“The members of the Class of 2030 and our transfer students are part of a historic incoming class at Bowdoin, given a stronger than anticipated yield,” said Claudia Marroquin ’06, senior vice president and dean of admissions and student aid.
“This is, first and foremost, a reflection of the strength of Bowdoin and the excitement so many remarkable students have about joining this community. We are grateful for the confidence they have placed in Bowdoin, and we are excited to welcome them.”
Matriculating students this year represent forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as fifty-four countries. Eight students join the class after a gap year, and twenty-eight students were admitted to Bowdoin through the QuestBridge Match process.
The College will also welcome fourteen transfer students, six of whom are joining Bowdoin after starting their college careers at community colleges.
Members of the Class of 2030 wrote about marine research and music, family history and food, climate work and civic dialogue, chemistry and creative problem-solving, and the lessons found in teams, classrooms, dinner tables, forests, libraries, and communities around the world,” Marroquin said.
“Across their essays, a few themes emerged clearly: an eagerness to connect across difference, to learn from others, to serve their communities with humility, deep intellectual curiosity, and a sense of joy for their endeavors.”
Prospective students continue to be drawn to Bowdoin by a community that values intellectual engagement, meaningful residential life, and the diverse talents, perspectives, and experiences that students bring to the College.
Students are attracted by Bowdoin’s exceptional faculty and rigorous liberal arts curriculum, which challenge students to think critically, communicate effectively, and engage deeply across disciplines.
The close relationships students develop with faculty, as teachers, mentors collaborators, and advisors, create an academic environment that is both demanding and deeply supportive.
This direct engagement with faculty, the opportunities to extend learning through funded research and internships, and the strength of the alumni network remain defining features of a Bowdoin education and continue to resonate with prospective students.
They are also increasingly drawn to Bowdoin’s leadership in a multidisciplinary approach to studying the uses and implications of AI through the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity. These aspects and the College’s commitment to the common good are some of the many compelling factors that attract students to Bowdoin.
Additionally, the admissions office’s efforts to provide prospective students with a human-centered process and its commitment to understanding the many ways students might contribute to the intellectual and residential life of the College strengthen Bowdoin’s appeal.
“Our goal is to get to know applicants as whole people and to build a class of students who will learn from one another, challenge one another, and contribute meaningfully to our community,” Marroquin said.
“Bowdoin continues to provide an extraordinary education and a transformative experience for all who choose to enroll.”
Opening Doors Through Access, Innovation, and Community
Bowdoin’s need-blind financial aid that meets 100 percent of a student's calculated need with grants and not loans for all students is extremely rare in higher education.
This means that students can graduate without debt limiting their options.
Of the incoming class, 61 percent of the aided students have financial aid awards that cover the full costs of Bowdoin’s tuition.
This remarkable loan-free financial aid support is one of the major contributors to the excitement around pursuing a Bowdoin education.
Another is the College’s Digital Excellence Commitment (DExC); Bowdoin is the only college in Maine and one of only two in the country that provide all students, regardless of financial aid, with a MacBook laptop, iPad mini, Apple Pencil, relevant software, and computing support.
“We recognize that talent and excellence exist across socioeconomic levels, lived experiences, and across the world. The newest members of the Bowdoin community are deserving of their places at Bowdoin. I look forward to seeing their ‘generous enthusiasms’ come to fruition at Bowdoin in the years to come."
THE CLASS OF 2030
States represented:
47; also the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
Students from Maine:
10 percent
Most represented states:
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington (all with ten or more students)
International background:
12 percent
Countries represented (by citizenship):
54
Sex:
55 percent female; 45 percent male
Gender Identity:
52 percent women; 45 percent men; 3 percent another identity
Students with neither parent holding a four-year college degree:
19 percent
Students of color:
34 percent
Percent receiving student aid:
50
Pell grant recipients:
18 percent
Average student aid award:
$72,946
Aided students with $0 family contribution:
23 percent
Students with a parent or grandparent who attended Bowdoin:
6 percent
High schools represented:
459
Public and/or charter schools:
53 percent
Independent schools:
36 percent
Religious or parochial schools:
11 percent
Students who chose not to submit test scores:
46 percent
Most popular line from the Offer of the College:
“To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms and cooperate with others for common ends” (25 percent)
Most popular name:
Alex (full and preferred name)
