Bowdoin College Reviews

Academics Are Great, Social Life Can Get a Bit Dull

Academics at Bowdoin College are everything a liberal arts education boasts of. Classes are small, professors are (for the most part) engaging and always willing to help, and the course selection is broad enough to delight everybody. Even as a freshman, I took a 200-level history class that had discussion sections with the professor in which ten of us would just sit around and talk about the readings. The work is challenging but rewarding. It can overwhelm you if you're not careful though! Socially, life revolves around beer drinking. Freshmen and sophomores frequent social house parties, while upper classmen generally have smaller gatherings in campus apartments. If you're not 21, there's not much to do off campus. But that's small-town Maine. The benefits of where we're located are plenty, however, as the Outing Club is a huge organization with plenty of funding. Hikes, white-water rafting, backpacking, sea kayaking - we have it all.

Great Health Center and Student Union

A new health center was just built that has a great gym and also houses athletic offices and the health center. The libraries are decent, plenty of carrels to study at, and they usually have the books you need. If they don't, Bowdoin can easily get the books from another NESCAC school, especially Bates or Colby. The exchange program is great, and books arrive within a few days. Smith Union is a great place to hang out or study, although sometimes it gets a little over-crowded.

Security Loves Us, We Love Them, and We All Hate BPD

If we can ignore the police for a little bit and focus on Bowdoin, we're an incredibly safe campus. Yes, the rules are stricter than at most campuses (no hard alcohol, no drinking games), but these are pretty uniformly not followed. That said, I think we drink safer because of them -- you do have to be smarter to avoid getting in trouble. Security's focus is keeping us safe, though. We have the lowest hospitalization rate in the NESCAC because we trust security and will call them when somebody might need help. I have a shirt with the face of the director of security, who we all love, that says "What wouldn't Randy do?" However, BPD doesn't get the same love. They are actively out to get you, which is making partying less and less safe as people start to avoid calling security for fear of BPD and drink in their rooms rather than in public spaces.

Great Girls, Range of Guys

The girls at Bowdoin tend to be pretty, fit, and well-dressed (although not super fashion-forward). The guys range a bit more, and by senior year, many of the ones you'd want to date are in relationships. Still, lots of great eye-candy and hook-up material. We spend a lot of time complaining about the lack of a dating scene (everybody is either into hooking-up or in a married-type relationship, apparently) but anybody who shows initiative can have what they want.

Everyone is athletic

Girls here are decent--not the best looking, not the worst looking. Everyone here is pretty athletic, so that contributes to the overall attractiveness of students.

Decent Local Atmosphere

Brunswick isn't for those looking for the big city, but it offers more than adequate options for college students when it comes to shopping and eating. We have tons of restaurants near campus. Freeport is a short ten minute drive with great bargain outlet stores, and Portland is about half an hour away. Boston is only a little more than two hours, so if you would like to drive, you can still get the benefits of a large city.

Bowdoin's Efforts at Diversity Have Paid Off

In recent years, Bowdoin has made a concerted effort to increase diversity on campus. Students of various racial and ethnic backgrounds are a common sight on campus, and there is a strong LGBTQ community. The college frequently sponsors lectures and discussions on issues of diversity. The administration has made an effort to make a Bowdoin education accessible to people of all economic backgrounds, but the majority of students are still solidly middle or upper-middle class. Politically, liberals definitely have a large majority on campus, but there is a small and vocal conservative minority.

Gyms and Other Facilities Are Quite Good

Bowdoin puts a lot of effort into keeping its facilities up-to-date and in good repair. Last year saw the opening of a beautiful new ice arena and this year a new 3-story health and fitness center, including enough cardio machines to meet demand during even peak hours, lots of weight machines and free weights, and a 2-story climbing wall for enthusiasts or those interested in learning. There are 4 libraries, each with a different focus. One focuses on humanities, another on the sciences, a third on art, and the last on music. The student center is quite nice, featuring a grill/pub, cafe, and convenience store. Since the opening of the new fitness center, one room of the old fitness center has been converted into a game room and the other has been converted into a study space. General campus aesthetics are fairly typical New England college, with a few notable exceptions.

In General, Campus Is Very Safe

I have never felt unsafe on Bowdoin's campus, even when walking around late at night. Pathways are well-lit and blue light phones are plentiful, not that I or anyone I know has ever needed one. The staff does a pretty good job of keeping the pathways clear of snow and ice in the winter, though at times you still have to be careful. With drinking, campus security is more concerned with making sure students are safe than punishing violators of the alcohol policy. Bike theft can be a problem sometimes; definitely do not leave your bike unlocked for any length of time.

Surprisingly Diverse

In "nowhere" Maine, you still get Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian, the best gelato on the planet and much more within walking distance of Brunswick. Prices range alot, but the cheap food is still great. Local eateries do alot of stuff with the school for special discounts and such. Bombay Mahal, and Gelato Fiasco are musts.

