How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a freshman at Bowdoin who grew up in a major city on the west coast. We researched every top 40 LAC focusing on academic offerings (majors, core curriculum requirements, research opportunities for STEM majors, class sizes, access to professors, ability to double or triple major), student life (residential life, dining halls, diversity of student body, access to clubs and organizations etc), career center/internship opportunities, local community and access to urban areas.

He applied to 20 LACs and was incredibly lucky (it’s all luck) to be accepted to 11 and chose Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has exceeded our expectations! Every LAC really offers amazing academics, but to us, this is what makes Bowdoin special:

- the kind, welcoming, and supportive student body (not competitive at all!) starts with numerous opportunities to meet new students at orientation and many social activities the first weeks of school
- the school spirit and pride (walk across campus and every other student is wearing a Bowdoin sweatshirt)
- amazing dining hall meals with incredible staff (food quality is extremely important for his overall happiness)
- access to outstanding classes (1st semester he got all 4 classes he wanted including the Intro to AI class that had only 32 students!
- resources unmatched to other LACs including every student receives their own computer and ipad as part of tuition (allows all students to begin with the same foundational resources)
- career center that is accessible, they have a require sophomore boot camp in January, plus there’s money available for students who chose an unpaid summer internship
- the residential halls are exceptional. He has a double that has a separate bedroom and living room. And then there’s also a lounge outside his room.
- the Schiller Coastal Studies institute on 2.5 miles of Maine coast and the base for college’s environmental studies program is unmatched
- Portland (35 mins) is an amazing small city with a foodie culture scene
- Boston (easy 2.5 hours by train) is available when Brunswick feels a little slow and he can go see a Bruins or Red Socks game.

Downsides? No college is “perfect”. The weather is not as bad as he thought it would be, but darkness at 4 pm is a tough. He misses ethnic food and the diversity of an urban area, but that’s the exchange to go to a LAC.

Lastly, our other DC is at one of the Claremont Colleges and very active academically and socially across the 5cs. Those are also amazing colleges too, but the exceedingly competitive nature of Pomona students was an unfortunate surprise.

Bowdoin College is an incredible place to spend four years. We feel so lucky our DS is a Polar Bear!

Thanks for sharing - this is very helpful and glad he is having such a great experience!

Is he an athlete? If not, what are the dynamics between athletes and non-athletes, since athletes make up a very large percentage of the student body?

What were the other finalists in his decision process of schools he was admitted to? Why Bowdoin over those (you touched on this a bit).

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My DS who is a freshman at Bowdoin is not a varsity athlete. He plays club soccer and intramural sports and is involved in other student groups. In regards to the student/nonathlete divide that many have asked about, it does exist to a certain extent. The varsity student athletes spend 6-7 days a week practicing or at games together during their season, so it’s inevitable their bond is really strong. Most varsity sports also have a private residential house off campus, but only a limited number of their athletes live in the house while the majority live in on campus housing. I’ve asked my son multiple times if he feels an athlete and non-athlete divide and he said yes some, but the general welcoming culture of Bowdoin doesn’t create a “cool athlete” vibe and friendships exists across sports and other interests. Since there are no fraternities or sororities, the varsity sports teams often throw the parties where nonathletes are totally welcomed. There’s also former fraternity houses on campus that Bowdoin has now own and operate as sophomore co-ed housing and that serves as places where students hold parties and helps with creating social opportunities across different students. The Bowdoin Outing Club is a big thing on campus - awesome trips and a big social scene with weekly home baked cookie gatherings.

There are a lot of fantastic liberal arts colleges! Bowdoin is just one of many. If time and resources allow, go visit as many as possible. My son loves Bowdoin and he would have been happy at many other LACs too. With an open mind, open heart, and open attitude, all of these LACs offer a fantastic college experience. During your visits, walk around, observe, and ask questions to the many students you meet at the library, student center, or the main areas of campus. Follow the college’s instagram accounts and read the online student newspapers. You and your student will gather a lot of info that way to determine what is a good fit and where he/she/they will be happy and thrive.

[Anonymous]

One more follow up (I’m the one with the freshman son at Bowdoin).

