Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · private nonprofit
Official site ↗Admissions
| Admit rate | 7.1% |
| Applicants | 13,265 |
| Middle-50% SAT | 1470–1540 |
| Middle-50% ACT | 33–35 |
| Avg GPA | — |
| Test policy | — |
| Avg net price / yr | $20,786 |
| Grad rate | 96% |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $82,735 |
| Source | cds · 2024 |
Application requirements
| Early Decision | 2025-11-15 |
| Early Decision II | 2026-01-05 |
| Regular / Rolling | 2026-01-05 |
| Application fee | $65 (US) · $65 (intl) |
| Personal essay | Required |
| Test policy | never required |
| Teacher recommendations | 1 |
| Counselor recommendation | Required |
| Mid-year report | Required |
Source: Common App first-year Requirements Grid, 2025-26 cycle. Confirm on the college's site — requirements can change mid-cycle.
Supplemental essays
- How did you first learn about Bowdoin?
- Which line from The Offer resonates most with you?
- Optional: The Offer represents Bowdoin’s values. Please reflect on the line you selected and how it has meaning to you.· ~250 words
- Optional: Writing About Navigating Differences 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 share anything about the unique experiences and perspectives that you would bring with you to the Bowdoin campus and community or an experience you have had that required you to navigate across or through difference.· ~250 words
Copied verbatim from the school's official admissions page (2025-26 cycle).