Bowdoin College Top Questions

It's not always the most enjoyable part of the search, but I strongly recommend taking a good look at the academics that are offered at the school and meeting with the professors and administrators at the school. Even if the school has a great reputation for academics, it's important to make sure that the school offers the things that you are interested in. Also, it was very helpful for me to make a list ranking everything that I was looking for in a school such as extracurriculars, academics, financial aid, study abroad opportunities, etc. There are enough schools out there that there is going to be one that offers everything that you need without having to make compromises. It's your education. Not only did you earn it by being accepted, but you'll also have to pay for it, so you shouldn't have to compromise.

Even after ample research through the internet, guide books, and visits to colleges, it is quite impossible to know whether a specific college will be the right fit. I never got the hunch that my school was "it", but based on what I wanted from a school ranging from class sizes to financial aid, I made my decision and have never regretted it. Most people are adapatable to their environments if they tried, so ultimately, it is the attitude you use to approach attending that chosen school that is the most important - a school may seem perfect during the visit, but may not be exactly so once the student is immersed in the academic and social environment. Yet, it is how the student seeks and strives for what they want in their college experience, and how they make the best out of their college experience that makes the biggest difference and becomes the most memorable.

First impressions are often correct, but they aren't necessarily the best way to judge something. The day I visited Bowdoin, it was raining hard, it was cold, and I don't remember anything particularly exciting happening. That may in fact be the best way to describe the entire experience as well. However, I would never go back in time to choose a different school. Bowdoin is slow paced, and far enough away from a city to feel connected to nature, while still being a day trip away from some of the East Coast's biggest cities. So, don't weigh your first impressions of a college too heavily. At the same time, first impressions are powerful, and if there is one thing that I can say without a doubt made my college experience the best that it could be, it was this, "ignoring the general education requirements". A liberal arts education is about finding out who you want to be, and learning how to remake yourself should you end up being something different. Explore your interests first, and you'll be surprised how many of the general education requirements get done while you are doing so.

Go with what seems best. It usually is.

An openness to the "experience" of college divorced from specific expectations of that experience.

The "right" college is not about applying to the highest-ranked or toughest-to-get-in to school. It is about looking at everything, from the academics, to the food, to the sports and other things that you will spend time doing on campus. You might find that the cultural groups on campus, or the library facilities, or the food are among your most important priorities. I would remind students that you can be happy at almost any school, and finding the "right" school is about finding yourself and understanding will make you a happy student for the next four years of your life. Parents, if you are helping your child pay for school, then your job is to find out how compatible your son or daughters top choices are with your financial situation. Getting into the school is only half the battle, and make it clear to your son or daughter that you will do the best that you can in helping them attend the school if their choice, but that they may need to keep their minds open to make this decision the best one for the whole family. Good luck and don't stess.

Speak with professors and students because they make up the heart of the school. There are innumerable opportunities if you seak them out.

Visit colleges and attend college that feels right for you.

Relax. The idea of a "right" college is stupid. There is no way that you will know what college will be right until you go. The process is stupid and not worth getting worked up over.

If you or your child can cut it academically at a school, then don't worry about the finances. The price tag of that degree may be high but it's priceless; moreover, you may qualify for a substantial amount of financial aid. Many expensive schools have great financial aid packages and paying for that prestigious education might be easier than you thought. College ought to change how you think and view the world. You might not know it right off, but a good college should not only engage students academically, but challenge them to think about social, ethical, and environmental problems and prepare them to contribute to the outside world. Good education means the lessons of the classroom being more than facts and lasting long after a lecture or discussion has ended and beyond the final exam. You are not gaining just qualification from getting a degree; you are learning how to construct your own world view.

You will get into colleges that are a better match for you. The admissions people seem to actually know their stuff, and will weed out people they think won't like the school. I never though of it that way until college, but it's definitely true.

Many prospective college students and their parents approach the college search process in the wrong way. They believe that there is only one "perfect" school for them, they worry more about reputation than fit, and they allow the opinons of those around them to greatly influence their college choice. Choosing a college should be about finding a school that FEELS right, not one that sounds right. Stay overnight with a student you have never met before, and, as you meet their friends and dorm-mates, ask yourself if you could be friends with these people. Because in all honesty, your college experience and future identity are influenced 100 times more by the people you meet and spend time with than the academics you pursue.

Whatever you do, do not choose a school solely on its prestiege. Pick the school that you feel the most comfortable at. Visit the schools you are thinking about. Spend a night at the school and if possible try not to set up the overnight with the admissions office because they will set you up with someone who they feel is a great person and is trained in what to tell you. Stay instead with a someone you know will tell you the dirty little secrets of the school. If you are going for a sport, be sure to go to a practice and meet more of the team than just the model student-athleets that the coach wants you to meet. In general dig under the display the admissions office is putting on, and ask the questions that they dont want to answer.

Finding the right college is hard, but you have to go with your first instinct. Visit every school you apply to and dont attend one merely because you like its basketball team, or it has a prestegious name. Stay overnight in the dorms, visit the campus, and attend some school year events and classes. I think the most important thing to do is to make sure you communicate with current students, the admissions office will sugar-coat everything, but the students have nothing to lose! It is also important to join clubs and teams as a first year student once you have been enrolled. the more you put yourself out there the more friends you will make and opportunites you willl find.

I would tell them to visit the college and, if possible, stay for a day or two. The surrounding area of the college can take some getting used to, but if you dismiss a place on its initial appearance or judge it from the start, then you may skip over a place that you would have enjoyed. I came from a conservative family and a high school of jocks, and landed in an extremely liberal campus where academics are the main focus. This happened mainly because I decided to stay at the school with people I knew and get a good feel of how I would fit in. It turns out that I have made my best friends here and would never change my decision. Each individual is different, so I would encourage parents to have as little say in the college decision as possible. My parents helped me to research colleges and brought me anywhere that I showed a significant amount of interest in. Other than that, I made the decision on my own and I couldn't be happier.

In the end, it is not the college, but rather, the student, that makes the experience successful. Difficult as it is, it is important to put aside the name of the school, and the GPA/SAT scores of its students. Instead, try to think about what is really the best match for you. A school can have a fantastic reputation, but this doesn't mean it will be the best fit for every student. In the end, a person will be successful if he/she feels connected to the college and its community. Further, regardless of whether or not a student is enrolling in his/her first choice school, or a "safety school," it is absolutely crucial to go in with a good attitude. The student's first year, and even the first few weeks, can make a big impact on the overall experience. Even if you feel that the "college process" has treated you unfairly, once the time comes to enroll, try to put the past aside and take charge of your college experience. It's up to you, and every single college and university can provide a top-notch educational and social experience if you seek it out.

Make sure to visit every school and apply to enough "safeties." Give yourself as many options (size, atmosphere, etc.) as possible, as you may find what you thought you liked at the beginning of senior is not at all what you'll like, come acceptance time.