Bowdoin College Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Ryan

Bowdoin is great. It's a smallerish college so you really do get to know the professors and deans and lunch ladies. You may not know them your freshman year, but definitely beginning your sophomore year you really start to get to know everyone, and this sense of community is a great feeling. In my home town, few people have heard of Bowdoin. But it is fun when you run into someone who has heard of it, because generally they declare that it's a great school. On campus, a lot of people hang out in the Union (Smith Union) since the cafe, the pub, the mail center, and the gym are all located there. A number of comfortable chairs and couches are set up around the Union so it's a nice place to study when you don't want complete quiet. Otherwise, the libraries generally have a number of people in them, and if you live in a social house or dorm, a lot of times people hang out in the common spaces there as well to do work etc. Definitely, the greatest show of school pride is during the Bowdoin-Colby ice hockey games, which are always packed with yelling fans. The cheers between our two schools are the best part and definitely make the game.

Jerry

the people in the bowdoin community are its richest asset. from the friendly students, to the generous faculty and staff, everyone is worth getting to know. "the bowdoin hello" is what first struck me about bowdoin-- people are friendly and enthused to be here. the open, relatively communal approach is important in a challenging higher education environment. the friendliness extends to the town of brunswick as well. the bowdoin, brunswick relationship is another one of the critical assets of bowdoin. whether you go in to get coffee, live in the neighborhoods, work with the townspeople, the experience is always well worth it. although the winters are long, brunswick is not in the middle of nowhere. quite contrary-- it is 30 minutes north of Portland, a very hip and eclectic port town, and 2hours north of boston. both of which have a plethora of sweet concerts and delicious eateries. to enjoy the long winter, skiing at sugarloaf and sunday river are less than 2hours away and the outing club provides weekly trips: snow shoeing, xcountry skiing, and mountaineering.

Charlie

The best thing about Bowdoin is that you can make friends with people you normally would not interact with. I would change class size. Bowdoin is not a big school, but there are still many classes that have more than 30 students in them. I would like for Bowdoin to hire more professors of color, especially in areas that you would not find these professors. When I tell people back home, I get one of two responses. The first is, where the heck is that, or Wow, you go to Bowdoin. There is nothing in between. One problem I have with Bowdoin is the way they deal with issues of race. I feel that Bowdoin places issue of gender and sexuality on a pedestal, but when there are black/white issues, they are swept inder the rug. School pride...it's getting there. Men's Hockey games and Women's basketball games are well attended. The cheerleading squad is made up mostly of students of color. Ivies Weekend is the best Weekend at Bowdoin. Experience Weekend is fun too, only when you are a freshman and sophomore, not after that.

Alex

Best things about Bowdoin: the PEOPLE (a-grade human beings very smart and very fun), the PROFESSORS (inspiring, caring, personable, incredibly intelligent), FOOD!!!! (see NYtimes article), Parties (DJ pub nights, social house parties, Crackhouse, Joshuas, fun people), CAMPUS (gorgeous gorgeous accessible campus), NO frats or sororities, Great clubs and events on campus constantly, IVIES. Things I would change: BSG very dominated by the same groups of people, Housing shortage although housing is great overall, cold weather in maine. Bowdoin is a small school but coming from a large public school i found it perfect and i never feel too sheltered or trapped. People's reaction to Bowdoin: "Bowdoin... WHAT!?! a community college in Maine?" or "Wow, YOU GO TO BOWDOIN!?!" Time spent on campus: Classes, Homework, Studying, Partying, Socializing, Eating, going to Club meetings and campuswide events Colelge town: Brunswick Maine, Gem of Maine. Great stores and restaurants easily accessible. Ie. Big Top - best sandwiches, Scarlet Begonias - delicious pizza and pasta BYOB, Joushuas - fun bar and great lobster rolls, Sea Dogs Brewery (great lobster and beer) also half an hour away from Portland (city in the USA with most restaurants per capita) Bowdoin Administration: Unseen but everything runs incredibly smoothly Controvery on Campus: The possibility of getting rid of Credit/D/Fail. Overridden due to student protests School Pride: Come to any Sporting event ESPECIALLY Hockey and Lacrosses and will find devoted rowdy fans

Lorie

Bowdoin is a tight knit community with nurturing teachers. The physical lay out of the campus facilitates the unified, community feeling of the student and faculty. The academics are challenging and the professors are supportive and champion their students; it is not easy to "fall through the cracks" here. College town is great--doesn't feel like the middle of nowhere. Portland is near by and so is Boston. The best thing about Bowdoin to me is how tight the students get; everyone knows everyone, and while that can seem annoying sometimes, at the end of the day it's awesome. As a junior, I can really see how my class has come together. While there are different groups of best friends, it is not exclusive and "cliquey." We all have fun together and come together to have fun.

