Bowdoin College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores

Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 10.3%. Located near the coast in Brunswick, Maine, Bowdoin takes pride in both its beautiful location and its academic excellence.  Eight miles away from the main campus is Bowdoins 118-acre Coastal Studies Center on Orrs Island. Bowdoin was one of the first colleges in the country to move to a financial aid process that allows students to graduate without loan debt.   For its strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences, Bowdoin was awarded a chapter of the prestigious  Phi Beta Kappa  honor society. With its 9-to-1 student/faculty ratio and wide-ranging strengths, Bowdoin made our lists of top New England colleges and  top liberal arts colleges.   Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Bowdoin College admissions statistics you should know. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Bowdoin College had an acceptance rate of 10.3%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 10 students were admitted, making Bowdoins admissions process highly competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 9,081 Percent Admitted 10.3% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 55% SAT Scores and Requirements Bowdoin has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Bowdoin may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 60% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 650 740 Math 650 770 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted test scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Bowdoins admitted students fall within the  top 20% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Bowdoin scored between 650 and 740, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 740. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 650 and 770, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 770. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1510 or higher is a competitive score for Bowdoin College. Requirements Bowdoin does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Bowdoin participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Home-schooled applicants and those from high schools that dont assign grades will need to submit SAT or ACT test scores, including 2 or more SAT Subject tests. ACT Scores and Requirements Bowdoin College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Bowdoin may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 46% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Scores (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 32 35 Math 27 33 Composite 30 34 This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted ACT scores to Bowdoin College, most fall within the  top 7% nationally  on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Bowdoin received a composite ACT score between 30 and 34, while 25% scored above 34 and 25% scored below 30. Requirements Bowdoin does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Bowdoin participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Home-schooled applicants and those from high schools that dont assign grades will need to submit SAT or ACT test scores, including 2 or more SAT Subject tests.. GPA Bowdoin College does not provide data about admitted students high school GPAs. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Bowdoin College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Bowdoin College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Bowdoin College, which accepts one tenth of applicants,  is a highly selective liberal arts college. Bowdoin uses a  holistic admissions  process which is based on much more than numbers. A strong  application essay  and glowing  letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule which includes AP, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment classes. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most had average high school GPAs in the A range (3.7 to 4.0) and combined SAT scores (ERWM) above 1300, but lower scores wont affect your chance of acceptance as the college has a test-optional admissions policy.  Applicants can choose whether to include their scores when they apply to Bowdoin. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Bowdoin College Undergraduate Admissions Office.