One of the most important qualities we looked for in a LAC is a community of collaborative learners. Basically - one that isn’t competitive. Bowdoin fosters this kind of environment: grades are not curved, (so not like the really competitive environment that exists at large public university STEM classes) and from an admissions perspective, they are looking for community oriented students and not focused on admitting only the valedictorians (can you imagine living in a dorm with students who were the top of their class in high school?). By being test optional since 1969 and therefore among the first colleges to be test optional, Bowdoin has demonstrated a history of reviewing applications on a holistic basis. We really appreciated this bc we prefer our child to go to a college with diverse students and learners, which makes a dynamic classroom experience.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this, Bowdoin parent!

Really lovely to find some thoughtful, useful responses amid all of the <whatever this is>

Good luck to you and your fam

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of a current analysis, this site placed Bowdoin fifth among LACs by selectivity, after Barnard, Swarthmore, Pomona and Williams:

College & University Rankings in 2026 https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Wallethub rankings aren’t very good.

If not fifth, where do you think Bowdoin should place by selectivity among LACs?

Bowdoin and Amherst have artificially low acceptance rates because they advertise themselves as need blind for international applicants. Bowdoin is very selective. There is no significant difference in selectivity for any of the top 10 or so SLACs and Bowdoin is in that group.

The number of international applicants to these two is not much higher than others.

It is significantly higher.

Exactly. Bowdoin cheats the admissions game, but these schools will do anything to pretend they’re elite.

Wow. You clearly have a lot of angst towards Bowdoin. Still getting over being dinged? Or slow day on the cul de sac in rural nowheresville, admiring your degree from a Tier 3 school?

You hold a lot of anger.

Great response. Was "I know you are but what am I" taken?

You’re still angry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a freshman at Bowdoin who grew up in a major city on the west coast. We researched every top 40 LAC focusing on academic offerings (majors, core curriculum requirements, research opportunities for STEM majors, class sizes, access to professors, ability to double or triple major), student life (residential life, dining halls, diversity of student body, access to clubs and organizations etc), career center/internship opportunities, local community and access to urban areas.

He applied to 20 LACs and was incredibly lucky (it’s all luck) to be accepted to 11 and chose Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has exceeded our expectations! Every LAC really offers amazing academics, but to us, this is what makes Bowdoin special:

- the kind, welcoming, and supportive student body (not competitive at all!) starts with numerous opportunities to meet new students at orientation and many social activities the first weeks of school
- the school spirit and pride (walk across campus and every other student is wearing a Bowdoin sweatshirt)
- amazing dining hall meals with incredible staff (food quality is extremely important for his overall happiness)
- access to outstanding classes (1st semester he got all 4 classes he wanted including the Intro to AI class that had only 32 students!
- resources unmatched to other LACs including every student receives their own computer and ipad as part of tuition (allows all students to begin with the same foundational resources)
- career center that is accessible, they have a require sophomore boot camp in January, plus there’s money available for students who chose an unpaid summer internship
- the residential halls are exceptional. He has a double that has a separate bedroom and living room. And then there’s also a lounge outside his room.
- the Schiller Coastal Studies institute on 2.5 miles of Maine coast and the base for college’s environmental studies program is unmatched
- Portland (35 mins) is an amazing small city with a foodie culture scene
- Boston (easy 2.5 hours by train) is available when Brunswick feels a little slow and he can go see a Bruins or Red Socks game.

Downsides? No college is “perfect”. The weather is not as bad as he thought it would be, but darkness at 4 pm is a tough. He misses ethnic food and the diversity of an urban area, but that’s the exchange to go to a LAC.

Lastly, our other DC is at one of the Claremont Colleges and very active academically and socially across the 5cs. Those are also amazing colleges too, but the exceedingly competitive nature of Pomona students was an unfortunate surprise.

Bowdoin College is an incredible place to spend four years. We feel so lucky our DS is a Polar Bear!

As a Pomona parent, this is news to me. In a nice way, did your child get rejected from a consulting club? Because, there’s very little at the 5Cs one could “compete” for in the first place. It is a very difficult school, and I think that gets downplayed, but students are always working together on problem sets, the school invests a ton into “mentor sessions” for STEM classes, and the culture is laid back. The first thing my daughter is doing when she lands at ONT is going to the beach with friends.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, surprising to me as a Pomona parent too- DC gushes about how down to earth, collaborative, and "low-key" brilliant her friends are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a freshman at Bowdoin who grew up in a major city on the west coast. We researched every top 40 LAC focusing on academic offerings (majors, core curriculum requirements, research opportunities for STEM majors, class sizes, access to professors, ability to double or triple major), student life (residential life, dining halls, diversity of student body, access to clubs and organizations etc), career center/internship opportunities, local community and access to urban areas.