Dylan

Bowdoin is a great school. The relationships between student and teacher is like nothing I have thought. They want you to do well and are willing to help you achieve that goal. It is a small school, which means everybody knows everybody, and everybody knows everything about everybody. The curriculum is difficult and it leaves little time to do everything else, expecially if you have commitments to sports and clubs. The town Bowdoin is in, Brunswick, is a little homey town with local shops, delicious gelato, and a 24 hour walmart (so underrated). The administration here are very helpful when needed. The deans and headmaster encourage friendly visits just to catch up on life. The biggest controversy on campus was freshmen hazing on one of the sports teams. Bowdoin takes this issue very seriously. All the students here have unbelievable pride for Bowdoin that we are all ready to shove down Colby's throats. One thing that I will always remember is my teammates. We have formed unbreakable bonds that make us family. We keep in touch with all the alumni who graduated from our team, and we have many memories that will last a life time.

Grace

Great atmosphere, everyone is incredible motivated and works really hard and is passionate about all that they do, but at the same time people are all about hanging out with friends. It is not a cut-throat competitive atmosphere. It's more people work hard and get there stuff done because they care about it, not because they want to show everyone up. Everyone is so supportive of each other and genuinely loves the school and what they do.

Sarah

Bowdoin's faculty is the most kind staff that I have ever met. From Patt, who swipes my card at the dining hall every morning, to Randy Nichols, the head of security with celebrity status, to the professors, everyone who works here is exceedingly generous. At the beginning of the year, I was very intimidated to meet with professors. I shouldn't have been. Besides being incredible people who have accomplished and are continuing to do amazing things and research, they are friendly and very willing to help a struggling student. Coming from a public school, I struggled with academics at the beginning. As soon as I sought help from the writing tutors and professors, though, my work improved drastically.

Eric

Great (really great) food, dedicated professors, small classes, involved students

Charlie

The school is very, very small; after the first few months, you know of know of the majority of people here. This is a comforting thing in that generally when you walk around campus you'll know the people you see. On the flip side, avoiding people can get extremely tricky - not that people actually change their lifestyles because of it. Bowdoin (and any small college) students just deal with awkwardness a whole lot more often. It's seeing and saying hi to your professor who's also getting lunch at the Cafe, but running into that bad hookup from Saturday night at breakfast on Monday isn't always the greatest way to start your week. If you want any kind of anonymity whatsoever (social or academic), Bowdoin is not the place for you. Another thing they don't tell you is the effect the weather has on the social scene, and not just the weekend parties. People certainly still drink and party during the winter, perhaps more so in order to keep from feeling the cold. What I mean is that by the time November comes around, people run inside to their respective niches and generally don't come out again until spring. If you haven't found your group of friends by then, you might have to sit tight until spring.

Christian

Bowdoin is amazing. The food, dorms, and academics are among the top in the country. The community as a whole is very close knit and friendly. Our school is small, but large enough that I see or meet someone new almost every day. Some people don't know how prestigious Bowdoin really is, while others rightfully acknowledge it as one of the best in the country. The college town is very close and convenient -- lots of good restaurants, a supermarket, pharmacy.. pretty much all of the essentials. Plus Freeport is very close by, which is a huge place for shopping. There is a lot of school pride. Everyone here knows how great our school is and takes pride in being associated with this institution. It's an overall great place to be.

Dawson

The best part about Bowdoin is that beer flows very freely. The dorms are huge and the food is great. A couple things that suck are that no hard alcohol is allowed, and the school is small (which is good in some respects, bad in others). When I tell people from home I go to Bowdoin, they don't know what I'm talking about. When I tell people from New England, they are impressed. I spend most of my time on either in my dorm or in the student union. The school is the town. There is not a lot of school pride except when dealing with Colby or Bates College. One experience I will definitely always remember is Ivies. It's an absolute crunk fest.

