Bowdoin / Interview
The Bowdoin interview
Optional interview, and it carries minor weight in the decision. Here is how it works and how to prepare.
Optional interview
Optional alumni interview, ~30-45 min, typically virtual or in your local area; conducted by Bowdoin alumni volunteers
How to prepare for Bowdoin
- Bowdoin alumni interviewers tend to focus on why Bowdoin specifically , know the college's identity (small liberal arts, open curriculum, Brunswick Maine setting) and be ready to explain why that fits you.
- The open curriculum is a frequent topic: be prepared to discuss how you'd approach designing your own academic path without distribution requirements.
- Bowdoin emphasizes community and the 'common good' , have a genuine example of how you've contributed to a community or collaborated with others.
- Request an interview even though it is optional; it signals interest and gives you a chance to add context that supplements your written application.
Practice before the real thing
Rehearse real admissions-interview questions and get an honest read on your answers, what an interviewer hears, where you sound generic, and what to sharpen. We coach you; we never script you.
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