He applied to 20 LACs and was incredibly lucky (it’s all luck) to be accepted to 11 and chose Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has exceeded our expectations! Every LAC really offers amazing academics, but to us, this is what makes Bowdoin special:

- the kind, welcoming, and supportive student body (not competitive at all!) starts with numerous opportunities to meet new students at orientation and many social activities the first weeks of school
- the school spirit and pride (walk across campus and every other student is wearing a Bowdoin sweatshirt)
- amazing dining hall meals with incredible staff (food quality is extremely important for his overall happiness)
- access to outstanding classes (1st semester he got all 4 classes he wanted including the Intro to AI class that had only 32 students!
- resources unmatched to other LACs including every student receives their own computer and ipad as part of tuition (allows all students to begin with the same foundational resources)
- career center that is accessible, they have a require sophomore boot camp in January, plus there’s money available for students who chose an unpaid summer internship
- the residential halls are exceptional. He has a double that has a separate bedroom and living room. And then there’s also a lounge outside his room.
- the Schiller Coastal Studies institute on 2.5 miles of Maine coast and the base for college’s environmental studies program is unmatched
- Portland (35 mins) is an amazing small city with a foodie culture scene
- Boston (easy 2.5 hours by train) is available when Brunswick feels a little slow and he can go see a Bruins or Red Socks game.

Downsides? No college is “perfect”. The weather is not as bad as he thought it would be, but darkness at 4 pm is a tough. He misses ethnic food and the diversity of an urban area, but that’s the exchange to go to a LAC.

Lastly, our other DC is at one of the Claremont Colleges and very active academically and socially across the 5cs. Those are also amazing colleges too, but the exceedingly competitive nature of Pomona students was an unfortunate surprise.

Bowdoin College is an incredible place to spend four years. We feel so lucky our DS is a Polar Bear!

As a Pomona parent, this is news to me. In a nice way, did your child get rejected from a consulting club? Because, there’s very little at the 5Cs one could “compete” for in the first place. It is a very difficult school, and I think that gets downplayed, but students are always working together on problem sets, the school invests a ton into “mentor sessions” for STEM classes, and the culture is laid back. The first thing my daughter is doing when she lands at ONT is going to the beach with friends.

I didn’t notice competitive behavior during my tours at either college. Much more relaxed compared to Williams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of a current analysis, this site placed Bowdoin fifth among LACs by selectivity, after Barnard, Swarthmore, Pomona and Williams:

College & University Rankings in 2026 https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Wallethub rankings aren’t very good.

If not fifth, where do you think Bowdoin should place by selectivity among LACs?

Bowdoin and Amherst have artificially low acceptance rates because they advertise themselves as need blind for international applicants. Bowdoin is very selective. There is no significant difference in selectivity for any of the top 10 or so SLACs and Bowdoin is in that group.

The number of international applicants to these two is not much higher than others.

It is significantly higher.

Exactly. Bowdoin cheats the admissions game, but these schools will do anything to pretend they’re elite.

Wow. You clearly have a lot of angst towards Bowdoin. Still getting over being dinged? Or slow day on the cul de sac in rural nowheresville, admiring your degree from a Tier 3 school?

You hold a lot of anger.

Great response. Was "I know you are but what am I" taken?

You’re still angry.

You're still ugly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of a current analysis, this site placed Bowdoin fifth among LACs by selectivity, after Barnard, Swarthmore, Pomona and Williams:

College & University Rankings in 2026 https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Wallethub rankings aren’t very good.

If not fifth, where do you think Bowdoin should place by selectivity among LACs?

Bowdoin and Amherst have artificially low acceptance rates because they advertise themselves as need blind for international applicants. Bowdoin is very selective. There is no significant difference in selectivity for any of the top 10 or so SLACs and Bowdoin is in that group.

The number of international applicants to these two is not much higher than others.

It is significantly higher.

Exactly. Bowdoin cheats the admissions game, but these schools will do anything to pretend they’re elite.