Molly

One of the best things about Bowdoin is great variety in the courses offered here. You can chose basically any topic of interest ranging from Gender and Women's studies to Chemistry. The professors are also really great. Every professor I have had is willing to help you out in any way they can, and are really approachable. Also, the food here is terrific, and certainly one of the aspects of Bowdoin which students love. One of the potentially negative aspects of Bowdoin is that as you get older, the campus seems a bit small, and it is easy to fall into a repetitive routine. Therefore, joining clubs, and getting off campus every now and then is highly recommended. The town of Brunswick is a small town, and is not exactly known for its nightlife. However, most of the people in town are really nice, and always greet you enthusiastically when you tell them you are a Bowdoin student.

John

The best about Bowdoin is the food (of course)! The college has a high school "feel" to it since the student body population is around 1600. I mostly spend my time in studying during the week and party hard during the weekend to make up for the stressful week. Bowdoin is right in the middle of everything in town. Everything is in walking distance.

Alex

If I could change one thing about Bowdoin College it would be its location. I love Maine and everything, but there are times when you feel secluded. I would like to pick up this college and drop it outside of Boston or NYC. It would make for a more interesting experience.

Sally

Bowdoin is awesome. The weather is horrible, and yea its small, but I love it. Size is a joke because no matter how many people you think you know, there are at least 100 people you don't for every one you do. Weather - it's maine, don't choose it if you want warm weather, but you definitely get used to it no matter how much you complain. Not many people know what Bowdoin is when you name drop, but those who matter (for jobs etc.) do, so that really isn't a big deal. Just because you can't impress your neighbors doesn't mean you wont get a good job - we are a top ten liberal arts school, some people don't even know what Williams is if you can imagine that. We have a town and it's awesome - SO MANY RESTAURANTS! The only thing lacking is sushi (which is available at the Bowdoin cafe two days/nights a week), but that is 15 minutes away in Freeport which is a lot of fun. Freeport has a LOT of shopping (it's an outlet strip) so if you ever need clothes you can go there (they have an awesome and HUGE llbean and north face too if it ever gets too cold). Portland is amazing as well, and boasts two ridiculously good (and well rated) restaurants, Fore Street and Street & Co. which might have the best food i've ever eaten. The night life is sometimes lacking, although 21 year olds can always go to portland for the bars, but you make your own fun. If you have friends, you will be fine. My favorite event of all is the lobster bake at the beginning of the year - it is so quintessential maine, and it's a lot of fun. They set up long tables outside and serve lobster, and other things for the less seafood inclined, and everyone has a great time chatting and seeing people after the summer.

Ainsley

Bowdoin is a nice size for me as I came from a small private school. The campus has a good sense of community, you don't get lost, and you still meet new people. Because of the small size there is more one on one time with professors. A minus to Bowdoin is that name recognition with smaller companies is not very good. The larger cooperations and grad schools however, favor Bowdoin kids.

Meggie

Everyone wants to be here. Everyone cares about Bowdoin.

Kelly

-Need more people with courage to speak their mind. Everyone is way too worried about being politically correct that people pretend to be open minded when in reality they just aren't willing to divolge their biases and stereotypes.

Alex

Bowdoin is small and it is wonderful. The only thing I would change is the weather. Maine is not very friendly in the winter.

Cameron

Bowdoin is a place where people are generally really nice. Nice is definately the word. Sometimes I wish there were a little more 'alternative' people at Bowdoin, most people are quite middle of the road: nice, but a little boring. But, we are always finding new people we didn't know existed. You need to work at widening your circle, its easy to end up hanging out with the same 8 or so people for 4 years. The campus itself IS small, but there's a lot to do. Every weekend I have a reason to stay on campus. If you DO want to get off its pretty easy but you need to be on top of your shit: there's shuttles that can take you into Portland (about 1/2 and hour) and a bus that leaves from the hockey rink. I really like town: there's not much there but theres pretty much everything I need and I like Brunswick townies: you can just hang out in a store and talk to the owner if you would want to. Plus, the weather get gross sometimes and so you're glad its small and you dont have to go far to get to the supermarket or wherever. Even though I think more than half bowdoin kids do a sport, there's not that much school pride, people don't get psyched for much except the hockey team. People don't really go to games that often, thought we did get a pep band last year.

