Nestled on the coast of Maine, Bowdoin is a highly respected liberal arts college, but it isn’t boastful—in fact, Bowdoin’s sterling reputation isn’t well-known far beyond the East Coast. Don’t confuse its elegance with snobbery: Bowdoin’s mission for over 200 years has been serving and preparing students to serve the “Common Good.”
Want to get an even better sense of what Bowdoin is looking for? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at Bowdoin’s offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private liberal arts college envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read through its most recent self-study report—a simple and elegant way to quickly get a strong idea of what Bowdoin values.
What are the Bowdoin supplemental essay prompts?
Bowdoin College Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
How did you first learn about Bowdoin? (140 characters)
Bowdoin College Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
Generations of students have found connection and meaning in Bowdoin’s “The Offer of the College.” written in 1906 by Bowdoin President William DeWitt Hyde. Which line from the Offer resonates most with you? (Select an option.)
- To be at home in all lands and all ages;
- to count Nature a familiar acquaintance,
- and Art an intimate friend;
- to gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work and the criticism of your own;
- to carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket, and feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;
- to make hosts of friends…who are to be leaders in all walks of life;
- to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends –
this is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.
-William DeWitt Hyde, 7th President of Bowdoin College, 1906
The Offer represents Bowdoin’s values. Please reflect on the line you selected and how it has meaning to you. (250 words)
Bowdoin College Supplemental Essay Prompt #3
Optional: Bowdoin believes that only through building a more diverse and inclusive campus community will the College best prepare graduates to be contributing and useful citizens of the world.
Every graduate of this institution should be confident in their preparation to be able to navigate through differences and in all sorts of situations.
A Bowdoin education does not guarantee these skills, but it does impart a set of tools necessary to bravely enter unfamiliar conditions with the confidence to deal effectively with ambiguity.
If you wish, you may use this space to share anything about your personal background not otherwise captured in your application or your experience navigating through difference. (250 words)
How to Write each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Bowdoin College
How to write Bowdoin College supplemental essay prompt #1
It may be tempting to write this one off with a few straightforward words (“Letter in the mail” or “Guidance counselor”), and a single short-answer question (think of this as about 30ish words) isn’t likely to make or break your admission chances. But the more enterprising applicant (that’s you) is more likely to see this short-answer question as another opportunity to show Bowdoin why they’re a perfect fit.
So, while simply saying, “My dad is an alum, Class of ‘65,” would suffice, you might consider up-leveling your response by peppering it a bit with school specifics (like how the letter you got in the mail had you dreaming of cooking up some beaker magic in Cleveland Hall, or how your school counselor sold you on the Edwards Center for Art and Dance years ago). For more tips on writing stand-out short-answer questions, read this blog.
How to write Bowdoin College supplemental essay prompt #2
- To be at home in all lands and all ages;
- to count Nature a familiar acquaintance,
- and Art an intimate friend;
- to gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work
and the criticism of your own; - to carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket,
and feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake; - to make hosts of friends…who are to be leaders in all walks of life;
- to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends – this is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.
At first, Bowdoin’s unconventional prompt might throw you off. A mandatory selection of a line of poetry and then an “optional” response? Don’t worry: This is not an AP exam-style free response question, and you aren’t being asked for rhetorical analysis and interpretation (whew).
Instead, think of this as a chance to show how Bowdoin’s values and yours align, perhaps with some “Why Bowdoin” detail added to illustrate.
And even though Bowdoin notes that the prompt is “optional,” it’s generally a good idea to write it—this offers another opportunity to differentiate yourself from other applicants and show how you and the school fit together.
Read the poem aloud to yourself a couple times to get a better understanding of what “The Offer” actually is (yes, it’s lyrical poetry, but easier than Shakespeare, we promise!). Then, you have two choices: Pick the line that a) feels most right to you, or b) best overlaps with another supplemental you’ve already written (or need to write). For tips on that, check out our guide on writing a Super Essay.
Here are some general tips to keep in mind as you’re writing your essay:
Focus on one line. This may seem obvious, but 250 words isn’t very long. Even if more than one line really speaks to your reasons for wanting to attend Bowdoin, trying to write about more than one will come across less like enthusiasm and more like inability to follow directions.
Write it long first, then cut it. In our experience, this tends to be easier than writing a very short version and then trying to figure out what to add. Plus, you may be able to edit and re-use a longer version for a different supplemental essay.
