Young Alumni Leadership Program

Story posted March 21, 2011

Thursday, February 3rd- Scott Meiklejohn, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, took a break from reading applications to meet with YALPers.  He discussed the priorities of the College in their pursuit of a class of “well-rounded class of individuals.” That is, a Bowdoin class should be a group of individuals from a variety of backgrounds with diverse passions to make the community as vibrant as possible. His presentation provided color on the Admissions Process, the struggle to find the best applicants in the ever-growing applicant pool and the pursuit to increase diversity of all kinds at Bowdoin.

Dean Meiklejohn stressed the importance of need-blind admissions to the success of the college. Bowdoin does not consider a candidate’s financial aid need during the Early Decision or Regular Decision process to accommodate the brightest students. Dean Meiklejohn noted his biggest fear is that bright students will not consider Bowdoin because they perceive the cost to be prohibitive. In reality, making a Bowdoin education possible for all qualified candidates is of huge importance to the College. 

In addition to socioeconomic diversity, Dean Meiklejohn and his staff are pushing for geographic diversity. One of his largest priorities as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid is increasing knowledge about Bowdoin outside of Bowdoin’s normal applicant pool, and Bowdoin students can help by sharing their positive experiences with the College wherever they end up after graduation. In addition to outreach, Dean Meiklejohn encouraged seniors to consider joining BASIC, an organization that helps to extend the outreach of the Admissions Office by interviewing candidates for admission, representing Bowdoin at local recruiting events and college fairs, encouraging interest among students from diverse backgrounds, and making contacts with organizations, educators and high school area guidance staff.