Jordan

I'm only a sophomore at Bowdoin, but I've already had a few ups and downs here. When sophomore year hit and the novelty of freshman year wore off, I had to look at this school and say "okay, now what do I REALLY like about Bowdoin?". And I have to say, there are times I become frustrated with the social life here, and disillusioned with some people I come across. But when it comes down to it, I love the small size of Bowdoin and the sense of community that results. Community service and the "common good" are big here, and have really motivated me to be involved on campus. It's really easy to get a club or group off the ground if you have an idea for something, and it's pretty inspiring to see the things that students do to help other people. The surrounding town of Brunswick is pretty awesome too. I'm from a city and wanted something quieter for college. Brunswick is perfect for me because it's a moderately suburban town, close to rural Maine but not in the middle of nowhere. There are lots of great coffee shops with wireless internet, and an adorable town library you can work in if you feel the need to get off campus for a few hours. There are also a surprising number of really good restaurants (including Indian and Thai) within a mile of campus. And best of all, pretty much everything is located on Maine Street (the main road that runs past campus) and is within walking distance (coming from a city with subways I don't have my driver's license yet). Overall, I think the administration has a great relationship with the students. There might be a dean here or there that people don't like, but I've never felt very much tension. The administration is very willing to communicate with the students and consider their opinions, and above all, they take good care of Bowdoin students. I've known of a few people dealing with serious issues (a death in the family, depression, etc) and the deans do a really good job of checking in with them and making sure they are getting the help they need. One recent issue on campus was a debate over whether students should be able to take distributional requirement classes Credit/D/Fail. The faculty got to vote on the issue and decided it should not be allowed. It will go into effect for the class of 2012. Pretty much all students were annoyed by this. It seems unfair to have to take a class far outside your comfort zone, work extremely hard in it (taking attention away from classes more important to you), and still end up with a low grade on your transcript. I think it discourages students from taking risks with classes and really exploring what's out there. Faculty argued that it allowed students to slack off in a lot of classes, but I have a feeling those were isolated incidents that should have been dealt with as isolated incidents. It seems like the vote implied that all Bowdoin students are lazy, or at least the ones taking Credit/D/Fail classes are, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I took Advanced Integral Calculus for my math requirement freshman year as a Credit/D/Fail, and let me tell you, I was up late for many nights to get a "Credit" mark in that class. Had I not been able to take it C/D/F I probably would have dropped it and taken something easy.

Kelly

Bowdoin has an ideal student body population. It's just less than 2000 which at times may seem too small, but I am constantly meeting new people. It's nice to walk to class on any given day and say hello to a bunch of people along the way. Bowdoin's size is also its downfall at times when personal information gets around rapidly. Its degree of separation probably lies within two people. The best thing at Bowdoin is probably the student life in general, such as dining services, the dorms, and the amount of activity on the weekends. When I mention Bowdoin's name, people generally are hearing it for the first time, which is unfortunate because its a great school. The great thing is that those who do know Bowdoin love it. School pride at Bowdoin is dead; I blame it on the lack of a good football team. We're a D3 school so our athletics department, which generally is at the center of fostering school pride, isn't the greatest. One of the most recent controversies on campus involved the school's Credit/D/Fail option. Great schools such as Brown University provide this option for its students to venture into unknown realms of academia, unfortunately at Bowdoin we can neither use this option in pursuit of our major or in our distribution requirements. This new policy renders the Credit/D/Fail option useless. Brunswick is a quite town full of senior citizens... not the most exciting place. However, it is a pleasant atmosphere, full of cafes and ethnic cuisines. The school has a decent amount of options every weekend so the surrounding town isn't too much of a concern.

Brittney

Bowdoin's size is often a topic of discussion. Most of the time, the small student body is one of the best things about Bowdoin, it's always easy to find someone you know, classes are small, and professors are very accessible. Brunswick, Maine, is not the best of college towns, cafes close on Sundays, and most stores close early. Downtown Brunswick, aside from these complaints, is generally a nice place. Despite the small town, Bowdoin is not as isolated as one might think. Freeport, Maine is only 15 minutes away, and it's only 30 minutes to Portland.

Susie

What most attracted me to Bowdoin was the friendly atmosphere that I found there. Bowdoin is a very small school, so you tend to run into someone who you know, no matter where you go on campus. Brunswick is also a great college town. It has a lot of cheap, homey restaurants and stores are within walking distance from campus. One of the most exciting events on campus is the Bowdoin-Colby ice hockey game. The risers are full and students have so much excitement and pride for their men's ice hockey team. One of my favorite things about Bowdoin is the attention that professors can give to their students. Not only are there world-class professors at Bowdoin, but they actually care about their students and encourage them to come to their office hours. The faculty is very welcoming and open to students' ideas. One thing that I would probably change about Bowdoin is the degree of drinking that happens. The college is relatively permissive of drinking, which makes a campus phenomenon that is sort of hard to get away from.