Wow. You clearly have a lot of angst towards Bowdoin. Still getting over being dinged? Or slow day on the cul de sac in rural nowheresville, admiring your degree from a Tier 3 school?

You hold a lot of anger.

Great response. Was "I know you are but what am I" taken?

You’re still angry.

You're still ugly

I’m happy to not be as angry as you. This comment was unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Williams out here catching strays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of a current analysis, this site placed Bowdoin fifth among LACs by selectivity, after Barnard, Swarthmore, Pomona and Williams:

College & University Rankings in 2026 https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Wallethub rankings aren’t very good.

If not fifth, where do you think Bowdoin should place by selectivity among LACs?

Bowdoin and Amherst have artificially low acceptance rates because they advertise themselves as need blind for international applicants. Bowdoin is very selective. There is no significant difference in selectivity for any of the top 10 or so SLACs and Bowdoin is in that group.

The number of international applicants to these two is not much higher than others.

It is significantly higher.

Exactly. Bowdoin cheats the admissions game, but these schools will do anything to pretend they’re elite.

Wow. You clearly have a lot of angst towards Bowdoin. Still getting over being dinged? Or slow day on the cul de sac in rural nowheresville, admiring your degree from a Tier 3 school?

You hold a lot of anger.

Great response. Was "I know you are but what am I" taken?

You’re still angry.

You're still ugly

I’m happy to not be as angry as you. This comment was unnecessary.

I'm living rent free in your head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a freshman at Bowdoin who grew up in a major city on the west coast. We researched every top 40 LAC focusing on academic offerings (majors, core curriculum requirements, research opportunities for STEM majors, class sizes, access to professors, ability to double or triple major), student life (residential life, dining halls, diversity of student body, access to clubs and organizations etc), career center/internship opportunities, local community and access to urban areas.

He applied to 20 LACs and was incredibly lucky (it’s all luck) to be accepted to 11 and chose Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has exceeded our expectations! Every LAC really offers amazing academics, but to us, this is what makes Bowdoin special:

- the kind, welcoming, and supportive student body (not competitive at all!) starts with numerous opportunities to meet new students at orientation and many social activities the first weeks of school
- the school spirit and pride (walk across campus and every other student is wearing a Bowdoin sweatshirt)
- amazing dining hall meals with incredible staff (food quality is extremely important for his overall happiness)
- access to outstanding classes (1st semester he got all 4 classes he wanted including the Intro to AI class that had only 32 students!
- resources unmatched to other LACs including every student receives their own computer and ipad as part of tuition (allows all students to begin with the same foundational resources)
- career center that is accessible, they have a require sophomore boot camp in January, plus there’s money available for students who chose an unpaid summer internship
- the residential halls are exceptional. He has a double that has a separate bedroom and living room. And then there’s also a lounge outside his room.
- the Schiller Coastal Studies institute on 2.5 miles of Maine coast and the base for college’s environmental studies program is unmatched
- Portland (35 mins) is an amazing small city with a foodie culture scene
- Boston (easy 2.5 hours by train) is available when Brunswick feels a little slow and he can go see a Bruins or Red Socks game.

Downsides? No college is “perfect”. The weather is not as bad as he thought it would be, but darkness at 4 pm is a tough. He misses ethnic food and the diversity of an urban area, but that’s the exchange to go to a LAC.

Lastly, our other DC is at one of the Claremont Colleges and very active academically and socially across the 5cs. Those are also amazing colleges too, but the exceedingly competitive nature of Pomona students was an unfortunate surprise.

Bowdoin College is an incredible place to spend four years. We feel so lucky our DS is a Polar Bear!

As a Pomona parent, this is news to me. In a nice way, did your child get rejected from a consulting club? Because, there’s very little at the 5Cs one could “compete” for in the first place. It is a very difficult school, and I think that gets downplayed, but students are always working together on problem sets, the school invests a ton into “mentor sessions” for STEM classes, and the culture is laid back. The first thing my daughter is doing when she lands at ONT is going to the beach with friends.

