Bowdoin anyone?

[Anonymous]

My DS' top choice. We are from Arizona and know nothing about it. Any perspective?

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, I don't talk to people from flyover states

[Anonymous]

And I don't talk to people from red states.

[Anonymous]

The best college in Maine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS' top choice. We are from Arizona and know nothing about it. Any perspective?

Has your son ever seen snow?

[Anonymous]

Great school, about 25 minutes from Portland, one of the best cities in the nation. It does get VERY cold. The NESCAC schools are generally considered to be the top SLACs in the country...name recognition goes a long way on the east coast with elite firms hiring out of undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS' top choice. We are from Arizona and know nothing about it. Any perspective?

We are from a "warm" state as well and DD had an interest in a NE school (comparable to this one). I would seriously suggest that you have DC visit this school in JANUARY to get the full flavor of what's really like. Scholastically, its outstanding but in our case, after DD got a real taste of what's like, she went in a different direction.

[Anonymous]

Great school. My sister and I went to a different NESCAC scbool and both know Bowdoin well. Bright students, friendly atmosphere, great facilities. Just be prepared for a long, grey, cold winter. Perfect for x-country skiing!

[Anonymous]

Very small, cold in winter, stereotypical New England WASP school know for excellent food on more than just parents weekend.

[Anonymous]

I went to school in Vermont from a mid-Atlantic school.
Just buy really good cold weather gear - jacket, snow boots, hat and gloves and you'll be good.
Walking 10-15 minutes to and from classes was fine even on the coldest days. Walking up the hill from downtown at midnight in 10 below sucked.

[Anonymous]

I went to a SLAC in upstate NY. Once called 911 when I found a student passed out in a snowdrift in Feb. Something to consider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS' top choice. We are from Arizona and know nothing about it. Any perspective?

We are from a "warm" state as well and DD had an interest in a NE school (comparable to this one). I would seriously suggest that you have DC visit this school in JANUARY to get the full flavor of what's really like. Scholastically, its outstanding but in our case, after DD got a real taste of what's like, she went in a different direction.

Great idea. May I ask where your daughter ended up going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a SLAC in upstate NY. Once called 911 when I found a student passed out in a snowdrift in Feb. Something to consider.

What's the point of this anecdote? If you're passed out outside in January in Alabama you could die, too.

[Anonymous]

If your son decides he wants a school like Bowdoin, but without the snow, he might take a look at Pomona. They're similar in size and both appeal to bright kids with a slightly crunchy, outdoorsy vibe, though Bowdoin draws more preppy kids. Bowdoin has no fraternities or sororities; Pomona does have a couple of fraternities, but they certainly don't dominate social life. Bowdoin is about 45 minutes up the coast from Portland, a great small city with good restaurants and some clubs. The town of Brunswick, where Bowdoin is located has its charms, but it's not a picture-perfect New England village, like, say Middlebury. Pomona is also about an hour from a city, but it's LA -- 'nuff said. And Pomona is one of the Claremont Colleges, so, it feels less isolated than Bowdoin. We know a number of recent grads from both these schools and they all seems to have landed on their feet in terms of jobs or grad schools. Probably more recruiters will come to Pomona because it's near LA, but both schools are well-regarded by employers. Bowdoin students will just have to work a little harder to network and identify potential employers, so you may see more graduating seniors who are still looking for jobs,

BTW, I'm a native Californian who came east to college in New England and stayed. I do miss the warm weather and outdoor lifestyle now, but as an 18-year-old, I loved seeing the seasons change and playing in the snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your son decides he wants a school like Bowdoin, but without the snow, he might take a look at Pomona. They're similar in size and both appeal to bright kids with a slightly crunchy, outdoorsy vibe, though Bowdoin draws more preppy kids. Bowdoin has no fraternities or sororities; Pomona does have a couple of fraternities, but they certainly don't dominate social life. Bowdoin is about 45 minutes up the coast from Portland, a great small city with good restaurants and some clubs. The town of Brunswick, where Bowdoin is located has its charms, but it's not a picture-perfect New England village, like, say Middlebury. Pomona is also about an hour from a city, but it's LA -- 'nuff said. And Pomona is one of the Claremont Colleges, so, it feels less isolated than Bowdoin. We know a number of recent grads from both these schools and they all seems to have landed on their feet in terms of jobs or grad schools. Probably more recruiters will come to Pomona because it's near LA, but both schools are well-regarded by employers. Bowdoin students will just have to work a little harder to network and identify potential employers, so you may see more graduating seniors who are still looking for jobs,

BTW, I'm a native Californian who came east to college in New England and stayed. I do miss the warm weather and outdoor lifestyle now, but as an 18-year-old, I loved seeing the seasons change and playing in the snow.

Thank you so much for this helpful post.