Academics
Bowdoin College, a liberal arts school on the east coast of Maine, has produced luminary alumni like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Franklin Pierce. This rich history has shaped its current and traditional academic vision of a well-rounded education. New students are required to take a writing seminar, as well as at least one class in areas such as mathematics, natural science, and visual and performing arts. Sophomores can then choose their majors from a wide variety of over 30 subjects, ranging from traditional fields such as history, physics, and English to modern focuses such as Digital and Computational Studies. Bowdoin encourages academic exploration so that students have the time to take courses outside their main areas of study. This freedom is enhanced by small classes that facilitate thoughtful discussion, with a notable student-faculty ratio of 9 to 1. That ideal class size, according to students, has resulted in one of the college’s greatest strengths: excellent and dedicated professors who can provide personalized attention. “I’m really grateful to go to a liberal arts college where I can get so much more attention from professors…they are only here to teach and they love it.” As another explains, Bowdoin offers “amazing professors who are passionate and smart and who care deeply about their students.
Student Body
The Bowdoin community is known for its camaraderie. “Bowdoin’s student body is small enough that walking on campus means saying ‘hi’ to a lot of familiar faces.” The “Bowdoin hello,” a longstanding tradition by which students greet each other enthusiastically on campus, represents the sense of unity and friendliness often observed. “One thing I love about Bowdoin, and that drew me to the school in my college search, was the supportive and collaborative atmosphere.” This community spirit is reflected in students’ support for school athletics, which has a strong presence on campus. Varsity football, baseball, and ice hockey games are routinely filled with groups of Bowdoin “Polar Bears” excitedly cheering in support of their teams.
Students also suggest that their peers “care very strongly about forming community and bridging connections.” Many describe their classmates as academically competitive in general, yet extremely supportive. “I appreciate the community here, as people want others to succeed with them and are more than willing to offer help to get you where you want to be.” The helpfulness of fellow students is frequently cited as a significant factor in the school’s academic success. “I feel I can grow more as a student with collaborative peers rather than [with] peers who are trying to compete with me.”
Campus Life
Bowdoin’s eighteenth-century architecture is distinct, a New England campus that stands out whether it is dotted with Maine’s celebrated foliage in autumn or dusted with snow in winter. The natural surroundings are a great draw; some students have come to love the outdoors through the Bowdoin Outing Club (BOC), a student organization that hosts over 150 events each year. “I came here without ANY experience in the outdoors at all...but now I’ve done whitewater canoeing/rafting, mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, etc.!” First-year and second-year students are required to live on campus and most choose to stay until they graduate. As there is no Greek life at Bowdoin, the many clubs and extracurricular activities, which include environmental advocacy, crafts, and the student newspaper, are central to life at the college. “Most students are involved in multiple on-campus activities—I don’t know anyone who doesn’t do several other things outside of classes.” Students can also be found perusing the renowned Bowdoin College Museum of Art, which houses over 20,000 artworks in its collection.
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