Reese

For me, Bowdoin college is the perfect size- just large enough to not have to see everyone everyday, but a small tight knit community. In this sort of setting, it is easy to find friends to hang with. Coming from a small town, this was a great transition. As for the town of Brunswick, where the college is placed, its a little dull for my liking, but pretty nice for the most part. The restaurants are amazing! I usually spend most of my time on campus, but this changes as you get older/ have a car!

Tristan

The small classes are an enormous advantage. My professors are more like friends than teachers; not only do they care about what you are learning academically, but also what you learn from and about life. The friendships that are built living closely with your classmates are strong and make it always enjoyable to be on campus.

Kelly

Socially speaking Bowdoin is great on the weekend because the people are great on the weekend. That said, it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who can't do without a clubbing/bar nightlife. Portland does get some good music from time to time, though, and there's an incredible variety of cultural opportunities that come with being at a college that's as distinguished in the realm of academia as Bowdoin is.

Mary

I don't think the undergraduate experience gets any richer than it is at Bowdoin. Like any other school, Bowdoin has its shortcomings, but it is really top-notch in most regards. When current students look at the now 18 percent admission rate, many of them will say that they shouldn't have gotten in, or they don't know how they made the cut. But students don't end up here because they aced the SAT or took 13 AP courses in high school. While students are very smart, I think they're here because they're incredibly interesting and passionate.

Alison

The campus is AMAZING - food, housing, facilites, college houses- it is really really catered nicely to students. Maine is BEAUTIFUL. We're kind of an obscure school- for being one of the top 10 colleges in the country, I wish that we were better known. I spend most of my time on campus, but the town of Brunswick is really great, and easy to walk to. People do tend to have a lot of pride for Bowdoin, although occassionaly I get the feeling that people see the student body as just a bunch of ivy-league rejects, which dissappoints me because Bowdoin was my top choice. There aren't too many complaints, and when there are it seems easy to get access to the appropriate people to voice them.

Harper

Bowdoin is hands down the most amazing place ever. I was totally one of those people who disliked highschool and never put much thought into school spirit. This all changed when I got to Bowdoin. The place and the people are so incredible that you can't help but be proud of it. The people here love to be active. The gym is a campus hotspot while others swear it off prefering the ample outdoors activities that surround the campus. Even in the dead of our intense Maine winters we make the most of it. Its an incredible college experience.

The Bowdoin community is pretty small and tight-knit. With a small campus and small class enrollment, it is easy to get to know a lot of people here on campus, whether it is through class, sports, clubs, parties, or living quarters. The local town, Brunswick, is very nice. Coming from a small town, it is nice to walk downtown through Maine St. and stop in at the local music, coffee, or sandwich shop. It is never too much of a problem to grab food or bathroom supplies from the supermarket or pharmacy, and Bowdoin Security's 'Safe Ride' service will give anyone a ride within 2 miles of campus. We have a high level of school pride and we are very supportive of our sports teams. Sports games tend to have fairly high attendances, especially in games against our Maine state NESCAC rivals, Bates and Colby. A recent controversy with our administration was the recent vote by the faculty to eliminate the possibility of receiving distribution requirement credit for taking a course Pass/Fail (or Credit/D/F as it is known here). Students were upset because this motion infringes on what it means to attend a liberal arts school. Unable to receive credit for a distribution requirement while taking pass/fail, Bowdoin students of the future will be less likely to explore new classes or general areas of study without feeling the pressure of receiving a good grade. It also makes studying abroad for pre-med students much less feasible, as it is difficult to complete all the distribution requirements and other medical school requisites.

