The real reason Bowdoin is so loved: it’s easy

[Anonymous]

What’s described is the life of privilege/acceptance, whether it’s at Bowdoin, another college/university, or someplace else entirely. The point is, in such a world, those who have been chosen/accepted no longer need to prove themselves. The institution now assumes they are smart, self-motivated, and ambitious. In that context, it might be easy to make a partial effort and let the institution’s generous assumptions about one do the rest. However, Bowdoin students aren’t such students. Instead, they CHOOSE to live up to their institution’s and their classmate’s assumptions and their own standards, which makes Bowdoin rigorous and hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is not what the article says. Did you read it?

It's pretty much what it says. Bowdon by default is an easy school that one must make a concerted effort to make challenging.

Pretty sure that it isn't what it says. You are describing Harvard, Yale, Brown, etc. not Bowdoin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cornell has nothing to do with Bowdoin, stay on topic

Why is Cornell such a miserable place?

[Anonymous]

Bowdoin also has good food. Lobster yum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin also has good food. Lobster yum.

And free iPads and MacBooks!

[Anonymous]

And what if Bowdoin is easy? The masochistic mentality among some people that because they work themselves into the ground they have more "merit" is ridiculous. Personally, I think that if you can achieve your goals with minimal effort, more power to you. That means more time to do other things in life.

Another thing to note is that often times, "working hard" and working more hours isn't something to be proud of. Often it is because you are slow and take longer to get the work done. Work smarter, not harder.

All of the Stuyvesant/TJ Tiger Moms are horrified. But it is the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recent student article illuminates how easy the school truly is. Maybe parents should worry about the lack of rigor at this “elite” institution: https://bowdoinorient.com/2026/04/10/bowdoin-is-easy/

The OP’s reading comprehension needs some work. This opinion piece does not say there is a lack of rigor. The point is far more nuanced than that.

[Anonymous]

Bowdoin is right there with Amherst and Williams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recent student article illuminates how easy the school truly is. Maybe parents should worry about the lack of rigor at this “elite” institution: https://bowdoinorient.com/2026/04/10/bowdoin-is-easy/

"[A lazy student] would never get into Bowdoin, as to get here requires a certain degree of ambition. Bowdoin is hard because we seek out difficulty. Roughly half the school is varsity athletes despite no scholarship incentivizing their participation, and even our most popular club sport (rowing) is a gloriously masochistic endeavor. Most of us spend our summers running some rat race or another. Some people even major in physics. For many, the life of a Bowdoin student is indeed hard."

Doesn't seem too terrible to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And what if Bowdoin is easy? The masochistic mentality among some people that because they work themselves into the ground they have more "merit" is ridiculous. Personally, I think that if you can achieve your goals with minimal effort, more power to you. That means more time to do other things in life.

Another thing to note is that often times, "working hard" and working more hours isn't something to be proud of. Often it is because you are slow and take longer to get the work done. Work smarter, not harder.

All of the Stuyvesant/TJ Tiger Moms are horrified. But it is the truth.

I guess, according to the article, you consider Bowdoin students to be reprehensible masochists, as they are the ones working hard when they don't need to. (At least MIT students get the reputation of having attended a rigorous school!)

Personally, I applaud the Bowdoin student body for their work ethic, which I consider to be a virtue.

[Anonymous]

I found the opinion piece pretty uninspired and self-absorbed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And what if Bowdoin is easy? The masochistic mentality among some people that because they work themselves into the ground they have more "merit" is ridiculous. Personally, I think that if you can achieve your goals with minimal effort, more power to you. That means more time to do other things in life.

Another thing to note is that often times, "working hard" and working more hours isn't something to be proud of. Often it is because you are slow and take longer to get the work done. Work smarter, not harder.

All of the Stuyvesant/TJ Tiger Moms are horrified. But it is the truth.

I guess, according to the article, you consider Bowdoin students to be reprehensible masochists, as they are the ones working hard when they don't need to. (At least MIT students get the reputation of having attended a rigorous school!)

Personally, I applaud the Bowdoin student body for their work ethic, which I consider to be a virtue.

It was one author’s opinion.

Plus, the author says things that apply to many schools:

“Roughly half the school is varsity athletes despite no scholarship incentivizing their participation, and even our most popular club sport (rowing) is a gloriously masochistic endeavor. Most of us spend our summers running some rat race or another.”

This describes every d3 varsity athlete + every ivy league varsity athlete at every school: varsity, no $, etc. MIT, Williams, UChicago, Princeton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee, maybe the students at Harvard, Yale, Brown, Amherst, Pomona, and Stanford are smart.

School that only admits kids with 4.0+ and 1550 SAT has lots of students with great grades.

It must be grade inflation!

The folks that got “Gentleman’s C’s” are no longer admitted. Who exactly is supposed to fill the bottom of the curve?

If the school is so challenging that the Top 3% of all students can’t even do the work, what is the point of the school? It’s supposed to teach people.

[Anonymous]

The grade inflation started in public high schools, everyone is given a 4.0. To hide the fact that they admitted 4.0 students who can’t do the work, they have to continue giving everyone 4.0. Problems solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recent student article illuminates how easy the school truly is. Maybe parents should worry about the lack of rigor at this “elite” institution: https://bowdoinorient.com/2026/04/10/bowdoin-is-easy/

Rigor is overstated. The kids need to be challenged but, in the end, they need to LEARN the material. Not get beat down by some self-important prof who gets off on a 65% being an A.