Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:10     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Great points look at the decline of Kenyon and Oberlin, while Davidson has improved.


Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:08     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Middlebury and Hamilton boosters are waking up.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:07     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Six colleges: https://www.sixcolleges.org/
They do college admissions events together.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:07     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Times and college reputations go up or down. Bowdoin has sky rocketed up while Wesleyan, Trinity, Vassar, Middlebury, and Bates have not.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:06     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Could someone let me know what WASP-B stands for? I tried googling it and clearly I am too tired or something, but I couldn’t figure out the colleges.


It is a fictional creation created by someone who is posting on this thread pretending to be several different posters. Same Shit Different Day.

You are not reading this thread if you think it is a fictional creation. Bowdoin belongs with WASP — and no other SLACs do. Endowment, yield, admit rate - everything. If you want to make an actual, rational argument why it does not belong, please do so. Oh, wait! You can’t…


It does belong with WASP, as do about 8-10 schools which have basically identical academic profiles and are also extremely wealthy. Where you are mistaken is in believing that they are different than the rest of the group because they aren't.

But if you want to play the acronym game there do a quick google search.

WASP exists in the context of top liberal arts colleges.
SWAMP (add Middlebury) exists in the context of top liberal arts colleges
WASP-B returns WASP plus maybe the B signifying something about ethnicity and demographics. For additional context Goggle then added:

"These institutions (like Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Middlebury, etc.) were historically feeders for the Ivy League and were dominated by this WASP-B demographic, shaping their culture and admissions for decades." Ironic that there is no mention of Bowdoin because Bowdoin most definitely belongs in this group.

So your rational argument is that 1) there is no WASP or WASP-B because, say, 10 schools are all the same. So no difference at all between Williams and, say, Hamilton and 2) I googled and this is what google says.

You have an interesting interpretation of “rational.” Do better.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:04     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
It’s all about the money. $3 billion buys nice food, dorms and other facilities.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:01     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Could someone let me know what WASP-B stands for? I tried googling it and clearly I am too tired or something, but I couldn’t figure out the colleges.


It is a fictional creation created by someone who is posting on this thread pretending to be several different posters. Same Shit Different Day.

You are not reading this thread if you think it is a fictional creation. Bowdoin belongs with WASP — and no other SLACs do. Endowment, yield, admit rate - everything. If you want to make an actual, rational argument why it does not belong, please do so. Oh, wait! You can’t…


It does belong with WASP, as do about 8-10 schools which have basically identical academic profiles and are also extremely wealthy. Where you are mistaken is in believing that they are different than the rest of the group because they aren't.

But if you want to play the acronym game there do a quick google search.

WASP exists in the context of top liberal arts colleges.
SWAMP (add Middlebury) exists in the context of top liberal arts colleges
WASP-B returns WASP plus maybe the B signifying something about ethnicity and demographics. For additional context Goggle then added:

"These institutions (like Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Middlebury, etc.) were historically feeders for the Ivy League and were dominated by this WASP-B demographic, shaping their culture and admissions for decades." Ironic that there is no mention of Bowdoin because Bowdoin most definitely belongs in this group.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 11:00     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Well for those who can’t get into Bowdoin there’s Middlebury, Colby, Holy Cross, Colgate and Richmond.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:57     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin and Amherst acceptance rates are artificially low because they are need blind for international students. This adds a couple of thousand extra applications every year. Bowdoins acceptance rates for internationals is under 2% but the application numbers pad things making them look a bit selective more than they are.


Great info ! Thank you. Makes sense.



I agree the flood of international applications due to generous financial aid is a significant factor. I also think they perceive--wrongly!--that Bowdoin is an easier admit because it's not ranked in the top two.

I think also that name-brand striver students, international and not, see WASP-B as an Ivy backup. But WASP-B is a tougher admit than the lower Ivies, particularly in ED.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:57     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they have additional essays? If not, it’s easy to throw your hat in the ring at the last minute.


They have additional essays, which they take seriously.


I think their supplemental is where they screen for fit. I looked at the prompt once, not an easy one to write.

On top of the supplemental, there is another optional essay, which I don’t think it’s really optional.

Then there is an optional video response.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:56     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Lol
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:54     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:Been not impressed.

I think that says more about you than Portland, Maine. I guess I had given you too much credit.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:53     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Been not impressed.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:51     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:Portland ain’t NYC, Boston, DC, or Chicago.

Of course not. But have you been? One of the best small cities in America. And it is Maine’s largest city. The fact that it is old (and therefore more densely developed at its core) makes it seems relatively urban.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 10:49     Subject: How did Bowdoin acceptance rate become so low?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bowdoin is the go to school for kids wanting alternative to A/W. It is clearly now WASP-B. Plus $3 billion bucks endowment. Not for our family though well over 2hours from Boston. Kids want to be in or near city.



It's a half-hour from Portland, which can be accessed by train for ~$6.

Plus Brunswick has a nice downtown (a metropolis next to Williamstown) that is a short walk from campus, and Freeport, Maine (L.L. Bean headquarters and shops) is only 15 minutes away.