Be specific. If possible, offer memorable details or specific experiences. Don’t just say libraries or art museums are your happy places. Name the particular moments within and aspects of those places that resonate with you, explain how you’ve engaged with a certain community because of them, or offer a (short!) specific story you associate with those places or experiences. In addition, a little descriptive language (you’ll see some in the example below) can help the reader understand you in a more visceral way. The way you describe something is just as important as what you’re describing.
Here’s a particularly well-written example:
Example:
“to lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends –”
The first session of “A Galaxy of Stars: Modern Data in Stellar Astrophysics” ended and our teacher handed out our assignment, encouraging us to collaborate. Taking his advice, an hour later fifteen students crammed into a dorm room and got to work.
We shot questions back and forth about color magnitude diagrams and Python code. Everyone brought unique perspectives to the homework’s challenge and, before we knew it, the work was complete. But instead of stopping there, we began talking, and the “astrogang” was formed. In this room I realized I had found my people. There was Maria who studied stars through her telescope, Luca the coding whiz, Noel who loved math, and me, the go-to for physics.
My new friends were enthusiastic about science and learning just like me, which was an experience I had never had before. Every day after that, we met up to work, play ping pong under the sun, and scrimmage soccer by the river. We spent time together collaborating in the library but also enjoying nature. We debated politics, discussed astronomical theories, and compared cultures, each of us learning from what the others shared.
Even now, scattered across the globe, we will always be the kid scientists who look to the sky. At Bowdoin, in the small but mighty physics department, I want to explore relativistic astrophysics research with Professor Baumgarte and collaborate with similarly engaged students to continue what the original astrogang began.
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Tips + Analysis
Go deeper into an academic or extracurricular experience. Not sure which to focus on? Do the Best Extracurricular Activity Brainstorm I’ve Ever Seen (AKA BEABIES exercise) or read this Community Essay guide. These will help you decide which topic might yield the most content for your essay. If you’re unsure, try writing a simple outline for two different topics. Consider using a quick, personal anecdote or conversation to draw readers in, then springboard into why the anecdote meaningfully connects to the line you’ve chosen. This can help you strike a nice balance between showing and telling.
Get a little geeky with it. Stellar astrophysics, Python code, color magnitude diagrams. The use of this specific jargon and terminology shows that the author knows what she’s talking about and conveys a deep-seated excitement in the subjects she and her classmates study. We may not know what color magnitude diagrams are, but the way she writes this essay makes us care about them.
Tie it together with Bowdoin-related specifics. Don’t just build up to telling Bowdoin admission officers how great the school is (they know). Just because this short essay’s focus is on the line and its meaning to you doesn’t mean you should leave out “Why us?” research. This author wisely takes a moment at the end of the essay to acknowledge that she plans to lose herself in the “generous enthusiasms” offered by Bowdoin’s “small but mighty” physics department, exploring “relativistic astrophysics with Professor Baumgarte.”
Connect all those details to your values. These connections are the “so what” elements of your essay—reflect on how these specifics align with your core values and show what they will allow you to pursue or explore at Bowdoin. We feel how much she values her “astrogang” community, her appreciation for meaningful work in how she completes the initial assignment, and her curiosity to learn and discuss other “common ends” beyond physics study. Those values come through in both what she’s writing about and how she’s writing about them.
Here’s another great essay on a different line from “The Offer:”
Example:
“to count Nature a familiar acquaintance”
When I was little, my Romanian grandparents used to give me a pocket knife and a sack and send me on my way to trek through the woods to look for mushrooms alone until nightfall.
It’s kind of embarrassing, but sometimes I imagine the forest as ancient, wise guides, their voice soothing and calm, their presence steady and warm. I have discovered that whenever I’m feeling stressed or uneasy, a breath of fresh, Pacific Northwest air is a sure cure.
I know that more than any other school, Bowdoin shares this view. In fact, one of my criteria in my search for schools was a strong connection to the outdoors. From O-Trips, to the Bowdoin Naturalists and Outing Club, I know there will be no shortage of opportunities to continue to explore nature during my time in Maine.
In my career, I want to help reduce climate change on a legislative front. At Bowdoin, I plan to take on a double major in Government and Legal Studies and Environmental Studies. Looking at the courses offered at Bowdoin, I’m already eager to take Shana Starobin’s class “Talking to Farmers and Fishermen: Social Science Field Methods for Environmental Policy Research.” I would jump at the interdisciplinary opportunities offered through the McKeen Center, especially the Public Service Internship in Washington.
