About

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Academics

Bowdoin College, a liberal arts school on the 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, and at least one full-credit course in each of five subjects: mathematical, computational, or statistical reasoning; inquiry in the natural sciences; difference, power, and inequity; international perspectives; 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, basketball, 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 architecturally distinct New England campus 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.

Contact & Visit

Campus Visits Contact

Contact
Admissions Office
Reception Desk

Address
Office of Admissions
5000 College Station
Brunswick, ME 04011-8441

Phone
(207) 725-3100

Email
admissions@bowdoin.edu

Experience College Life

Most Popular Places On Campus
Bowdoin College Museum of Art
Peter Buck Center for Health and Fitness
David Saul Smith Union
Schwartz Outdoor Leadership Center
The Edwards Center for Art and Dance
Schiller Coastal Studies Center; Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum; Studzinski Recital Hall; Hawthorne-Longfellow Library; Druckenmiller Hall; Thorne Dining Hall; Wish and Pickard Theaters; top of Coles Tower (for birds-eye view); Watson Arena, Farley Field House, Greason Pool; playing fields/trails; the Bowdoin Pines; the Bowdoin Quad.

Most Popular Places Off Campus
Downtown Brunswick
City of Portland
L.L. Bean and Freeport
Boston
Sugarloaf and Sunday River ski resorts
Androscoggin River Bike Trail; Bailey Island and Orr's Island; Dog Bar Jim (coffee shop), Bohemian Coffee House; City of Bath; Big Top Deli; Bull Moose Music/Movies/Video Games; Cook's Lobster House Restaurant; Eveningstar Cinema; Frontier Cafe; Gelato Fiasco; Little Dog Coffee Shop; Mere Point; Merrymeeting Bay; Morse Mountain Conservation Area; Popham Beach State Park; Portland (Pizza) Pie Co.; Reid State Park; Thomas Point Beach; Town of Freeport; Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park. Please refer to: https://www.bowdoin.edu/campus-life/living-in-maine/index.html.

Campus Tours

Campus Tours
Appointment Required: Yes
Dates: Year-round
Times: Varies
Average Length: 1 hour

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews
Yes

Information Sessions
Available

Times
Mon 10:30am, Tues-Fri 2:30pm

Faculty and Coach Visits

Dates/Times Available
Year-round

Arrangements
Submit Prospective Interest Form at http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/information/prospect/index and contact coach directly

Advance Notice
3 weeks

Contact Email Address for Visit
http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/landing/

Class Visits

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year

Arrangements
Contact the faculty member via e-mail to request a class visit

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Available

Arrangements
Other

Limitations
Seniors only; one-night stay; not available on Fri or Sat night or during exam periods

Transportation

Types of Transportation Available to Campus
Portland International Jetport is less than 30 miles from campus. Mid-Coast Limo (800-937-2424) provides service between the airport and campus. Hertz (800-654-3131), Budget (800-527-0700) and other major rental car companies serve the airport. Enterprise (207-725-1344) serves the Brunswick area. Arrange for limousine or taxi service as early as possible. Mermaid Transportation and Concord Trailways provide bus service (with pick ups in Brunswick and on campus) to and from Portland and points beyond. Amtrak provides train service between Brunswick and Boston. Bowdoin also provides a shuttle service to local areas of interest and Portland. The Metro Breez bus service connects the communities of Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth and Portland with 14 daily round trips. Please refer to: http://www.bowdoin.edu/about/visiting/

Driving Instructions to Campus
From the south, take I-95 N. toward N.H./Maine, then merge onto I-295 N. via Exit 44 toward South Portland/Downtown Portland, take the US-1 exit at Exit 28 (Bath-Brunswick/Coastal Rte. 1) and follow Rte. 1/Pleasant St., following signs for Maine St. At the intersection with Maine St., turn right, then proceed straight (Bowdoin will be on the left), proceed straight past the Joshua L. Chamberlain statue then turn left onto College St., which takes you into the campus. From the north, take I-95 S. and then the US-1 exit at Exit 28 (Bath-Brunswick/Coastal Rte. 1) and proceed as above. Please refer to: http://www.bowdoin.edu/about/visiting/directions.shtml

Local Accommodations
Accessible by car, bus, train and air, the Maine coast is a popular destination for visitors from across the U.S. and around the world. It offers a wide variety of guest accommodations, including inexpensive chain hotels, bed and breakfasts, upscale inns and major hotel chains. Local accommodations include The Brunswick Inn (B&B); the Brunswick Hotel and Tavern; The Daniel; the Comfort Inn; the Econo Lodge; and the Fairfield Inn & Suites, among others. Nearby in Freeport (home of L.L. Bean) are the Harraseeket Inn and the Hilton Garden Inn. A comprehensive list can be found at: http://www.midcoastmaine.com/

Admissions

Applicants: 9,081
Acceptance Rate: 10%






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