The Good, the Bad, and the Honest

Introduction
If you're looking to avoid the city for a few years and don't want to be another little fish in a big pond, Bowdoin is a solid locale. Odds are you're going to be sucking down urban/suburban smog for a good portion of your life, so if you enjoy winter sports (ski season is late Nov. to late Apr.) or are looking for a laid back East Coast atmosphere with plenty of brains to go around, it definitely might be for you.

Campus Life and Social Life
Even though charming and cosmopolitain Portland is 30 minutes away and Boston is 2.5 hours, don't plan on coming to Bowdoin unless you enjoy smaller house/room parties or drinking at the nice (but limited) local bars and the on-campus pub. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the nights to go out, with big campus-wide events on Fridays and Saturdays. The Greek system was abolished 7 or 8 years ago, and the college purchased all the houses and converted them into "social houses," which are basically non-exclusive coed fraternities/sororities. Every student is automatically a member of one and anyone can apply to live in the houses. They do the same community service and throw the same big, themed parties as frats, but perhaps lack a bit of the craziness from back before they were regulated by the college. That said, they also receive school funding, which is nice. Sports are big, with 60+% of students playing IM or Varsity sports. Athletics are major social catalysts for drinking and partying, but for the most part are not overly exclusive. Unlike the Ivy schools and some other top liberal arts places, there are not too many students who never leave their rooms, and there are plenty of events for the academically inclined and chem-free crowd. Advertisement
Academics
Government, history, Economics, Environmental Studies, Physics, and Biology are all top notch, with others of varying degrees of quality. Government is especially well known, with Bowdoin having a reputation for having graduates in public service. Small class sizes encourage participation and discussion, and because there is no graduate work, the main job of all professors is teaching. Professors are generally fairly laid back and easy to get along with, some are downright hilarious and great to get to know outside of class. Because tenure is fairly difficult to get and based largely on student feedback, there aren't as many old professors, but the ones that are tend to be fantastic and always brilliant. No TAs and easy accessibility outside of class make it easy to get help when needed. Workload varies a good deal based on major, with Econ and Biochem being the most difficult. Grade inflation isn't as rampant as some schools, with most people getting B's. Unless you take Gender Studies, don't expect to get straight A's without putting in the work, but if you are competent enough to be admitted you will get by just fine.

Student Body
Typical students tend to be white East Coasters, but interests otherwise run far and wide. Preppy boarding schoolers and hippie outdoorsmen abound, as do plenty of athletes, musicians, and artists. Because the class is so small, and because Bowdoin takes its liberal arts education seriously, very few people are only talented in one field, so specialists beware. Most everyone at Bowdoin is a little geeky in their own way, but no one takes themselves too seriously, and competition is low particularly in the humanities. Politically oriented clubs have had a resurgence in the past few years, and everyone will attest to how great the food is, with huge options, good facilities, and an amazing staff that wants to make you feel at home and is proud of their #1 Princeton Review status.

In Closing...
As the most competitive of the three Maine private colleges (Colby and Bates being the other two), Bowdoin boasts academics that are predictably more difficult but with superior professors. As for the student body, compared to these other schools Bowdoin is a bit more diverse, but social scenes aren't all that dissimilar. The fierceness of CBB athletics rivalries are legendary, particularly with LAX and Ice Hockey.