Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
- Admissions Office
- 5000 College Station
- Brunswick, ME 04011-8441
- P: (207) 725-3100
- F: (207) 725-3101
- admissions@bowdoin.edu
The Application Process:
When are the application deadlines?
Can I get application materials online?
What is Bowdoin’s standardized testing policy?
Does Bowdoin accept additional letters of recommendation and/or supplementary material?
What are the guidelines for applying as a student-athlete?
Early Decision:
Who should apply early decision?
How does Early Decision work?
How extensive is Bowdoin's Early Decision program?
What is the difference between Early Decision I and II?
The Selection Process:
What qualities is Bowdoin seeking in an applicant?
What factors does Bowdoin consider in selecting students?
How many students applied to Bowdoin and how many were admitted?
How do interviews factor into the application process?
What happens when my application is reviewed?
When will I be notified about a decision on my application?
Does Bowdoin use a waiting list?
Financial Aid:
How does financial aid work, if am I applying early decision?
Does applying for financial aid affect my chances of admission?
Does Bowdoin offer merit scholarships?
Other:
Can I defer matriculation?
Will I receive credit at Bowdoin for the AP, IB, or college courses I have taken in high school?
Frequently Asked Questions
The Application Process:
When are the application deadlines?
| Application Deadlines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Applying As: | Admissions Application Due: | Financial Aid Application Due: | Notification Date: |
| Early Decision I | Nov. 15 | Nov. 15 | Mid-December |
| Early Decision II | Jan. 1 | Jan. 1 | Mid. February |
| Regular Decision | Jan. 1 | Feb. 15 | Early April |
| Transfer | Mar. 1 | Mar. 1 | Early May |
Can I get application materials online?
Yes. The Common Application and Bowdoin’s supplement are available online through http://www.commonapp.org. You may also download and print the Common Application and Bowdoin’s Supplement by visiting the Apply Now page.
What is Bowdoin’s standardized testing policy?
The submission of SAT (I and II) and ACT scores has been optional for the purposes of admission since 1969. Bowdoin adopted this policy so that applicants could decide for themselves whether or not their test results accurately reflect their academic ability and potential. There is no score above which applicants should decide to submit test results. For candidates electing to submit them, the scores will be reviewed along other indicators of academic ability. Approximately 20 percent of the applicants in recent classes chose not to submit scores during the admissions process.
If a student chooses to have his/her test results removed from an application, requests must be submitted in writing to the Admissions Office by the application deadline.
Note: Because standardized test results are used for academic counseling and placement, all entering first-year student must submit scores over the summer prior to enrolling.
Does Bowdoin accept additional letters of recommendation and/or supplementary material?
You may submit additional letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, employers, or anyone else who can offer something new to the application. We strongly recommend that these extra letters offer additional information about the applicant not already covered in other required pieces of the application. The Admissions Committee welcomes other supplementary material, provided that it reveals new information about the applicant unavailable in the rest of the application.
The Common Application supplement forms allow students to detail special talents. Students with talent in music, theater, or visual arts are encouraged to complete the Common Application Arts Supplement and submit it to us along with samples of their work and a brief description of past performances, course work, etc. We strongly encourage you to submit a web address (url) where your work can be viewed or heard. You might consider Flickr, YouTube, personal websites, etc. for posting your work. Videos, DVDs, and CDs may be submitted, however, if you are not able to post your work online. Students who wish to participate in varsity athletics at Bowdoin are encouraged to contact our coaches by phone or email and to submit the Common Application Athletics Supplement.
What are the guidelines for applying as a student-athlete?
Bowdoin College is member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. To help prospective student athletes better understand admissions decisions at NESCAC member institutions, please review the guidelines.
Early Decision:
Who should apply early decision?
You may wish to consider this option if Bowdoin is your definite first choice. If you're accepted through this program, you're expected to attend, assuming that the financial aid is appropriate.
How does Early Decision (ED) work?
There are two ED options: the deadline for ED I is November 15 and the deadline for ED II is January 1. ED is a “binding” option; that is, if admitted, a student is required to attend Bowdoin, and to withdraw applications from other schools to which they’ve applied. ED students can be admitted, deferred, or denied. If a student is deferred, we consider them in the context of our entire applicant pool in March. They are released from the obligation to attend Bowdoin, and will be notified by early April with other Regular Decision candidates. If a student is denied ED, he/she may not reapply as a Regular Decision candidate.
How extensive is Bowdoin's Early Decision program?
In recent years, Bowdoin has offered admission to between 37 and 43 percent of its entering class through the program.
What is the difference between Early Decision I and II?
The only difference between the two is the deadlines. The same selection criteria is used for ED 1 and EDII applications. Both programs are binding and assume that an applicant will attend if admitted.
The Selection Process:
What qualities is Bowdoin seeking in an applicant?
The Committee on Admissions is seeking to bring to the College students who are bright and engaged inside and outside the classroom, and who demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to ask questions and take intellectual risks. Bowdoin is a vibrant and vital community of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. For each entering class, we are interested in men and women who respect different views, opinions, and backgrounds, and who welcome the challenges born of such diversity. For additional information, please see the Class Profile for the First-Year Class of 2013.
What factors does Bowdoin consider in selecting students?