In both my extracurricular and academic pursuits in college, and beyond, I hope to continue to view nature as one of my main friends. Bowdoin would be a catalyst for this journey.
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Tips + Analysis
Give us a brief, new glimpse into your world. Use the 21 Details Exercise to find connections to a line from “The Offer” that reveals something that isn’t already revealed elsewhere in your application. In the opening to this essay (and in just 80 words!), we’re quickly engaged by the charm of this student’s slightly self-conscious and beautifully described relationship to nature: her Romanian heritage, imagination, self-awareness, and resourcefulness. Figure out which of your own details you can expand on. Or, you might consider zooming in on something that’s only mentioned briefly in your main personal statement.
Focus on an overlapping value. Each line of “The Offer” embodies a value. Selecting one that overlaps with one of yours will help you pivot from personal information into details about how you believe you’ll contribute to the Bowdoin community. The “Nature” line may have been an easy choice for this student given her desired double majors in legal and environmental studies and future career working to alter climate change, but that doesn’t take away from the essay’s overall effectiveness. Maybe “Nature” is a familiar acquaintance in the way that the branches of your favorite tree inspired the elegantly coded computer program you spent your junior year building; uncommon connections make for surprise, and pleasant surprises make for memorable supplemental essays. Keep your whole list of core values nearby as you reflect on which line makes the most sense for your future at Bowdoin and beyond.
Connect specific wants to specific resources. If you’re having trouble finding the overlapping value, dig into your Bowdoin research. The author references particular clubs, classes, and programs she’d like to explore if she were admitted. If you’re a Bowdoin admission reader, the specificity of those references makes you feel the student really values the school. That’s why it’s so important to look through a college’s website (including the strategic plan or self-study report, if you can find one) before you apply. Think about what resources you absolutely need in a college setting or skills you’ve already gained that you want to build on, and then try to find places for them within Bowdoin. Doing that research really pays off in the long run.
Here are a few other great examples of essays on other lines of “The Offer:”
“To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends.”
The Offer represents Bowdoin’s values. Please reflect on the line you selected and how it has meaning to you. (Limit 250 words)
Losing myself in the service of others is the best way for me to make an impact. To me, this line symbolizes giving back to the world, recognizing the blessings in life, and working with others to improve their quality of life.
Ever since I was bullied in 6th grade, I have practiced a deeper sense of compassion towards others in life. As the founder of the Be Better, Help Others Club, I worked to stop bullying at school. Whether building water taps for freshwater in Kenya, organizing book and blood drives, I have dedicated myself to helping people around me.
During the summer of my sophomore year, I worked with iEducate, a nonprofit organization that helps underprivileged kids stay on track, inside and outside of the classroom. I developed a mindfulness curriculum, later implemented across iEducate, which allowed me to witness students’ transformation. As a child, I struggled to express my feelings, which inhibited my ability to communicate with others.
Many iEducate students were the product of broken families and struggled with difficult experiences. As I developed curricular content, I worked to understand and accommodate their needs, introducing exercises highlighting the importance of mindfulness in the scientific fields. My greatest reward was the difference I witnessed in their lives. One student, Gabriel, both improved his focus in math class and his communication with his mother. An even greater reward would be when Gabriel too learns to lose himself in generous enthusiasm for “common ends.” (245 words)
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To be at home in all lands and all ages;
It wasn’t until I bought my brother a pistachio macaron the week after he’d left for college that I realized he was 2,714.3 miles away. We were by no means ever joined at the hip, but he was my big brother. The kind that would race me to the car to call “shotgun” when we were younger, but barge into my room and flop down beside me on the bed for “no reason” when we were older. A part of my home had vanished, leaving the house quieter, his room colder.
The year that I became an only child, I also became a big sister. We hosted an exchange student from Germany through the Round Square network, and I became her home when I felt like I was losing mine. The house became full again as we spent late nights talking about The Gilmore Girls, chocolate chip cookies, and any other culture shocks we felt inclined to rant about.
A house becomes a home because of the people inside it. Mine became one centered not only around my immediate family, but also around changing relationships and new connections. As I have continued to meet people all over the world through Round Square, this home—and my curiosity about other cultures—continues to grow. I have created my own global extended family, and I can now travel anywhere and find a familiar face to welcome me home.
