooperative Spirit:
Students who enjoy brainstorming, teamwork, and collaborating with faculty.

Personal Qualities:
Empathy, awareness of others, kindness, creativity, and strong motivation.

Engagement Beyond Academics:
Bright and engaged students both inside and outside the classroom.
Value for Learning: A genuine appreciation for a strong residential and in-person educational experience.

White, rich, and an athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.

It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Portland has a population of approx 60,000. It’s pretty small

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.

It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Portland has a population of approx 60,000. It’s pretty small

It’s a nice short trip. You can go to Boston if you really crave civilization, but this mostly seems an issue in the minds of DCUM and not students at Bowdoin.

[Anonymous]

Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.

It is a city nonetheless, and a vibrant one at that.

It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Portland has a population of approx 60,000. It’s pretty small

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.

It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Portland has a population of approx 60,000. It’s pretty small

Largest city in Maine and business and cultural hub

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.

It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Portland has a population of approx 60,000. It’s pretty small

Largest city in Maine and business and cultural hub

+1

There is plenty going on in Portland, and for that matter in Brunswick and nearby Bath.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

I see that you are back again today with a slightly different approach. Sorry, nothing has changed and nobody is buying your spiel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

I see that you are back again today with a slightly different approach. Sorry, nothing has changed and nobody is buying your spiel.

Hey sweetie, I see you are back to troll a school to which you have no connection. Why? Lots of schools for your kid to consider. No need to comment on what you don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

I see that you are back again today with a slightly different approach. Sorry, nothing has changed and nobody is buying your spiel.

US News and World Report ranks it higher than Pomona and it's endowment has surpassed Swarthmore's. So what is it that hasn't changed?

FWIW, I'd be happy if my kid ended up at any of these schools. We know kids who have had great experiences at each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

I see that you are back again today with a slightly different approach. Sorry, nothing has changed and nobody is buying your spiel.

US News and World Report ranks it higher than Pomona and it's endowment has surpassed Swarthmore's. So what is it that hasn't changed?

FWIW, I'd be happy if my kid ended up at any of these schools. We know kids who have had great experiences at each.

US news mostly slightly changes the non Williams/Amherst rankings to spice it up every few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Williams, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore are definitely getting smart kids who are competitive everywhere.

As for the other SLACS, Bowdoin is very appealing. They are not included in WASP because they have the wrong letter. B is a difficult letter to work with when it comes to acronyms.

But generally, I'd say that Bowdoin is way up there for 18 year olds interested in small liberal arts colleges today. The Bowdoin people I know all seem to have loved their experience.

I see that you are back again today with a slightly different approach. Sorry, nothing has changed and nobody is buying your spiel.

Hey sweetie, I see you are back to troll a school to which you have no connection. Why? Lots of schools for your kid to consider. No need to comment on what you don't know.

Wander along little troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I was a billionaire, instead of giving HYP another 100 million, I'd offer 10mm each to 10 of these colleges to help pay for one new 200-bed dorm each. Effectively adding a whole SLAC-size group of kids to the pool.

These schools could all grow 10%. Kids would be happier to have a few more kids. Classes would go from 12 kids per class to 13. who cares.

We need to expand opportunities

Because when you grow, acceptance rate goes up and endowment per student goes down. We can’t have that, can we?

That’s not really the problem. The issue is you tend to want to be able to offer what you promote at an LAC. 200 new kids means extra millions needing to go towards summer research project and internship funding. It means needing to add more faculty in various areas- you need faculty to advise and organize senior theses. If those students go into lab science, waste management and spending shoots up. You also will have to spend more on financial aid.

Could some of them expand? Sure, and many are making attempts through donor dollars. But overwhelmingly, it costs money to add students to campus, and you get very little out of 100 person expansion.

+1, really strong reasoning.