Bowdoin College Top Questions

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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)!

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.

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.