Amherst or Bowdoin for IB? Recruitment/Placement?
I am a current hs senior and just received my college decision results. My top two acceptances are Amherst and Bowdoin.
This is a hard choice for me. I am fairly certain that I want to go into finance, and I have heard that Amherst (along with Williams) are top tier, best-of-the-best among LACs for IB recruiting and placement. Problem is, I've heard over and over that the social scene and student life at Amherst has recently become ABYSMAL (got rid of social dorms, division in the student body, very bad food, not much to do...). Conversely, I have visited Bowdoin, loved the campus, and heard MUCH better things about the student life there (and apparently the food and dorms are amazing).
So... Would it be a smarter decision to suck it up and choose Amherst? Is Amherst THAT much better than Bowdoin for placement? And... For anyone who went to Amherst, is the social scene (and food) as bad as the internet makes it seem?
Thanks.
Have friends that went to both, both landed gigs with IBs. Both are fantastic schools with great alumni networks, and if you are committed and put the time in at either, you should not have a problem. It sounds like you see yourself comfortable at Bowdoin. To directly answer your question, no they are not that much better and I dont believe you should sacrifice your college years somewhere you would rather not be because it is marginally better for placement
May I ask, did these two friends get equally “good” IB gigs, or did the Amherst friend get a better offer than the Bowdoin friend?
Recent Bowdoin grad here.. IB's did plenty of recruiting when I was there, and you should have no problem landing a position if you do well in your studies. I will say that Amherst probably does do a bit better for IB/Consulting placement, but by how much exactly it's hard to say.
I was also choosing between both schools, and did perceive the facilities/food/overall quality of life to be better in Brunswick. But what really won me over about Bowdoin was how happy the students seemed to be when I visited. I can't speak for the Amherst experience, but I had a great time and a wonderful education at Bowdoin.
Tbh, you can't go wrong with either choice, though. Congrats on the acceptances!
Agree with the above for the most part, but Bowdoin and Amherst are probably the least fun nescacs imo. Amherst has a little more prestige, but you can't go wrong with either
You should make the decision based on how you feel after attending the admitted student overnights that both schools offer. I was in your shoes back in 2011. After visiting both (and Midd. and Williams) I knew that I felt most at home at Amherst. Ultimately, it is a culture fit. Both schools place well into Wall Street. Getting in to either school demonstrates that you're capable of doing the work. Now, it is up to you to pick the better fit, execute on your studies and land the career you wanted.
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Can you elaborate more on the social life at Amherst? Why do you suggest that I choose Bowdoin if I care about social life?
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