You’re biased. It’s an insanely competitive school. Everyone wants a Stanford or Harvard PhD offer or to get a consulting gig. 50% of the college majors in Computer Science, Economics, Neuroscience, or Politics and it’s disgustingly lacking in academic diversity. The kids all want fellowships to Cambridge or a Fulbright. It’s a literal hell college. Don’t go!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In terms of a current analysis, this site placed Bowdoin fifth among LACs by selectivity, after Barnard, Swarthmore, Pomona and Williams:

College & University Rankings in 2026 https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Wallethub rankings aren’t very good.

If not fifth, where do you think Bowdoin should place by selectivity among LACs?

Bowdoin and Amherst have artificially low acceptance rates because they advertise themselves as need blind for international applicants. Bowdoin is very selective. There is no significant difference in selectivity for any of the top 10 or so SLACs and Bowdoin is in that group.

The number of international applicants to these two is not much higher than others.

It is significantly higher.

Exactly. Bowdoin cheats the admissions game, but these schools will do anything to pretend they’re elite.

Wow. You clearly have a lot of angst towards Bowdoin. Still getting over being dinged? Or slow day on the cul de sac in rural nowheresville, admiring your degree from a Tier 3 school?

You hold a lot of anger.

Great response. Was "I know you are but what am I" taken?

You’re still angry.

You're still ugly

I’m happy to not be as angry as you. This comment was unnecessary.

I'm living rent free in your head.

And that attitude is what makes you angry, which comes off ugly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a freshman at Bowdoin who grew up in a major city on the west coast. We researched every top 40 LAC focusing on academic offerings (majors, core curriculum requirements, research opportunities for STEM majors, class sizes, access to professors, ability to double or triple major), student life (residential life, dining halls, diversity of student body, access to clubs and organizations etc), career center/internship opportunities, local community and access to urban areas.

He applied to 20 LACs and was incredibly lucky (it’s all luck) to be accepted to 11 and chose Bowdoin.

Bowdoin has exceeded our expectations! Every LAC really offers amazing academics, but to us, this is what makes Bowdoin special:

- the kind, welcoming, and supportive student body (not competitive at all!) starts with numerous opportunities to meet new students at orientation and many social activities the first weeks of school
- the school spirit and pride (walk across campus and every other student is wearing a Bowdoin sweatshirt)
- amazing dining hall meals with incredible staff (food quality is extremely important for his overall happiness)
- access to outstanding classes (1st semester he got all 4 classes he wanted including the Intro to AI class that had only 32 students!
- resources unmatched to other LACs including every student receives their own computer and ipad as part of tuition (allows all students to begin with the same foundational resources)
- career center that is accessible, they have a require sophomore boot camp in January, plus there’s money available for students who chose an unpaid summer internship
- the residential halls are exceptional. He has a double that has a separate bedroom and living room. And then there’s also a lounge outside his room.
- the Schiller Coastal Studies institute on 2.5 miles of Maine coast and the base for college’s environmental studies program is unmatched
- Portland (35 mins) is an amazing small city with a foodie culture scene
- Boston (easy 2.5 hours by train) is available when Brunswick feels a little slow and he can go see a Bruins or Red Socks game.

Downsides? No college is “perfect”. The weather is not as bad as he thought it would be, but darkness at 4 pm is a tough. He misses ethnic food and the diversity of an urban area, but that’s the exchange to go to a LAC.

Lastly, our other DC is at one of the Claremont Colleges and very active academically and socially across the 5cs. Those are also amazing colleges too, but the exceedingly competitive nature of Pomona students was an unfortunate surprise.

Bowdoin College is an incredible place to spend four years. We feel so lucky our DS is a Polar Bear!

As a Pomona parent, this is news to me. In a nice way, did your child get rejected from a consulting club? Because, there’s very little at the 5Cs one could “compete” for in the first place. It is a very difficult school, and I think that gets downplayed, but students are always working together on problem sets, the school invests a ton into “mentor sessions” for STEM classes, and the culture is laid back. The first thing my daughter is doing when she lands at ONT is going to the beach with friends.

You’re biased. It’s an insanely competitive school. Everyone wants a Stanford or Harvard PhD offer or to get a consulting gig. 50% of the college majors in Computer Science, Economics, Neuroscience, or Politics and it’s disgustingly lacking in academic diversity. The kids all want fellowships to Cambridge or a Fulbright. It’s a literal hell college. Don’t go!

You could use this descriptor for virtually any top college or university (including Bowdoin) and it'd be accurate...