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To be at home in all lands and all ages;
-2008. Kathmandu, Nepal. I am Nepalese. Dust permeates my nostrils as I walk by people aggressively bargaining over products in markets to grandpa’s palm reading sessions. Flickering temple lights, smells of incense, and lively monkeys open my eyes to my Nepalese ethnic identity and religion.
-2009. Brighton, MA. I become American. Scorching sun on my first Fourth of July. Green leaves turn red as autumn falls. Other firsts: riding the train, biking in parks, learning to swim at the YMCA. These experiences cultivate my impulse to explore the unknown and take risks.
-2012. Walter St., Roslindale, MA. I become a photographer. My escape: Arnold Arboretum. I gaze at birds flying in the expansive sky. I run across emerald, lush grass. I sit on top of Peter’s Hill and stare at the city view. I bike across winding trails that lead to secret destinations. A desire to capture nature leads to a love for photography.
-2015. Centre st., Roslindale, MA. A paint palette and a palate for American dishes. First house. We spend hours painting walls red, white, and sky blue. I regularly eat Harry’s All- American Breakfast, A & N Pizza, and burritos. I gain an appreciation for the colors and flavors of America.
-2016. I become a leader. Boston Latin Community Development Corps. Seven teenagers make a difference for the community. We host drives, bake sales, petitions for education over nuclear weapons. We begin a partnership with Mass Peace. A strong sense of advocacy leads to a stronger self.
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An Exercise to Get You Started
One great way to write these last two essays is to consider the many communities you’ve been a part of.
Here’s a step-by-step guide (that we put together for the “community” essay some other colleges require) that offers a short exercise to help you think through which communities you’ve engaged in and that might make a good topic for this essay.
Here’s the short version:
Step 1: Create a “communities” list by brainstorming all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by many different variables, including place, culture, interests, political beliefs, hobbies, sexual identity, and even favorite sports teams. Get creative. See example in the guide.
Step 2: Use the BEABIES exercise to generate your essay content for 2-3 of these communities. In that exercise, you’ll answer:
What kinds of problems did you solve (personally, locally, or globally) in that community?
What specific impact did you have?
What did you learn (skills, qualities, values)?
How did you apply the lessons you learned inside and outside of that community?
Step 3: Pick a structure for writing this essay and focus on the community you feel is most compelling and reveals the most about you. We recommend either a narrative structure (focusing on a single moment or story) or montage structure (focusing on several moments that are united by a common theme).
How to write Bowdoin College supplemental essay prompt #3
(Optional): Bowdoin believes that only through building a more diverse and inclusive campus community will the College best prepare graduates to be contributing and useful citizens of the world.
Every graduate of this institution should be confident in their preparation to be able to navigate through differences and in all sorts of situations.
A Bowdoin education does not guarantee these skills, but it does impart a set of tools necessary to bravely enter unfamiliar conditions with the confidence to deal effectively with ambiguity.
If you wish, you may use this space to share anything about your personal background not otherwise captured in your application or your experience navigating through difference. (250 words)
For a full guide to different types of “diversity” prompts, including a full section on “how will you contribute” essays, check out this guide to How to Answer the Diversity (and Other Related) Supplemental Essay Prompts.
Tips to keep in mind as you’re writing:
There is a word (+ its synonyms) that pops up again and again in this prompt, which tells us that it’s important and needs to be central to your response: “Difference.” So while there are many ways to conceive of and talk about “difference,” make sure to keep a keen eye on this idea as you craft your response.
Identify the other terms related to “difference” as well… how might “ambiguity” reflect “difference?” What about “unfamiliar conditions?” Words and phrases like this clue you in to how Bowdoin is thinking about “difference,” so pay attention to the language they use. The fact that they’re thinking of “difference” in a lot of ways is an invitation for you to do the same, so be creative about how you define this term for yourself. Doing so can make for a much more interesting essay!
Pay attention to what they’re really asking in this prompt: They give you a lot of context by beginning with their values of diversity, inclusivity, and global citizenship, and they want to know how these values show up in your life and how you will bring them to Bowdoin. So, you don’t want to just tell them you’re comfortable in life’s gray areas… you also want to give them specific details about how you’ve managed these gray areas successfully, ESPECIALLY when these gray areas involve you interacting with people with backgrounds and perspectives different from your own. Bowdoin’s application readers want to see that you can engage with difference in healthy and productive ways (something you’ll need to do often in college).
