Bowdoin is an extremely popular, yet also profoundly niche, small liberal arts college in Maine. They are well-known for being an intellectual safe haven for brilliant students who think differently and want to change the world. To spark that change, they pair their close-knit Maine campus with exceptional international and off-site learning opportunities, from the program to semester and year-long with international universities. For decades, Bowdoin flew under the radar. They were known for super strong academics in an intimate — and isolated — learning community, but mostly attracted students in the Northeast. Then, the world caught on. Over the past 20 years, Bowdoin has skyrocketed in popularity. The acceptance rate is only %.
The number of students admitted to Bowdoin has held steady, but the number of applications they receive has skyrocketed from a little over 4,000 applicants for the class of 2004 to over 13,000 today — for only spots. There are no required courses to be considered for admission, but they do recommend a fully-diversified course load.
When it comes to tests, you have options. Bowdoin went test optional more than . Today, of accepted and enrolled students submit scores. What does this mean for you? You don’t need to submit scores to get into Bowdoin, but if you have strong SAT or ACT scores they can certainly help. Because only applicants with strong scores submit them, what is submitted . Do not submit an SAT under 1530 or an ACT under 34.
This post isn’t about tests, though. We’re talking supplements. Below, we’re going to break down each of the two Bowdoin supplements and the optional video response so that you can write your strongest possible application.
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The Bowdoin supplement is a classic. They have maintained the same first question for a long time, and the second is a simple “share yourself,” kind of prompt. It’s fairly simple and straightforward, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to do well.
Bowdoin is a very picky school when assessing candidates, hence the low acceptance rate. A key filter for them, after grades and teacher recommendations, are the supplements. So yes, they sound simple, but they carry a massive amount of weight. Now, let’s break them down.
Based on , which represents Bowdoin’s values, you have the option to reflect on any line of The Offer and how it has meaning to you. Generations of students have found connection and meaning in Bowdoin’s “The Offer of the College,” written in 1906 by Bowdoin President William DeWitt Hyde.
To be at home in all lands and all ages;
To count Nature a familiar acquaintance, and Art an intimate friend;
To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work
And the criticism of your own;
To carry the keys of the world's library in your pocket,
And feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;
To make hosts of friends...who are to be leaders in all walks of life;
To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends –
This is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.
Which line from The Offer resonates most with you? (250 words)
First, read The Offer at least twice. There is a lot there, so you need to really sit with it for a second. Then, pick two possible lines — even if you think there is one that you absolutely must focus on. Brainstorm how you would approach the supplement for each line that you have selected.
We advise our students to tell a story that highlights the link between their chosen line and their life story. To do this, map out each of those potential routes as far as you can go. Yes, you won’t use half of what you are doing, but that is totally okay. Developing these ideas parallel to each other will fuel each of them.
As you work on each option, focus on the idea of story development. How can you best tell the story that illustrates the line using powerful storytelling tools like dialog, vivid imagery, and descriptive language. For example, if you pick the line “To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work and the criticism of your own,” you may write a story about receiving an unexpected piece of criticism that led to growth and development. Don’t explain this, though — show it. Bring the application reader into the story with you, and make it come alive.
Bowdoin believes that its broadly diverse and inclusive campus community prepares graduates to be contributing and useful citizens of the world. Every graduate of this institution should be confident in their preparation to be able to navigate through differences and in all sorts of situations. A Bowdoin education does not guarantee these skills, but it does impart a set of tools necessary to bravely enter unfamiliar conditions with the confidence to deal effectively with ambiguity.
If you wish, you may share anything about the unique experiences and perspectives that you would bring with you to the Bowdoin campus and community or an experience you have had that required you to navigate across or through difference. (max 250 words)
In the second question, Bowdoin is opening the door to discussing things that they can’t ask about directly, like race, but that isn’t the only thing that can go here, and this supplement definitely isn’t optional. Or, rather, it isn’t optional if you want to get in.
What this supplement shouldn’t be treated as, though, is a hardship test. Playing the “I’ve had it rough” game is a losing one — not because you haven’t overcome great challenges or faced big monsters, but because there is always going to be someone who has had it harder than you. So, if your argument for uniqueness is how hard life has been, that is a losing game. It’s also, typically, not something in your control.
Instead, we work with our students to differentiate themselves by showing how they’ve happened to life, rather than how life has happened to them. Sometimes this means highlighting a particular hurdle, but you never want to stop in the struggle. You need to show the application reader how you got through it.
We advise focusing on one event, instance, or experience that is emblematic of a larger difference, challenge, or opportunity in your life. Tell that story in a focused, descriptive, and immersive way (remember, you only have 250 words), while allowing for it to speak to broader themes. This supplement succeeds when the reader doesn’t only feel moved, but also invested in your future.
The Video Response
Like many colleges in the (mostly) post-interview era — due to application volume, but that’s a conversation for a different time — Bowdoin allows for a short, “spontaneous” as part of your supplement. While this is optional, it isn’t really. We help students prepare for these video responses such that they feel confident and excited to speak directly to the admissions officials.
The Interview
Remember how we just said it’s the post-Interview era? Well, not entirely at Bowdoin. They do still allow applicants to virtually and on-campus. They say that these interviews do not impact one’s chances of admission, but that isn’t what we’ve experienced. Compelling conversations with admissions officials positively impact their impression of you, which undoubtedly impacts final decisions. We coach our students to present their strongest selves during interviews, increasing their odds of admission.
The Bowdoin application is designed to identify students who are driven, passionate, creative, and, in many ways, singular. They aren’t looking for cookie cutter repeats of perfection, but the competition for admission does mean that exceptional scores and grades are a prerequisite. We guide our students beyond the quantitative metrics through the maze of personal differentiation to get to an acceptance letter.
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