Of the credentials Bowdoin evaluates, the student’s overall academic record is by far the most important. Although Bowdoin does not require a prescribed high school program or number of courses, the typical entering first-year student will have had four years each of English, foreign language, mathematics, and social science, and three to four years of laboratory sciences.
Candidates applying to Bowdoin are evaluated individually in terms of the following factors: academic record, the level of challenge in course work, counselor/teacher recommendations, the application and essay, overall academic potential, school and community extracurricular involvement, and personal qualities.
How many students applied to Bowdoin and how many were admitted?
In the 2008-2009 application cycle, we had 5,940 first-year applications and 1,153 were admitted.
How do interviews factor into the application process?
A personal interview is strongly encouraged, but is not required for admission. The interview will give you a chance to talk informally about your academic interests, major activities, and future goals. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about Bowdoin. A candidate’s chances for admission are not diminished because of the lack of an interview, but the interviewer’s impressions of a candidate’s potential can often be helpful to the Admissions Committee.
Interviews are available on campus with Admissions staff or a carefully selected and trained Bowdoin senior. If you are not able to interview on campus, we encourage you to meet with a member of the Bowdoin Alumni Schools and Interviewing Committee (BASIC) in your home region. Alumni interviews may be requested between September 1, 2009, and December 15, 2009. For more information on scheduling an interview on campus or with a BASIC volunteer, please review the Interviews section of our web site.
What happens when my application is reviewed?
All completed applications will be read by at least two readers. The first reader is typically the admissions staff member assigned to act as a liaison for the particular region, state, or country that the student attends high school. The second reader is typically a randomly selected member of the staff who is meant to provide a fresh perspective on the application. Some applications will be decided after the second read is completed. However, approximately 65 percent of applications will be decided instead through a committee process, during which applications are individually discussed by a group of admissions staff. Final decisions are subject to the discretion of the Dean of Admissions.
When will I be notified about a decision on my application?
Early Decision I candidates will be notified by mid-December. Early Decision II candidates will be notified by mid-February. If you are a Regular Decision candidate or were deferred admission from an Early Decision round, you will be notified by early April. Financial aid decisions arrive with, or shortly after, an offer of admission.
Does Bowdoin use a waiting list?
Yes, we do offer a place on the Waiting List to a select group of applicants each year. The Waiting List is not ranked. After May 1, the Admissions Committee will conduct a final review of candidates who have indicated they wish further consideration for admission, and we will select additional students for the entering class depending on the number of available spaces. In recent years, the number of students admitted after May 1 has ranged from five to fifty.
Financial Aid:
How does financial aid work, if am I applying early decision?
All students admitted under Early Decision who have demonstrated need will receive financial aid. The same need-based aid formula is used for all applicants, regardless of whether they are applying Early or Regular Decision. Students are notified of the amount of their awards soon after they are accepted.
Early decision candidates should submit the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, as well as copies of the most recent parent and student W-2 forms and federal tax returns, by November 15 (for ED I) or January 1 (for ED II). All aid candidates (including Early Decision candidates) must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and February 15 to qualify for federal and state aid. For further instructions on filing for financial aid, please visit the Student Aid website.
Does applying for financial aid affect my chances of admission?
No, Bowdoin is “need-blind” in its selection of first-year candidates, meaning that a student’s financial aid eligibility is not used as a criterion in the selection process.
It is also the practice of Bowdoin College to meet the full calculated financial need of all enrolled and entering first-year students.
Does Bowdoin offer merit scholarships?
Bowdoin is a sponsoring school for the National Merit Scholarship, the only merit award we offer. Students who qualify as National Merit Finalists and who register Bowdoin College as their first choice institution with the National Merit Corporation are eligible to become National Merit Scholars at Bowdoin. National Merit Scholars who attend Bowdoin may receive awards of $1,000-2000, depending on financial need. For more information about National Merit scholarships sponsored by Bowdoin, please visit http://www.bowdoin.edu/studentaid/nationalmerit.shtml
Other:
Can I defer matriculation?
Yes. If admitted, you may choose to defer your matriculation for one year. On average, 6 to 12 entering students defer each year. It is Bowdoin’s practice to honor most of these requests and to hold a place in the next entering class for any student who is granted a deferment. The student, in return, must agree to not apply for admission to other institutions during the deferral year. To defer:
- Request deferment in writing from the Dean of Admissions by June 1.
- Submit a $300 non-refundable admissions deposit.
Will I receive credit at Bowdoin for the AP, IB, or college courses I have taken in high school?
Bowdoin recognizes the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement program, and the International Baccalaureate program and may grant advanced placement and credit toward graduation for superior performance in those programs.
- Determination of advance placement and credit is made during the student's first year at Bowdoin.
- Have your test results sent to the Office of Admissions.
- Decisions on both placement and credit are made by the academic department in each subject area (some departments also offer placement examinations during Orientation). For guidelines by subject area, please see the Registrar's Office's Advanced Placement Regulations.
- Every effort is made to place students in the most advanced courses for which they are qualified.
- First-year students may apply a maximum of eight course credits toward the degree from the following sources: Advanced Placement Program, International Baccalaureate program, and college credits from other institutions earned prior to matriculation.
- Questions? Call the Registrar’s Office at (207)725-3521.
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