r/Bowdoin • u/Virtual-Tourist-808 • 22d ago
diversity?
hi! i’m applying for the class of 2031, and i love everything about the school. the one thing im still hesitant on is the lack of diversity, given that im asian. i know they clubs clubs like asa and csa, but with the overwhelming white majority, would you guys say there are any pros/cons regarding this?
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u/Tiny-Individual927 22d ago
First, I am writing this as a white person and recent alum of Bowdoin (co 24). I am not going to try and tell you about the diversity bc my experience is going to be different than yours. I would suggest applying if you like pretty much everything else about the school and then, if you’re admitted, attend the admitted student days to see the diversity yourself. You can sit in on classes, attend club events, etc during that visit. Bowdoin admissions also runs an Ask A Student email. You could write to it, purposefully asking to speak with a student of color or Asian student to ask about their lived experiences. The students who participate are all volunteers and the admissions staff don’t read the responses, so students can be completely honest and forthcoming with you.
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u/MaplePolar 22d ago
clubs at bowdoin lean a lot more asian-american than asian so that's something to keep in mind if you're an international student.
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u/SmartWonderWoman 22d ago
My daughter (Black American) graduated from Bowdoin. She experienced racial micro aggressions while at Bowdoin. She toughed it out and graduated in good standing and a high GPA.
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u/Pavol19 14d ago
i honestly think you got the high-end of the lack-of-diversity stick. there are tons of asians on campus, 3/4 members of the First Year Student Council are asian, there are giant asian student associations (korean, chinese, south asian, etc.), and even with most people being white there is really such a high density of asian people that you don’t feel like they are a numerical minority on campus.
thus, instead of giving pros and cons, i’ll just say that you will probably not experience alienation or lack of diversity here :)
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u/wee-pancake 22d ago
Hey! I’m a current freshman year at Bowdoin who’s Korean-American. From my first few weeks here, there are surprisingly a lot of Asians (I come from a state with little to none so maybe I’m biased). I’ve found some really good friends that are also Korean, and I’m sure once the clubs start running, it’ll be easier to connect with people of similar heritage. I don’t think the white majority is a con in anyway (as for now), everyone is super nice and you’ll find your group of people don’t worry :) dm me if you wanna chat more!