Here’s an example essay (written for a different school’s similar prompt) that can illustrate the direction to aim here.
Example:
Here’s an interesting fact about my religious identity: It’s not a very traditional one. I’ve been raised in a house of contradictions. My dad is an avowed atheist, but he occasionally comes to the temple with us, if only on religious holidays like Diwali or Navarathri. My grandparents go to the temple as part of their daily routine, while my family and I sometimes attend church with our neighbors for Christmas celebrations. On Sunday mornings, I’d attend Balavihar, where students learn stories of Hindu Gods and perform skits of mythological scenes. I stopped going after I lost interest, and my parents never objected. Some nights before an exam, I’d pray to God for a good score, but I realized that only worked sometimes.
You’d think I’d be confused by now, but I’m thankful that my family has exposed me to a variety of experiences. With no strings attached and no pressure to conform to any one custom or belief, I have been able to mold my own religion. The pleasant experience of going to temple or church with my family, the joy of performing a devotional dance piece on Lord Ganesha, the meditative feeling of chanting Sanskrit prayer verses, or the simplicity of whispering a prayer before bed but not expecting too much from it—these simple rites are enough to fulfill my spiritual thirst. For me, religion isn’t about a belief in God, but choosing to do the right thing and knowing I am in control of my own destiny. (250 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Strike the right tone. You’ve likely heard over and over in English class that when writing an academic essay you need to adopt an academic tone. And that’s true. But here’s the thing about college application essays—they aren’t academic. We know, it’s ironic given the fact that you’re applying to COLLEGE, but these essays are really more of a conversation between you and the person reading your application, so your tone should be conversational as well. This doesn’t mean you can ignore writing conventions altogether, or that you should litter your response with 4-letter words, but it does mean you can directly address your reader, for example, as a way to invite them into the conversation. This essay does this so well, and it begins in the very first sentence (here’s an interesting fact, reader), and extends into the second paragraph (you’d think I’d be confused, reader). This essay feels personal and appropriately conversational without sacrificing strong, focused writing.
Keep the focus on yourself. You are the star of this show, so don’t let your supporting players overshadow your story! When writing about important people in your life and how they impact something like religion (as in the sample essay), it’s easy to turn your response into a discussion of all the ways those around you have shaped your life experiences. But they’re not the ones trying to get into college, so the focus needs to stay squarely on you. The writer of this essay finds the sweet spot with this—we get to hear about family members and their religious practices, which have clearly shaped the writer’s, but the writer never lets that piece overshadow their discussion of their own religious practices. We get just enough detail about the writer’s parents, grandparents, and neighbors, but these details all serve as context for their own diverse and inclusive experiences with religion.
Let them know what you’ve learned and gained. Here’s another reason why we like this essay… this writer includes the very important step of explaining what they’ve learned and how they’ve benefitted from their experiences. In addition to letting us know about going to temple, attending church, and praying to God before a test, the writer also lets us know why these details are significant by telling us that they’ve had the freedom to “mold” their own religious identity, which in turn has taught them about agency. AND they’ve done this by illustrating how they’ve navigated “difference.”
And here’s another example essay, just to illustrate other directions you can take here.
Example:
You wouldn’t think an American Asian Affinity Space would be diverse, after all its whole premise is centered around one specific identity. However, members of the affinity space at my high school come from several different grades, genders and ethnicities. The group included a sophomore from China, a junior from Pakistan, and members from Korea, Japan, and even Israel. We each had unique stories of living as an Asian-American, yet, we had all chosen to come to this affinity group. As we spent time together, we were able to find shared experiences, like our parents preparing packed lunches for us from our country and being too embarrassed to bring them to school. Whether eating humbow or biryani, we all knew what it was like to feel out of place.
My work with the AAAS got me thinking about what diversity can look like, and what it means to embrace diversity. On the one hand, you can find diversity even when people appear to be alike. By exploring our differences, we can continue learning from each other even when it seems we have shared backgrounds and values. At the same time, people who seem really different may have shared human experiences, feeling like the "other" or being embarrassed by their parents, that can bring them together. Moving forward, I want to learn about people’s differences, hearing their stories and learning about their backgrounds while also creating spaces for people to have shared experiences that bring people together. (246 words)
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Special thanks to Jessica for contributing to this post.
