Volume CXXXIII, Number 5 October 12, 2001 f

College hosts Mainers
JESSIE SOLOMON-GREENBAUM
STAFF WRITER

Over 100 perspective students from Maine visited Bowdoin College with their families for Bowdoin's annual Maine Day on September 28. During the day visiting students had the opportunity to hear about admissions, financial aid, and student and academic life as well as attend classes and take campus tours.
Many students had positive responses, including Jayme Quinn, a prospective student from Gorham, who felt the day gave "a good balance of perspective." Kate Johnston, also from Gorham, "thought the tour was particularly good. I've been on a lot of tours, but this one was better; we actually got to see the dorms."

The Admissions Office reported a ten percent increase in students attending Maine Day this year. The program remained the same as in years past, except that this year Admissions coordinated with the Career Planning Center to hold "Beyond Bowdoin: Your Liberal Arts in Action" on the same day as Maine Day.

"Beyond Bowdoin" was a series of informational panels featuring Bowdoin alumni, which focused on several career options. This year, the panelists chosen had all worked in Maine and many were from Maine originally.
Lisa Tessler, the Directior of Alumni Career Programs, explained that "we thought it would offer inspiration to Maine students to feature alumni from their state."

Several prospective students found the panels enlightening. Lindsay Hammes, a senior from Augusta, was originally only looking at Bowdoin because her mother wanted her to stay close to home. She was reluctant to come to Bowdoin because she wanted to go to a school with a journalism program. After attending a Beyond Bowdoin panel, "Utilizing Communication Skills in the Media Professions," Lindsay said, "I realized I could still do journalism if I went to Bowdoin. Now Bowdoin is one of my first choices."

Maine Day is a part of an ongoing effort to attract students from Maine to Bowdoin. Admissions holds two Maine Days every year, one in the fall and one in the spring (primarily by high school juniors). In addition, representatives from Bowdoin attend two college fairs for Maine Students.

Wendy Thompson, Assistant Dean of Admissions and Coordinator of Special Events, said that the purpose of these efforts is to "increase exposure, particularly to the strongest students in Maine. We want them to realize that one of the most competitive colleges in America is in their backyard."

Maine students constitute 15.7 percent of the first year class and 14.3 percent of the entire student body. Admissions would like to maintain this percentage and possibly increase it.

Thompson explained the school's interest in students from Maine: "We are committed to diversity in all forms-geographically, socio-economically, racially. This includes Maine students, particularly from rural Maine. These students may be living very different lifestyles. For instance, a student from a small Main logging town brings a unique experience to the school."

Thompson would like to thank the Bowdoin community for giving the visiting students a warm welcome.