In the United States, there are the colleges everyone knows about because they’re so old or famous or big that you really can’t avoid knowing them — and then there are the colleges everyone knows about because they are both so beloved, and so hard to get into, that you feel like you never stop hearing about them. Bowdoin is one of the latter. In this post, we’ll break down how to break into Bowdoin if you’re an international student applying to college in the United States.
Bowdoin is a small liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine, about an hour and a half north of Portland, Maine, the closest major city with an international airport. Bowdoin has less than 2,000 students, and it’s rooted in the idea of pursuing a common good for the betterment of society. That lofty goal is at their core, and they take it really seriously. While Bowdoin is a liberal arts school that cares deeply about the humanities, the most popular majors include economics, mathematics, and biology. About 13% of students at Bowdoin have an international background, so have lived, or studied, outside of the U.S. at some point, and 7% are international students.
Bowdoin is extremely selective, and the acceptance rate is only 9%. If after reading this post you’re considering applying, send us an email. We help students beat the odds.
First, though, let’s dig into what Bowdoin looks for in international applicants.
What is Bowdoin looking for in International Students?
In their own words, “Bowdoin doesn’t just create curious, thoughtful, engaged young people. We choose them.” The college is looking for students who strive, students who care, and students to are already working to improve the world in their own communities.
They also want more international students. Historically, Bowdoin has struggled more than larger colleges and colleges in more urban settings to attract students from a diversity of backgrounds, so they are hungry for brilliant globally-minded students who can bring a different perspective and lived experience to campus. In an effort to attract and retain international students, Bowdoin goes above and beyond, including offering opportunities such as the Community Host Program and Bowdoin practices need-blind admissions for all students, including for international ones.
Courses + Grades
Bowdoin doesn’t have required course distributions for applicants, but they strongly recommend pursuing a fully-distributed course load throughout secondary school if a student wants to be competitive for admission. That means three to four years of English/literature, math, science (and three years of science labs), foreign language, and social studies — each. Completing these doesn’t exempt you from taking electives and other courses outside of those ‘buckets’, but taking every art class your school offers won’t make up for not taking four years of math.
The college also cares deeply about the rigor of the courses you take, and they want to see you succeeding in the hardest courses that you have access to. This is especially true for any subject related to what you want to major in at Bowdoin.
As they review your application, both your writing and the recommendations your teachers give you will serve as further evidence of your academic excellence and potential. Bowdoin cares a lot about students not just knowing things, but being able to communicate what they know, too. Your essays are an obvious place to flex this muscle, but your recommendations are also a great place for teachers to emphasize your communication and collaboration skills. Obviously, you don’t have jurisdiction over what your recommenders include, but we recommend students schedule a meeting with any teacher who has agreed to write a recommendation well in advance of the application deadline. This meeting is an opportunity to share what you’re hoping to achieve in college, and what you’ll be highlighting in the aspects of the application that you do have control over. Sharing this can guide your recommenders towards further emphasizing what you aim to spotlight.
Extracurriculars
Bowdoin considers your extracurriculars, and the personal qualities and talents they highlight, to be exceptionally important. Being great at something outside of the classroom doesn’t make up for a bad science grade, but excelling at something your enthusiastic about and proud of most certainly means they’ll give your application additional consideration.
The admissions team at Bowdoin knows that international students often have different access to activities outside of the usual school day than students in much of the United States do. But they don’t consider that an excuse to throw your hands up and say, “oh well.” Instead, spot the opening to start something. Bring people together around something you care about. Extracurriculars can include clubs, community groups, athletics (but ideally not only that), internships, work, and family responsibilities like caring for a grandparent or younger sibling, so don’t limit yourself to one way of doing things outside of school.
It's also important to remember that “cooperative, not competitive” is a bit of a mantra at Bowdoin, so focus on highlighting things where you’ve worked alongside — not against —others. Communicate passion, enthusiasm, and larger themes of caring for those around you to help Bowdoin see how you’ll fit right in.
Standardized Tests
Bowdoin is proudly test-optional, and they’ve been that way for over half a century. This can be a little misleading, though, as 88% of students who were accepted and later enrolled submitted scores as part of their application in the most recent admissions cycle. So, while submitting SAT and ACT scores may be optional, the numbers suggest that most students who are admitted do submit scores.
To raise your chances of success, aim for a composite SAT score of 1500 or more, or a composite ACT score of 34 or more. This may require preparation, practice, planning, and even possibly taking either or both tests more than once. If you cannot reach these thresholds, we don’t recommend submitting your scores as they may actually bring down your application and work against you.
English proficiency testing, such as the TOEFL, is also optional, but we (yet again) highly recommend it. International students at Bowdoin are expected to be highly proficient in English, and submitting your test score is a wonderful way to make it really clear that language isn’t a problem for you.
Final Thoughts
The core of Bowdoin is a caring community to seeks out excellence in all that they do. They want excellent students, yes, but what they seek more are excellent people who also happen to be academically gifted. They also care if you care — about them. Bowdoin takes demonstrated interest into account, so it’s important to engage with the admissions office through virtual info sessions and, if possible, satellite events. You can also request an interview, which can be done virtually, with an admission official. You should absolutely do this. And, if you can’t for some reason, you really must submit a video response.
Applying to Bowdoin is an exercise in showing not just what you can do, but also who you are. Look for ways to highlight that you’re more than a score or a grade — but a whole person, who also happens to be brilliant.
If you’re considering Bowdoin as your top pick, send us an email. We specialize in getting amazing students into exceptional colleges.