Are you an outdoorsy type looking for an intellectual, tight-knit community? Sounds like you might be a potential polar bear, aka a Bowdoin student. The elite liberal arts school in Brunswick, Maine, is a favorite of those seeking a challenging yet still laid-back small-school experience.
Last year, their overall acceptance rate was only 6.5%. The ED acceptance rate was higher at just under . If you are serious about Bowdoin, we would encourage you to apply ED. We develop dynamic college application lists and solid strategies for our students: ED must be part of that strategy when applying to elite colleges like Bowdoin. We help students navigate the college admissions process from building resumes to writing essays. No matter where you are in this process, we can help. Reach out to talk to a counselor today!
Bowdoin is looking for students who are the total package. That includes great grades, impressive resumes, and standout essays. One quick note about test scores: if you have high ACT/SAT scores, send them, but less than 50% of Bowdoin applicants do. Bowdoin was actually the first college in the USA to be test-optional all the way back in 1969 (yes, they have been test-optional since Nixon was president).
From test scores to video intros to interviews, much of Bowdoin’s application is technically optional. Even the Bowdoin supplemental essays are technically optional. But remember, acceptance rate. You need to put your best foot forward and use these optional materials as opportunities to show how good of a fit you would be for Bowdoin. It is a tall order, and we would highly recommend working with a professional to navigate this application. That said, we also wanted to share some tips for their two “not really optional” supplemental essays.
Bowdoin Supplemental Essay (from The Offer of the College)
This optional essay (max 250 words) is available in the Bowdoin Supplement. 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?
Okay, that was a lot, but this question boils down to choosing a line from a poem and telling a good personal story that demonstrates why you connect to it. For example, we had a student who chose the line “To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends.” She then wrote about her work with other environmental activists to try to stop oil wells from being built in her home state.
Another student of ours chose “to count Nature a familiar acquaintance, and Art an intimate friend.” He wanted to study biology at college, but also was fascinated by 3D modeling and architecture. He wrote about how a liberal arts education would let him still make “art an intimate friend” while pursuing a STEM degree.
The first step to approaching this essay is to really understand the poem. The second is to relate it to something in your life. It can be tricky, especially if you aren’t someone who analyzes a lot of poetry, but remember this is an opportunity to write about your experiences.
Navigating through Differences Essay
This optional essay (max 250 words) is available in the Bowdoin Supplement. The essay question reads as follows. Your writing should reflect your own ideas, experiences, and perspective.
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.
Another long intro. There are two ways to approach this essay. The first is to tell a story about an experience that shaped your perspective. A lot of schools ask a similar question, but it is pretty broad and can feel hard to take on. The second is to write about a time you navigated a difference. This is far more narrow in scope, which can be helpful if you don’t know what to write about.
Often our students write this question about a conversation in which someone disagreed with them. If you take this route, it is best to have some nuance. If the difference is between a right and a wrong take and you are 100% right, and the other party is 100% wrong, this essay might give an “and then everybody clapped” vibe. It is far more interesting when you are challenged by an idea that isn’t a strawman argument.
We prefer when neither party is obviously in the wrong and we love when the conversation leads to the student changing their mind or at least gaining a new perspective. For example, the same student who wrote about the arts in response to the question above wrote this essay about his friend's love of K-pop music. He didn’t like the music himself, but he grew to understand her passion by thinking about all the things he was a fan of. He could find common ground with her and learned to appreciate her dedication.
Liking or disliking K-pop sounds like a silly difference (and maybe it is), but what this essay is really asking is about how to think about differences and experience empathy. The difference isn’t as important as how you navigate it. They want to see humility, growth, and introspection here. Also note, this student got in and wrote both essays…. Just saying.
While these essays are technically optional, you need to answer both of them if you are serious about Bowdoin. Thankfully, if you need help, we have you covered. Our dedicated counselors can help you with essay writing and so much more. Let us help you get accepted to the small liberal arts college of your dreams!