The "2008 Collegeprowler.com No. 1 College" plaque is lying, nearly forgotten, on a bookshelf in Interim Dean of Admission Scott Meiklejohn's office.
As Bowdoin is the first recipient of the award, "we haven't really figured out what to do with it yet," said Meiklejohn.
The College may not know what to do with this award, but most students, current and prospective, would give the distinction more consideration.
Web sites like Collegeprowler.com that give high school students the real dish on various schools are part of a growing national movement in college rankings. Old standbys like U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review are seeing increased competition from other books and Web sites, resources that are evolving due to a growing demand from young people for faster, more succinct information on schools.
Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs Scott Hood has seen a marked increase in the number and variety of these rankings over the past several years, as their questionnaires stream into his office.
Hood said that his office receives a "fairly steady flow of e-mails and questionnaires" from rankings institutions. The influx has nearly overwhelmed him.
"It's getting to the point...that it's an enormous amount of work," he said.
These books and Web sites are not simply knockoffs of the powerhouses of the industry. Hood noted that he now sees several questionnaires each year related to "green," or environmentally friendly, initiatives.
"Ten years ago no one asked you about this stuff," he said.
Green rankings from institutions such as the Sierra Club and the Sustainable Endowments Institute are increasing in number and visibility. The Sustainable Endowments Institute's extensive review of Bowdoin's (and many other colleges') environmental initiatives is available at Greenreportcard.org. In 2009 Bowdoin received an overall grade of "B."
Another growing trend in the rankings landscape is that of Web sites and books that depend on input from colleges' own students.
Senior Abby Mitchell reported for Unigo.com during the second semester of her junior year. After catching the eye of the Web site's staff with a written report, Mitchell began submitting weekly videos, covering topics from fashion fads, to food and to the best and worst dorms.
Mitchell believes sites like Unigo.com that use student submissions are "the best way" for prospective students to get a feel for a school. These sites report "the truth about schools from the kids who go there," said Mitchell.
Mitchell also serves as a tour guide on campus, allowing her to experience both the traditional way people learn about colleges, and the newer, online options. She sees the benefits of the Web sites in that they "are geared toward students. Tours and visits are geared more toward parents."
Hood and other administrators on campus disagree with Mitchell about the value of rankings sites and books.
"[National rankings] may start to dilute these very unique institutions."
Nevertheless, Hood recognized the usefulness of rankings and Web sites as a starting point in an often overwhelming search for the right college.
According to Meiklejohn, the growth of the rankings industry is "good for students as consumers of information."
Meiklejohn has seen a marked increase in "stealth applicants," or students who have not contacted the college in any way before applying, in recent years. He attributes this to the wealth of information available online.
He does not believe, however, that online and print sources will ever replace college visits and tours.
For many students, according to Meiklejohn, choosing a college is an issue of "fit,"—something they're "not really going to get looking at [their] flatscreen."
Hood expressed a similar view and said that evaluating colleges "is not an athletic event. It's not something where you can look at your batting average or your free-throw percentage."
Meiklejohn sees rankings institutions' value mostly in their ability to put out Bowdoin's name and reputation nationwide, or in his words, increase "the number of people who can pronounce 'Bowdoin' properly."
"As long as [rankings institutions] are doing a responsible job, they're helping us out," he said.