Abbie

When I was first looking at colleges my junior and senior year in high school, I was convinced that I wanted a huge student body. Coming from a small private school in Baltimore, I felt that I needed to have that experience. When I started looking into Bowdoin, the class size was the one thing that made me hesitant about applying, despite the fact that I loved everything else about it--the social house system, the balance of athletics and academics, the food (of course), the campus, the location, etc. I decided that regardless of what size school I went to, I would have significantly more classmates than the 75 I had in high school, so either way, I was going to have a plenty of different experiences. When I got here my freshman year, I found that the class size was practically perfect. Enough people to always be meeting new ones and small enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed. One experience that I'll never forget is when the women's Field Hockey team won Bowdoin's first ever National Championship. The entire campus was at the field house at 1 am on Saturday night to greet them. One of the houses off campus threw them a huge party and practically the entire campus was there, supporting the team until 5 o'clock in the morning. Even security guards were there when the team got off the bus, taking pictures and cheering them on with the rest of campus. It really was a huge testament to our incredible school spirit.

Jess

The best thing is the professors and the breadht of the resources. I would change entirely the makeup of the student body; we need less apathy, less perfectionism, more exploration. The only exploration that happens seems to do so off campus, and that sucks. I spend most of my time in the library. Brunswick is really cute. I don't think there's too much school pride, although maybe that's because I don't go to sporting events. There is absolutely nothing unusual about this school, aside from the excellent housing. I'll always remember driving to Colby in the middle of the night for a rookie task with the rugby team. Generally speaking, I think people just feel stuck here. Breaking convention here is very difficult.

dennis

What I most like about bowdoin is the ability to do whatever I want. What I mean by this, is that each student is allowed to move freely from one activity to another without being judge or restricted by the adminstration. I know this sounds like all liberal arts schools, but I feel that bowdoin actually stands out in this category.

Margot

For me Bowdoin has become more than just a school, but a place that I will always consider home. In the first lines of the "Offer of the College" William DeWitt Hyde highlights the importance of Bowdoin being a home to its students. I was born and raised half a country away, so when I came out here I was worried about the distance from my hometown. I was surprised how easy it was to settle here. From the moment I arrived I felt like I was a part of the College and feel strongly about this place. At Bowdoin there are endless outlets of support and friendship from the first people you meet on your pre-orientation trip, roommates, and proctors to deans, professors, and dining hall staff. There is an almost invisible gap between the students even when they vary in age by four years or more and professors can become incredible influences in your life inside and outside of the classroom. The people at Bowdoin are really what make the experience and the College holds high standards for the students they admit and the staff they hire in order for this to continue. I constantly feel that the College community has my back and I have learned to give that kind of support to everyone I can here. When I tell people that I go to Bowdoin the response varies if they have heard of the school. A lot of people outside of New England haven't heard of it, and yes they usually mispronounce it, but you can't let that get to you. The whole name recognition thing really doesn't matter because if they haven't heard of it it's their loss. You have to know in your head that you're at a great school and it shouldn't matter if someone hasn't heard of it. Sometimes people whine about the food, but they should be punched in the kidneys. It's amazing for college food and the best you will find in the country...seriously.

Raya

Its so welcoming, everyone is generally a good person at heart. There is a real sense of community. In a very quaint town--Brunswick--that is a college town, but there are still a lot of very cool places and Portland is only 30min away. Most people do spend most of their time on campus though, mainly because there is always something going on. Its very small, but that helps create the amazing sense of community, the only negative is the limited class offerings.

Nick

Best thing about Bowdoin? Probably academics and food. Worst thing about Bowdoin? the size—it's too damn small. In many respects—particularly social aspects of the school—it is like high school.

Terry

Student-professor relationships are the best part about Bowdoin. I would change Bowdoin's class withdrawal policy--students should be free to drop a class whenever they want to. The size is just right. When I tell people that I go to Bowdoin they ask where it is, what is is, and why I would want to go to a school in Maine. I spend most of my time in Hatch Science library. Brunswick is a cute college town--cook's corner is convenient and we aren't too far from Freeport and Portland. I don't have any sound claims to make about Bowdoin's administration. There was a mild hazing incident that received more attention then the situation warranted--it only lasted a week or two. School pride has its shining moments e.g., Colby-Bowdoin hockey games. Unusual: we have an incredibly intelligent student body; they are some of the smartest underachievers that I have ever met. I will always remember the traumas of my pre-orientation trip. I was increibly under qualified for the trip, but was assigned to it anyways. For three days, I had to backpack with regular backpackers--it was my first time! I hear a lot of complaints about the Credit/D/Fail policy--why not just make it Credit/Fail?

Kendall

Bowdoin student love Bowdoin. There's a lot of school spirit even the kids who complain alot show alot of spirit. The one thing I might change is the weather...whcih isnt really changebale but the beginning of winter semester can be pretty miserable. Also, at times the small student body size (which I really like for the class room setting) limits the amount of classes offered and also makes it hard to get into classes.

