What are Bowdoin students called?

Bowdoin students are known as Polar Bears, named after the college's mascot, a polar bear, which symbolizes the school's connection to the Arctic through alumnus Robert Peary and Admiral Donald MacMillan. You'll often hear the chant "Go U Bears!" and see the polar bear as a recurring theme in school spirit and traditions, according to the Bowdoin Orient and Wikipedia https://bowdoinorient.com/2025/12/05/a-look-at-superstitions-and-rituals-in-athletics/.

What type of student goes to Bowdoin?

Academic life at Bowdoin spans thirty-three departments, and is cooperative, not competitive: so we tend to attract students who like brainstorming with faculty, working in teams, and welcoming big, new, difficult questions. We value kindness, diversity, creativity, and hard work.

Why is Bowdoin go-u bears?

Bowdoin's “Go U Bears!” chant unifies athletes and fans alike to support their team. Bowdoin's mascot was chosen in the early 20th century after Bowdoin alum Robert Peary, Class of 1877, led several expeditions to the North Pole and recorded his sightings of Arctic animals, one of which was the polar bear.

Is Tufts or Bowdoin better?

Neither Tufts nor Bowdoin is definitively "better"; they offer different experiences, with Tufts being larger, in the Boston area, strong in pre-professional fields like Engineering and International Relations, while Bowdoin is a smaller, highly selective liberal arts college known for its intimate community, strong alumni network, excellent food, and classic campus feel, making the choice dependent on your preferred environment and academic focus. 

Is Bowdoin a little ivy?

Yes, Bowdoin College is considered a Little Ivy, often grouped with Bates and Colby as the "Maine Big Three," known for high selectivity, strong academics, and prestigious liberal arts education, similar in quality to Ivy League schools but smaller.
 

Why Bowdoin College?

What is the #1 hardest school to get into?

There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as it changes slightly by year and criteria, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and Caltech consistently rank among the top with extremely low acceptance rates (often 3-4%) and intense competition for spots, though other top global universities like Oxford and Tsinghua are also incredibly selective. Harvard is frequently cited as the hardest due to its high volume of applications and focus on global leadership potential, while Caltech is known for its extreme difficulty in STEM. 

What is the easiest little ivy to get into?

The "easiest" Little Ivy to get into depends on your definition, but schools like Union College, Lafayette College, and Connecticut College generally have higher acceptance rates (around 40-50% or more) compared to highly selective ones like Williams or Amherst (often 7-10%), making them more accessible target schools for strong applicants. However, all Little Ivies are selective, so "easiest" is relative; look for schools with acceptance rates above 20-30% if you're aiming for the less exclusive end.
 

Which president went to Bowdoin?

But it was in public affairs that Bowdoin graduates took the most laurels: among them, Franklin Pierce (1824), fourteenth president of the United States; William Pitt Fessenden (1823), abolitionist, US senator, cabinet member, and courageous opponent of Andrew Johnson's impeachment; John A.

What is the Bowdoin hello?

The Bowdoin Hello

Back in the 1960s, Bowdoin fraternity pledges would be in trouble if they didn't give a vigorous "hello" to each other, even from the other side of campus. In the present day, our fraternities are gone, but our friendly greeting is here to stay.

What is the average family income at Bowdoin College?

Bowdoin College. The median family income of a student from Bowdoin is $195,900, and 69% come from the top 20 percent.

What do Bowdoin students do for fun?

The Office of Student Activities, in collaboration with other campus partners, puts on a number of annual events throughout the semester including Student Nights at the Museum, the Student Activities Fair, Junior/Senior Ball, Spring Gala, and Ivies.

Who is the biggest donor to Bowdoin College?

Bowdoin College's biggest donor is Netflix co-founder and alumnus Reed Hastings '83, who made the largest gift in the college's history with a $50 million donation in March 2025 to launch the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity. Other notable donors mentioned include Elizabeth Aaroe '81, D. Ellen Shuman '76, and Kary Antholis '84, who support various funds and scholarships, though their specific gift amounts aren't detailed in the same way as Hastings' record gift, notes a Bowdoin College page. 

What kind of kids go to Bowdoin?

Bowdoin is a coeducational, residential college, with about 94% of students living on campus in typical years. The student gender split is 47% men, 53% women; 10% of students are from Maine; 39% are of color; and 6% are international.

What is the most prestigious non-ivy league school?

There isn't one single "most prestigious" non-Ivy League school, but Stanford University, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and the University of Chicago are consistently ranked at the very top, often considered alongside or even above many Ivies due to their exceptional academics, research, and selectivity. Other top contenders include Caltech, Northwestern University, Duke University, and strong public universities like UC Berkeley and UCLA. 

Is there Greek life at Bowdoin?

All Bowdoin students are prohibited from joining fraternities, sororities, and other private and similarly selective-membership social organizations.

Who famous went to Bowdoin?

Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow attended Bowdoin College—both class of 1825—at the same time as Franklin Pierce, who was a year ahead of them. The fourteenth president of the United States was at Hawthorne's side when the author died in 1864. Longfellow served as a pallbearer at the funeral.

Why is Bowdoin College being sued?

Bowdoin among schools sued for alleged price fixing in early decision admissions. A class action lawsuit filed over the summer alleges that Bowdoin, among other schools, has used its early decision admissions program to raise the cost of attendance.

What president ran over a lady with a horse?

Furthermore, his wife, who was very religious, feared that the accident was a punishment from God for Pierce's election as president. Pierce's bad luck continued into his presidency when he was arrested for running over an old woman while riding on horseback. The charges were later dropped.

What is a hidden ivy?

The Hidden Ivies are colleges that have an excellent reputation and academic programs but aren't members of the Ivy League.

Where do top 1% send kids to college?

The "top 1%" of students, referring to those from the highest income brackets, tend to attend elite universities like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale that consistently rank high in national and global lists, with some even having more students from the top 1% income bracket than the bottom 60% combined, according to The New York Times data. Top-ranked institutions like MIT, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford are frequent top contenders in various 2026 rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Times Higher Education. 

What is the #1 party school?

For 2026, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), is widely ranked as the #1 party school by sources like Niche, based on student surveys about campus party scenes, access to nightlife, and Greek life, followed by schools like Florida State and Tulane. Other strong contenders often mentioned include the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USC, and the University of Alabama, with rankings varying slightly by publication and criteria.
 

Where do the 1% go to college?

The 1% of the wealthiest Americans disproportionately attend highly selective, elite universities, particularly Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Brown, Penn, Columbia) and other top institutions like MIT, Stanford, Duke, and UChicago, where they make up a large percentage of the student body, often outnumbering students from the bottom 60% of income earners combined. Liberal arts colleges and prestigious public universities also attract many wealthy students, with specific examples including WashU St. Louis, UVA, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Johns Hopkins.
 

Is Vanderbilt or Duke harder to get into?

While both are extremely selective, Duke is generally considered slightly harder to get into than Vanderbilt, primarily due to its lower acceptance rates, with Duke often hovering around 6% compared to Vanderbilt's 9-10%, though both have become significantly more competitive recently, with Vandy's rates also dropping into the low single digits. The choice often comes down to specific strengths: Duke emphasizes leadership and research in the Research Triangle, while Vanderbilt offers strong programs, especially in Nashville, with varied academic focuses, making the "harder" factor dependent on your profile.