Bowdoin is the school

Introduction
Before you choose Bowdoin you have to ask yourself a few questions. Do I want to be at a small school (less than 2,000 students)? Do I want to be in Maine (no large cities within 3 hrs; Portland a 1/2 hour but limited options)? Am I interested in a liberal arts education? If you don't answer yes to all of the above Bowdoin is not for you.

Campus Life and Social Life
Bowdoin has plenty of things to do, but most are centered around campus. If you're looking to get off campus your only real option is the outing club. Better be outdoorsy! The college dems and CR's are fairly active so the politics aren't bad (though don't expect the majority of campus to rally to any cause). The parties aren't bad, but you have to remember in cold Maine winters you often find yourself sprinting between parties or just drinking until you forget the cold. Sports are great (especially women's teams) if you're looking to play D3 otherwise not too much to tell. Academics
Academics are great. If you're looking at Bowdoin you already know it's one of the top 10 liberal arts schools in the nation. We have an incredible government dept. though its popularity often makes it hard to get into classes as a freshman. Our science departments are also very good. If you're into the arts I wouldn't recommend Bowdoin. Most of the less popular departments are very small. I personally love the philosophy dept. though they only have 4 professors. Take the time to talk with professors. Just because the dept is small doesn't mean it isn't strong.

Student Body
Although Bowdoin looks for diversity it can't really offer a lot. Most students are from ME and New England. The rest are largely from the mid-Atlantic region. Contingents from Texas and California are also growing. The are relatively few minority students, and almost no socio-economic diversity. You won't feel out of place if you're middle class and from a state with a coast, but otherwise you might feel a tad out of place.

In Closing...
Bowdoin is a great school with lots of opportunities. If you're looking toward further education Bowdoin commonly sends students to Ivy league grad schools. My biggest warning is beware of Maine. You'll be near relatively few things and the charm of small New England towns wears off fast. But where most NESCAC schools are in rural settings Bowdoin is far from the worst. In short if you are looking for a liberal arts school you can't go wrong. Otherwise you may want to take a closer look.