Wonderful to read that you enjoy Bowdoin. Would be more helpful to know why you enjoy Bowdoin. |
My kid got into Amherst RD and Yale, Brown and Princeton a few weeks later. Chose Princeton. |
You are wrong. These are schools with the most overlapping applications for admission. |
Shows that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. |
| I realize it may be too late, but my DS considered both of these schools. Bowdoin did have a more relaxed, calm vibe. Also, less of an athlete/non-athlete divide at Bowdoin from everything we learned. Both excellent schools. I would choose Bowdoin if that's what he prefers. I can definitely see why someone would make that choice. It's a really special place. |
Schools of similar caliber will always get applications from top students. However, you should know that top liberal arts colleges are very different from Ivy colleges and appeal to different types of students. |
You keep posting the same lines repeatedly without explaining why. Why do you believe this ? |
And you write & think like an LAC graduate. |
NP. You seriously need to stand down. It's hardly news that kids who apply to SLACs like Amherst may also very well apply to Ivies and then choose an Ivy over Amherst, if admitted. It doesn't mean Amherst isn't strong, but it doesn't have the same "wow" factor. |
The yield rates are eye-opening. Until very recently, the yield rate for the top ranked LAC (Williams College) was a bit under 40%, while yield rates for all of the Ivy League schools are much higher. In order to increase yield rates, top LACs have resorted to two rounds of binding ED admissions. |
I wasn't the one comparing SLACs vs Ivies. You need to get your facts straight! |
Many top universities have 2 rounds of ED. Amherst and Williams do not. |
And you reason like you never graduated HS. |
These schools don't lack applicants and I find applicants today are far more informed than they were in the past. The ones who pick liberal arts colleges are searching for that smaller college experience. For many, financial aid ends up being the deciding factor and they may find ivies a bit more generous. That said, my kid attended Bowdoin and applied to Amherst also. She steadfastly would not apply to an ivy even though she had good chances (well as good as any other excellent student with a hook). She wanted a small, liberal arts college and applied and was accepted to many. She went on to an ivy for graduate school. |
Thank you for your intelligent & polite response to my post. (I am not OP.) Agree that admission rates are low which support your assertion that top LACs have many applicants relative to available spots in the upcoming class. For Class of 2026: Among elite LACs, Bowdoin College reported the highest yield (59%) for a stand-alone LAC (Barnard College of Columbia University had a yield rate of about 66%). Pomona College was next at 55%. Amherst yield was about 45%. Williams College was over 44%. Swarthmore was almost 43%. Middlebury was almost 39%. Yield rates do change due to "summer melt". Yield rates for elite National Universities are much higher even though U Chicago is the only which utilizes two binding rounds of ED admissions. |