intellectual discourse - Bowdoin College Supplement Essay

The Bowdoin College Committee on Admissions requires that all applicants submit a supplemental essay so that we may become more familiar with you. Please address the topic below with a one or two page essay. Please write your name, Social Security number, and birth date at the top of each page. Your application will not be considered complete without this essay.

Please respond to the following:

Bowdoin is a liberal arts college that thrives on intellectual discourse in and out of the classroom. Students, faculty, and staff all participate in the exchange of ideas in an atmosphere characterized by high achievement and a sense of balance. The Admissions Committee is eager to learn more about you and your school community. Reflecting on your own educational experiences, how have you prepared yourself to enter an academic environment like Bowdoin's? (Suggested length: 250-500 words.)

One more week had flown by, yet again. December had just begun and the deadlines for an entire catalog of assignments and tasks had come that much closer. This next week was sure to be just like every other week of my senior year so far, hectic. At three in the morning, later that week, my Lil Wayne ringtone echoed through my house. This would anger most people, however when it's a fellow classmate working on the same IB project at the same time as you are, you tend let it slide. Many students would flinch at the idea of being up past midnight still doing homework, let alone three hours after that, but for me it was just another school night. As an entrepreneurial, community serving, family assisting, IB student I always have a lot on my plate to do, and most likely more than one serving. In a regular school week I have two to three community service activities, hours upon hours of essays and projects each night, two to three tests or quizzes to study for, a car auction at which I purchase vehicles to resell, multiple chores around my house, and (more recently) college applications and supplements that take hours to write, edit, re-edit, and finally turn in. Bowdoin has the reputation for having academic prestige and rigor. I am fully prepared, if not over-prepared, for the Bowdoin experience. I have been in the hardest level classes since I was in the gifted program in third grade. In middle school I was also in the gifted program and was taught college level subjects that we have not even discussed in the IB curriculum. When I reached high school, I enrolled in the MYP program; a program designed to prepare you for IB. When it became time, I elected to enroll in the IB program over the honors level courses at my school. I have been preparing for the rigor at Bowdoin since I was eight years old. I'm ready for the challenge, but are you ready for me to blow your mind?

please help! I will reciprocate.
please look at my others too

Hi, there.
I know how dreadful IB is, I did IB, too.
But aren't you focusing too much on the fact that you survived the hectic IB schedule? Some other applicants will also have come from IB, and they survived it,too. It would be better if you mention about more of your unique characters or mindset shaped by your academic experiences.

Also, I see a couple of mistakes.

As an entrepreneurial, community serving, family assisting,(no punctuation here) IB student, I always have a lot on my plate to do

In a regular school week I have two to three community service activities, hours upon hours of essays and projects each night, two to three tests or quizzes to study for, a car auction at which I purchase vehicles to resell, multiple chores around my house, and (more recently) college applications and supplements that take hours to write, edit, re-edit, and finally turn in. I know you are trying to convey your busy schedule, but it's too long and somewhat redundant. Try to make it more simple.

Hope this helped!
Would you mind reading my essays? I really need some help!

[CLICK ON MY USERNAME TO FIND MY THEADS!]

community-servant, family-loyal

Bowdoin has the reputation for having academic prestige and rigor. I am fully prepared, if not over-prepared, for the Bowdoin experience. I have been in the hardest level classes since I was in the gifted program in third grade. In middle school I was also in the gifted program and was taught college level subjects that we have not even discussed in the IB curriculum. When I reached high school, I enrolled in the MYP program; a program designed to prepare you for IB. When it became time, I elected to enroll in the IB program over the honors level courses at my school.

Even an idiot looking at your application knows you already did those things. Use this space to fill in more about your life. You go through what you do everyday like a list, that's not the way to do it. Expand a choice number of activities you listed before here so we can know what you actually did.

thank you for your comments,

the spot where you said is no punctuation is like that because the words that come before are adjectives describing student so no punctuation is required

i would love to take a look for you, please look at my others as well :]

(CHECK MY PROFILE)

any other suggestions?

Hey damo, sorry its a bit late. But can you check my NYU supplements(its below):

Some more critiques :


I know you want to emphasize "had come that much closer" at the end. But saying "entire catalog of assignment and tasks" is not the way to do it. You need to cut that phrase down so the impact you making with "had come that much closer" makes sense.


reverberated throughout my house

I like it! You answer the prompt and it's so true that IB prepares students for college or at least it seems like it (I know what it feels like working three hours after midnight)

here are some suggestions:

don't you think that saying "if not over-prepared" is almost condescending? It shows confidence, but you might be overdoing it. Idk that's just my opinion.

You talk about how rigorous the courses you took throughout school were, maybe you could give a glimpse of what you learned and what specific classes you took (what were some college courses you took in middle school)

Thanks Yuanchi, i will take that into consideration for my final draft. I appreciate you taking the time to look :]