Bevan

The best thing about Bowdoin is that fact that I just spent twenty minutes trying to pick my favorite thing about my school.

Andy

Bowdoin is like a large family. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. There is not that much difference between seniors and freshman, people tend to get along pretty well no matter their age or different interests. A lot of the older students make the underclassmen feel involved and important. The faculty really cares about their subject and about the well-beings of the students in their classes. If a student is struggling, the faculty will seek them out and offer help. Brunswick is a small little town with fun restaurants and coffee shops. It's fun to get off campus for dinner or a study session every once in a while. Bowdoin students are very concerned about the environment, and ways in which the community can help. There is a lot of snow but it is also fairly sunny, and you acclimate to the cold very quickly. The two biggest complaints are the long winters and the idea of the "Bowdoin Bubble" in which you can easily forget there is a world outside of campus.

Anna

Bowdoin is a community, first and foremost. School is tough, but people are genuinely welcoming for the most part. Its a small school so trying to avoid someone is not possible but that's okay because there aren't a lot of people you will want to avoid. Brunswick is not exactly a hopping town but it has a few cute restaurants and stores. Bowdoin's staff is amazing, as are most of the professors. Bowdoin is different from other schools just because of the feeling you get on campus. People are really enthusiastic and happy to be here. And its beautiful: the facilities are amazing. Oh and the food is the best.

Cristina

Bowdoin is what you make it. It can be friendly, fun and interesting, or it can be dry and stale. Different years at Bowdoin were completely different for me because of the different lifestyles and types people you can surround yourself with here. Bowdoin is small, which means your classes are excellent, people are friendly, and you can become deeply involved in clubs any. The administration is wonderful, the town is warm and friendly (even if the weather isn't) and there are plenty of opportunities to become involved off campus and to spend time outdoors. If you've got dreams this is a place that wants to help them come true.

katherine

The students are all very friendly and willing to help each other out. It's a close knit community. Security and the deans are sometimes hypocritical with what they tell students

Erica

Bowdoin is small, so it's just the right size. I spend most of my time studying, rowing and going to concerts, parties, movies, eating dinner with friends, etc.

Paul

Bowdoin is definitely too small of a school in too small of a town. The school by virtue of its size causes drama and gossip to travel quickly which probably makes Bowdoin students more uptight than they would be in a larger more anonymous environment. On the other hand, the small size of the school it creates a good environment for finding a great group of close friends.

Zac

I love Bowdoin. Everyone is very friendly and welcomes you to Bowdoin. The social scene is what you make it. When I got here it was very bland... the pub on thursdays and social house parties friday and saturday. But this semester I have been having A LOT MORE fun! We go into town a lot more, which has an amazing amount of things to offer. The size is just right. People always think its awesome that I go to Bowdoin, dont know what it is, or gasp at how cold it must be. I spend most of my time in my dorm because our floor is very cohesive and we all really love to hang out with each other. The administration is really great. They make everything here really easy by planning everything carefully so that our year goes smoothly. The isnt much controversy... I mean we have a nude photo exhibit coming out... For certain sports there is a lot of school spirit. The food is AMAZING (for food prepared for hundreds)!

omar

The best part about bowdoin is its intimate environment. I think it is the right size, and I do not get much of a reaction from people when I tell them I go to bowdoin. I spend most of my time in Smith Union. I think Bowdoin is a college town. I do not recall a big controversy on campus recently. I think there is a school pride, which I share. Bowdoin has very extreme winters, which are probably most memorable for me.

Jonathan

The best thing about Bowdoin--and this is probably more a recommendation to small liberal arts colleges in general--is the access to faculty and the mentoring that happens on campus. This is especially apparent in the sciences, where faculty mentoring can make all the difference. I'm in an intro biology class right now, and not only do both of the professors know my name, one of them has even shared some advice with me during office hours. When I see him in passing around campus, he'll often ask me if I've identified any birds recently (he's an ornithologist) or if I have any questions about ecology in general. These little encounters really make me appreciate the size of Bowdoin and the amount professors invest in their students. At a large university, I don't imagine professors make much time for a freshman biology aspirant. Here, it's unusual for a serious science major to graduate without having spent a significant amount of time working in a professors lab, probably graduating as a published author.