With snow on the Quad in April, students may feel like Bowdoin was not the best choice of colleges. However, popular guide book College Prowler begs to differ.
College Prowler announced Wednesday that it named Bowdoin "School of the Year."
According to the company, the award is meant to identify a school that goes "above and beyond the ordinary level of commitment" to providing the best undergraduate experience for its students.
Bowdoin is the first school to receive the award from College Prowler.
CEO Luke Skurman called the decision "a no brainer for us."
"We were internally here [at College Prowler] trying to find a school that really cares about its students," Skurman said. "We rank 20 different categories in our guidebooks and on our Web site, and there are about 10 that a college can really control...and of those 10, Bowdoin was off the charts. The quotes from the students were the same way."
In the Bowdoin guidebook, compiled by Derrick Wong '07, the College is consistently ranked by students as one of the best schools in the country for the four most important criteria for the "School of the Year" award: Academics, Safety and Security, Dining, and Housing.
Skurman recently visited the College "to ensure our guidebook was portraying Bowdoin accurately," according to a press release issued by College Prowler.
In the press release Skurman said, "I've been to many colleges and I can say from experience that my visit to the Bowdoin campus was truly impressive and reconfirmed everything we have in our book; I met professors who truly care about teaching undergrads, I tasted amazing campus food, I saw a campus full of brand-new dorms in a peaceful, safe, harmonious setting. Every student I met was happy, modest, smart and had a great sense of purpose."
In the release, President Barry Mills said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the award.
"We believe strongly that there is no 'best' or 'No. 1' college in America, but we also believe that prospective students and their families benefit from having as complete information as possible in making their college choices," Mills said.
"In this case, the opinions expressed about Bowdoin come directly from our own students, and it is gratifying to know how strongly positive they feel about the College," he added.
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William Shain questioned the methodology of the award, but was pleased that actual student experiences were taken into account.
"The four criteria they used are, of course, iffy, just as all criteria are," he said. "But they seem far better than those used by the USNews college issue since they relate more directly to what a student experiences."
Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Scott Hood agreed.
"Most valuably...the publication is providing feedback in the form of the opinions and experiences of our own students, rather than trying to rank, rate, or evaluate Bowdoin on the basis of data and/or the opinions of outsiders," he said.
According to Skurman, College Prowler notified major newspapers and every college newspaper of the award, as well as personally e-mailing 200 journalists and notifying guidance counselors. The award is also currently displayed on the front page of the College Prowler Web site.
Shain said that the effect of a first-time award like this is difficult to predict, but added that the award could have an impact on admissions decisions as early as this year's cycle.
"If we only won more of the 'close calls,' where we are in a student's final two choices, that would be a big deal," he said.