The Gov Department

Bowdoin is ranked number one in the world by the London School of Economics for its Gov. program. There are brilliant professors, great classes, and a lot of connections abound. Be prepared to work hard for a genuinely rewarding experience.

Cars Are Useful but Not Necessary

I do not really need a car. However, when I do want to go shopping for fun, I need a car to get to a mall or outlet. The Zipcar is helpful when you can drive, but don't want the hassle of having a car with you--especially for freshman who cant have cars on campus.

Nightlife Is Pretty Great

There are one or two parties both on Friday and Saturday nights. It's laid back here, and unlike some bigger schools, there are not ten parties going on at a time. However there are options whether to go to a party, hang out at the pub, or just chill in your bedroom. I personally like this, because it allows me to have a few options if I do want to go out, but it is not so overwhelming that I feel forced to go to a party every weekend. Not everyone here goes to parties. The drinking scene does not really affect me. If you choose to drink, even if you are underage, that's possible, but if not, it's a not a social pressure. I personally do not drink at the parties, but I do drink in small gatherings with friends. Security is great about taking care of us, and since the parties take place on campus, there is no need for transportation. However, we do have Saferide shuttles that transport us to any point on campus if we do feel the need. And it's FREE.

Transportation

Safe Ride is great for getting around campus. Though it can be in high demand on a big party night, the Bowdoin Shuttle is relatively convenient. Transportation back home over break is great if you can get on the bus that stops right on campus (Concord Trailways).

Downtown Good for Getting Necessities but Not Vibrant

The town seems small enough to keep me from going down there too often, but is a nice place to go when I need to get something from Rite Aid or Hannaford's, or even to spend a Saturday evening getting gelato or having dinner. I do not find it to be a vibrant town at all, but it serves its purpose. I'd just wish everything did not close so early. Coming from a large city, it is hard not having access to everything within walking distance. I need a car to get to Target, which can sometimes get annoying

House parties popular for freshmen

Nightlife occurs on-campus if you're under 21. The house parties are always popular for freshmen, but a lot of people off-campus throw their own parties. It's not hard to find somewhere to go and do, but don't expect the nightlife to be the same as an urban school. This is Maine after all.

Guys are smart and talented

Guys are smart, talented, and good-looking but can be shallow. There are guys who appreciate personality as well as looks in a girl, but they can be hard to differentiate and are less social. Many are interested in hooking up and expect sex relatively quickly.

A Diverse Student Body

The diversity of the student body at Bowdoin is pretty good, but there is still a large percentage of white students. It is easy to find people who have similar backgrounds as you do, and yes, there are those super rich people who like to flaunt their money. Overall, everyone at Bowdoin is welcoming and wants to make sure people feel comfortable. I find this is a place where you can be who are without feeling threatened by others. The student body clearly leans towards the Democratic party but if you're a Republican you can find other like-minded people.

Gym is incredible

Incredible!! It's a great new facility.

Some Are Good, Others Not So Much

There is, as at many colleges, a preference for the "cool" sports, like hockey, football, and lacrosse. Field hockey was really popular last year, because they were National Champs, but have declined in fan support since they started losing. Although football wins maybe 3 games a year (4 in a spectacular season), they get a lot of fan support and funding, while other sports are left in the cold. Bowdoin is unique for having a varsity Women's rugby team, but they end up getting the short end of the stick- a single field, no locker room, etc. While many teams do in fact earn their funding, there is a history of favoritism in Bowdoin sports, which determines the amount of money each team gets.

Biochemistry

The professors here are very open to working with students, and they also do some fascinating research. However, Biochemistry is a joint department between Chem and Bio, so there are only about two actual Biochem professors with related research. The classes are very well taught, and all the professors involved (even if not actually Biochem) are quite intelligent and interesting.

College Parking Widely Available

Anyone with a car can pay for a parking permit and park within a 10 minute walk of their building. Anything you would ever need to walk to on campus is no further than 10 minutes, so driving is only really necessary for leaving campus.

Computers Are Convenient and Accessible

There are always computers available at all of the labs on campus, which is probably the case because almost all students have their own laptop or computer. The college is equally split mac/pc. Wireless works well everywhere, even in housing that's far from the center of campus and outside. The printing system is very convenient as well--there are printers in some dorms around campus, as well as in libraries and other study spaces.

Available Computers

Bowdoin has a ton of computers; both Macs and PCs are readily available in most labs, which are open very late, and there's also a 24-hour lab that's always open for those all-nighters. The computers can be really slow, but there are always some available to use somewhere. Still, pretty much everyone on campus has their own computer, and I can't imagine getting along without one, though I suppose it would be possible. The whole campus is on a reliable wireless network.

Freshman Dorms are Great

The freshman dorms are great...they are all located (with the exceptions of West and Osher) in the center of campus, and provide lots of living space! All of the first year dorms except for Coleman have study rooms which are super helpful. I heard that sophomore housing is a pain, though, unless you get a good lottery number.