Depends on your kid and what they like. We looked at Oberlin and Grinnell (kid is an athlete that applied ED and would have received merit from both as had Oberlin likely letter with merit and all ED applicants to Grinnell receive merit). My kiddo chose a top NESCAC full pay. It is a lot of money!!! Really all of the schools are too much but for our family I feel confident in the full pay NESCAC. It is really personal decision and I think how much your kid likes the schools plus your personal finances play a role. Good luck. I am sure the education is great at them all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

You're wrong - Bowdoin is seen as being at that level, and it's often chosen over the other 4 schools.
(says a parent of kids at 2 of those other schools)

Guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

You're wrong - Bowdoin is seen as being at that level, and it's often chosen over the other 4 schools.
(says a parent of kids at 2 of those other schools)

My Pomona daughter loved Bowdoin also out of all the elite NESCACs. No interest in AWS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

Reputation and win rates, mostly. While some might choose Bowdoin over AWS and even Dartmouth on occasion, it’s rare. Very rare.

Source? Per Parchment, students choose Bowdoin over Williams 67% of the time, over Amherst 57% of the time, and over Dartmouth 50% of the time. Admittedly, Parchment isn't perfect. But such a preference tracks with Bowdoin's best-in-class (among LACs) yield rate. It also tracks with Bowdoin's reputation---students and parents seem to especially love Bowdoin, which is reflected in the very high student satisfaction scores Bowdoin gets, which are matched only by Pomona.

FTR, my DS is currently deciding between a WASP school, Bowdoin, and another top LAC. I'm not sure what he'll decide, but I'll have no problem with him picking Bowdoin over the others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

If you want to generically use the USN rankings, Bowdoin is on par with Middlebury. Only one point separates the schools in the latest rankings, and historically, the two schools have danced around each other in the rankings since 2020. Middlebury has ranked higher than Bowdoin as many times as Bowdoin has ranked higher than Middlebury, and the schools have tied multiple times.

Other than generically using the USN rankings was what I asked.

I responded at 9:53. Reputations are built over decades and centuries, and when it comes to reputation, Bowdoin doesn’t match Williams and Amherst. Some on this site are desperate to lump them together in a single group. Bowdoin has the same reputation as Middlebury. They’re fantastic schools, just not Williams and Amherst. Much like Dartmouth just isn’t Harvard or Yale.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

If you want to generically use the USN rankings, Bowdoin is on par with Middlebury. Only one point separates the schools in the latest rankings, and historically, the two schools have danced around each other in the rankings since 2020. Middlebury has ranked higher than Bowdoin as many times as Bowdoin has ranked higher than Middlebury, and the schools have tied multiple times.

Other than generically using the USN rankings was what I asked.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

If you want to generically use the USN rankings, Bowdoin is on par with Middlebury. Only one point separates the schools in the latest rankings, and historically, the two schools have danced around each other in the rankings since 2020*. Middlebury has ranked higher than Bowdoin as many times as Bowdoin has ranked higher than Middlebury, and the schools have tied multiple times.

*Since 2000, not 2020.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what do we think about Trinity or Conn with $25k or $30k merit versus other NESCACs full pay?

If your family isn't too affected by the difference, I would select the other NESCACS, with the exception of Wesleyan, over Conn College or Trinity with merit. In fact, we did that. Lots of money from Conn College, none from Hamilton, but the difference in what those schools offer is just too vast to turn down Hamilton.

What is the difference in what they offer? Can you elaborate?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

Reputation and win rates, mostly. While some might choose Bowdoin over AWS and even Dartmouth on occasion, it’s rare. Very rare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

If you want to generically use the USN rankings, Bowdoin is on par with Middlebury. Only one point separates the schools in the latest rankings, and historically, the two schools have danced around each other in the rankings since 2020. Middlebury has ranked higher than Bowdoin as many times as Bowdoin has ranked higher than Middlebury, and the schools have tied multiple times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Other than generically using the USN rankings, what is your criteria for that conclusion?

Anonymous wrote:So what do we think about Trinity or Conn with $25k or $30k merit versus other NESCACs full pay?

If your family isn't too affected by the difference, I would select the other NESCACS, with the exception of Wesleyan, over Conn College or Trinity with merit. In fact, we did that. Lots of money from Conn College, none from Hamilton, but the difference in what those schools offer is just too vast to turn down Hamilton.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would choose Bowdoin over Kenyan, in part for the student population. Bowdoin is very prestigious

Is it? Seems to be the same as all the others.

There are some hard-core Bowdoin boosters on this site. Bowdoin is a great school, but it’s not on the level of Amherst, Williams, Swat, or Pomona.

Between my DC, DH, and several other close family members (sibs, nieces/nephews, cousins), my family has covered a lot of the NESCACs a few times over - Bowdoin, Bates, Amherst, Colby and Middlebury. They are great schools but I don’t think your DS will be missing out on much that she can’t get at another school with merit. My youngest DC is attending a midwestern SLAC (with merit) over a NESCAC. Your DS has many great options and it sounds like she’s really interested in a SLAC so I’d go with one of the midwestern SLACs and save the money for grad school or a down payment on a home later. As long as she’d be happy at one of them why push a full pay school?