Did you apply to Bowdoin College for Early Decision admission to the Class of 2030? Bowdoin certainly seems to love its Early Decision applicants. As a matter of fact, they’ve caught some heat for the binding nature of this Early admissions program, as Bowdoin is one of 32 colleges named in a lawsuit that alleges that binding ED programs discriminate against low-income students. And why? According to the lawsuit, students who receive an Early Decision offer of admission don’t yet have the opportunity to compare financial aid offers from other Regular Decision schools and are thus forced into attending a school they may not be able to afford.

While Ivy Coach isn’t here to adjudicate the lawsuit’s validity, we advise students seeking financial aid to use Bowdoin’s financial aid calculator before applying Early Decision (or any college’s for that matter, so you can compare and contrast what it will actually cost you to attend each college). In any event, let’s review Bowdoin’s Early Decision acceptance rate data. Hint: it’s become increasingly competitive over the last few years!

A Look Back at the Bowdoin College Class of 2029

Last year, a grand total of 2,005 hopeful Bowdoinians applied for admission to the Class of 2029. 270, or 13.47%, were admitted to the top-choice school, the lowest Early Decision acceptance rate the Maine-based private liberal arts college had ever recorded.

Bowdoin College Early Decision Admissions Statistics Over 24+ Years

For admission to the Class of 2028, a then record-low of 17.56% of the 1,572 students who applied ED to Bowdoin earned admission. The year before that, the acceptance rate stood at 26.46%. Examining the data over the last few decades, it is remarkable how consistent the ED acceptance rate remained for many years. It wasn’t until the last three or so years that Bowdoin’s ED acceptance rate declined to the highly selective level at which it now stands. Will this trend hold for the Class of 2030? As soon as this data becomes available, Ivy Coach will report back.

Below is a breakdown of Bowdoin’s Early Decision admissions statistics over the last 24 years (from the Class of 2006 through the Class of 2029), excluding the Class of 2030:

Admissions Cycle	Bowdoin College Graduating Class	Early Decision Acceptance Rate
2025-26	Class of 2030	Not Yet Published
2024-25	Class of 2029	13.47%
2023-24	Class of 2028	17.56%
2022-23	Class of 2027	26.46%
2021-22	Class of 2026	27.40%
2020-21	Class of 2025	21.55%
2019-20	Class of 2024	22.57%
2018-19	Class of 2023	22.87%
2017-18	Class of 2022	28.28%
2016-17	Class of 2021	27.24%
2015-16	Class of 2020	25.58%
2014-15	Class of 2019	27.84%
2013-14	Class of 2018	25.90%
2012-13	Class of 2017	25.25%
2011-12	Class of 2016	27.24%
2010-11	Class of 2015	30.54%
2009-10	Class of 2014	29.97%
2008-09	Class of 2013	30.00%
2007-08	Class of 2012	29.72%
2006-07	Class of 2011	31.12%
2005-06	Class of 2010	29.47%
2004-05	Class of 2009	30.34%
2003-04	Class of 2008	30.25%
2002-03	Class of 2007	27.75%
2001-02	Class of 2006	31.56%

Ivy Coach’s Assistance Moving Forward for Deferred or Rejected Bowdoin College Applicants

Congratulations to Ivy Coach’s students who have earned admission to the Bowdoin Class of 2030! And if you’re a student who applied Early Decision to Bowdoin and were deferred or rejected for admission, you might be on the verge of panic. But there’s more than you might think that you can do to right the wrongs of your application and go on to earn admission.

Begin your journey with Ivy Coach by scheduling a complimentary consultation. Now that the toughest part is over, it’s time to move forward. If you were deferred, we can assist you in creating a compelling Letter of Continued Interest. If you were rejected, our targeted PostMortem application review will help you identify areas for improvement and build a more effective strategy. We’ll also support you in refining your Regular Decision applications to maximize your chances, starting with a careful analysis of what may have gone wrong during the Early Decision process.