Bowdoin College is a tiny liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine. With less than 2,000 people at the school, and less than 20,000 in the town, safe to say that Bowdoin is for students who don’t mind small town life. Bowdoin is also a very athletic school, with most students ending up on one of their sports teams. They’re known for politcal science and economics programs, and have a single digit acceptance rate – 8.8%.
They also have this really weird-looking sun on their formal seal:
Is it just us or does it kind of look like a flattened Andy Samberg? Just us? Okay, moving on.
They’ve got one supplement, and if you’re the kind of person who would love Bowdoin then it won’t make your eyes roll. It hasn’t changed over the years, but we have some fresh tips to help you master the not-actually-optional supplement. Remember, 10,000 students applied for 500 spots last year, so optional doesn’t apply. Let’s dive in.
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?
Optional: The Offer represents Bowdoin’s values. Please reflect on the line you selected and how it has meaning to you. (Limit 250 words)
Okay, so the first thing you need to do is pick a line that resonates with you – but don’t just choose something that seems easy. You want what you pick to connect to Bowdoin in some way, and you want to connect to that connection too. Like all good essays, crouching it within a story will pack the most punch.
If you selected “and Art and intimate friend,” you could tell them a story about how you got lost by yourself in a museum while the rest of your family sped through the exhibits. Get detailed, talk about which paintings you lingered over and which artists you were drawn towards.
Now that you have your story, time to connect it back to Bowdoin. To follow our example, there are tons of art events and exhibits at Bowdoin, and they’re super proud of them. You can’t wait to stop at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and listen to an artist roundtable discussion or watch the Spring Dance concert.
It’s important that you focus more on Bowdoin than on yourself for this essay – they need to understand why you should be at Bowdoin rather than Colby or Bates or Middlebury. Pull specific events or experiences from them to connect to the story you told. If it was nature, then talk about Bowdoin’s commitment to environmentalism. If it was the “feel its resources” line, maybe you’re super excited about particular labs or study abroads or libraries that Bowdoin has. Whatever it is, don’t let your story take up most of the essay, save that for Bowdoin!
You’ve got this, and we believe in you. This is your one chance to really let your personality shine through on your Bowdoin application, so make sure to really edit and look over and perfect your essay.
And if you need help on it? Reach out to us here.