Shihab Moral

Last Friday, the Office of Admissions released its final round of decisions for the Class of 2028, concluding the incoming first-year admissions process. With a total of just over 13,200 applicants, the acceptance rate continued to decrease. This year’s aggregate acceptance rate was seven percent—the lowest in the College’s history. In comparison, the acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 was roughly 8 percent.

The admitted Class of 2028 consists of 924 students from a pool of 13,265 applicants across all three admission rounds with 74 more acceptances offered in comparison to last year. Students from the admitted class represent 49 states, the District of Columbia, and 40 countries.

In an email to the Orient, Senior Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Student Aid Claudia Marroquin ’06 praised the resilience of the incoming class.

“This group of admitted students were eighth-graders when the pandemic closures began. For most of the students, their high school experiences began amid lockdowns and virtual learning. Despite these circumstances, admitted students navigated the transitions in remarkable ways and have demonstrated not only their resiliency and creativity, but also their care and awareness of others, their appreciation for learning, and an impressive level of humanity,” Marroquin wrote.

“These students have demonstrated in their own writing and through their actions, that they are ready for opportunities that a Bowdoin education can offer and are eager to engage with their peers and the Bowdoin community across myriad topics and experiences.”

Although many college applicants nationwide have faced challenges submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Bowdoin’s admitted students are actively receiving financial aid awards. Bowdoin uses the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile to award student aid that meets 100 percent of a student’s need without loans. Students will be notified of their eligibility for any federal funds once available.

Following the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard Supreme Court ruling, the Class of 2028 was the first to be admitted in a post-race-based affirmative action College admissions landscape. Unlike in previous years, the percentage of domestic students of color and international students admitted was not published by the Office. This follows as other institutions, including Harvard and Tufts University, have not disclosed the racial and ethnic demographics of their respective admitted class.

Yield programming is already underway for the newly minted class. In addition to virtual events, there will be a Polar Preview Day on April 8, and the College’s signature Bearings in Brunswick program held from April 18 to 19.

The Class of 2028 will not be finalized until the May 1 enrollment deadline, at which point Admissions will share more information about the enrolled class. Waitlisted students will be contacted after the deadline regarding potential admission offers.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to the entire admissions and student aid staff for their remarkable levels of energy, thoughtfulness, compassion and diligence these past few months,” Marroquin wrote. “Working with such a dedicated team and having the privilege of reading so many inspiring applications make my job remarkably fulfilling.”