Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:37     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Disagree families want the most prestige. Kids will pick HYP over Brown and Cornell. Most people know Williams and Amherst are the best.

Their kids disagree. Bowdoin and Pomona have higher yield…


Yields are actually quite easy to manipulate. Just accept more kids early, reject the tippy-top kids and accept the next tier, or use the waitlist.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:34     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All these small, rural schools will falter in the next few years, and urban schools like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Holy Cross, etc. will be the only ones in New England that survive.

Holy cross? What? It’s doing much worse than Williams lol.


Williams can only dream of having the likes of Fauci, Clarence Thomas, and other prominent CEOs.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:34     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Brunswick seems like a mini version of Hanover.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:31     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Bowdoin sounds fantastic. How much emhasis on test scores.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:27     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:Add in BC and Northeastern.


Holy Cross booster took the bait.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:26     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

DC is a Jr, non-athlete and was admitted regular decision. He took a gap year post HS (class of '22). Bowdoin admitted him and he deferred for a year, with a requirement to submit his gap year plans in Sept and follow-up with a short essay in Jan on his experiences. He opted for Bowdoin as he wanted an different experience than living in a metro area (DC area is all he has known). It is a 4 year residential college -- students are guaranteed housing all four years. He loves the outdoors and is very active in the outing club. He also opted for Bowdoin as he heard about professor engagement and availability. Every professor exceeded his expectations, available and engaging, always willing to make time for students. Course work has a high level of rigor. He describes the learning environment and his peers (friends and acquaintances) as collaboratively-competitive; very friendly, challenging each other, and he hasn't had a group project with a "slacker". He calls Bowdoin home. His only gripe is that it gets dark really early in the winter (4pm) and sometimes it does feel "too small". Food is great. Bowdoin, like any institution, does have its plusses and minuses. Overall, in his 3rd year, he has had a wonderful experience. As a parent, when I had major surgery, we notified the Dean of Students --who reached out and checked in on him a couple times, not in an intrusive way, but seeing if he needed anything
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:23     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:Disagree families want the most prestige. Kids will pick HYP over Brown and Cornell. Most people know Williams and Amherst are the best.

Their kids disagree. Bowdoin and Pomona have higher yield…
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:21     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Kids like Boston schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:19     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

NEU has a single digit acceptance rate.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:18     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:All these small, rural schools will falter in the next few years, and urban schools like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Holy Cross, etc. will be the only ones in New England that survive.

Holy cross? What? It’s doing much worse than Williams lol.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:17     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Add in BC and Northeastern.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:16     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

All these small, rural schools will falter in the next few years, and urban schools like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Holy Cross, etc. will be the only ones in New England that survive.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:15     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:Disagree families want the most prestige. Kids will pick HYP over Brown and Cornell. Most people know Williams and Amherst are the best.

Not really, depends on what you want and why you’re going to a Liberal arts college. All of WASP is very similar.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:14     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Disagree families want the most prestige. Kids will pick HYP over Brown and Cornell. Most people know Williams and Amherst are the best.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:13     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?

Anonymous wrote:Kids don’t go to Bama or UGA for endowment per student.


No, they go for the far higher acceptance rates.