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Yea Id say Worcester is a tier 3 along with Bridgeport and Stamford... and New Haven is Tier 2/3. I wouldn't quite put Bridgeport and Stamford in tier 4. When I was at trinity I applied for a job in Bridgeport, it has a decent office market itself I think. Stamford is a much better one and although its firmly suburban NYC, its a major economic contributor to CT so the economic importance is enough for Tier 3 IMO.
Typical MA post - how can you tell me a Bowdoin alum how the school feels (you know the person who has an actual Bowdoin degree and intimately knows the place)? I don't comment on stuff I don't know about. It's certainly not a Maine school and any born and raised Mainer (like a lot of the housekeeping and dining staff) will tell you that. Bowdoin is aligned with MA. In my opinion, it feels Boston, but you can argue with that if you choose.
Bowdoin also pushed really hard for the Brunswick Amtrak Station to connect Bowdoin not with Portland, but primarily with Boston. Sometimes you have to think of these elite colleges like corporations - they have a core identity (MA) and multiple sub core ones (being an affluent coastal Maine perspective - long second home to MA and rich Northeasterners). Revenue generation and building lasting relationships are key ways to reinforce these identities to keep the College going in perpetuity (see Bowdoin's astronomical endowment growth - it can thank Boston and Yale-connections for that).
I'm not telling you how it feels to you. I'm just pointing out that your feeling doesn't really represent the reality, nor is the fact that Bowdoin has many residents from MA particularly unique to Bowdoin.
In what metro Boston city/town do the vast majority residents come from states other than MA?
In what metro Boston city/town do Mainers make up 9-10% of the population?
In what metro Boston city/town are there more people from NY, RI, and CT than from MA?
What metro Boston community is 30 minutes from downtown Portland?
What metro Boston community has a workforce that predominantly lives and works in Maine?
What metro Boston community is located completely in Maine, some 90+ miles from the MA border?
The answer, of course, is absolutely none.
I also went to college in Maine and lived there after. I have a home in the mountains of Western Maine. I know how "born and bred" Mainers describe different things as "not REAL Maine." If you go to the ME forum here, you'll here that constantly about Portland, it's suburbs, and basically anyone or any place with a certain level of affluence (seriously, google "volvo line Maine"). The say the same exact thing about Bates, Colby, and UNE. That doesn't make it accurate (and it certainly doesn't make it "like Massachusetts."). MA residents make up about 16% of the Bowdoin student body. You can feel what you want, but none of this is reflective of Metro Boston at all.
I'm not telling you how it feels to you. I'm just pointing out that your feeling doesn't really represent the reality, nor is the fact that Bowdoin has many residents from MA particularly unique to Bowdoin.
In what metro Boston city/town do the vast majority residents come from states other than MA?
In what metro Boston city/town do Mainers make up 9-10% of the population?
In what metro Boston city/town are there more people from NY, RI, and CT than from MA?
What metro Boston community is 30 minutes from downtown Portland?
What metro Boston community has a workforce that predominantly lives and works in Maine?
What metro Boston community is located completely in Maine, some 90+ miles from the MA border?
The answer, of course, is absolutely none.
I also went to college in Maine and lived there after. I have a home in the mountains of Western Maine. I know how "born and bred" Mainers describe different things as "not REAL Maine." If you go to the ME forum here, you'll here that constantly about Portland, it's suburbs, and basically anyone or any place with a certain level of affluence (seriously, google "volvo line Maine"). That doesn't make it accurate (and it certainly doesn't make it "like Massachusetts."). MA residents make up about 16% of the Bowdoin student body. You can feel what you want, but none of this is reflective of Metro Boston at all.
These are fair points - I'm just offering my perspective based on lived experience and data. That 16% is a lot for such as small student body as well. The College has been actively trying to diversify geographically to maintain its top 10 LAC ranking and increase the spread of donors so this is a decrease while still very influential. I would also take a look at Bowdoin's Board as well. Bowdoin also at one point offered incentives for grads to stay in Maine (a tough ask for many despite the relative safety of the place).
Back to the tiering stuff - Portland does have outsized influence in Maine (poor Augusta). It's just so far from Northern Maine. I wonder if there's any noticeable outmigration from MA and NH that could help its population grow, besides immigration. It'll be interesting to see where Maine is 10 years from now.
I'm not telling you how it feels to you. I'm just pointing out that your feeling doesn't really represent the reality, nor is the fact that Bowdoin has many residents from MA particularly unique to Bowdoin.
In what metro Boston city/town do the vast majority residents come from states other than MA?
In what metro Boston city/town do Mainers make up 9-10% of the population?
In what metro Boston city/town are there more people from NY, RI, and CT than from MA?
What metro Boston community is 30 minutes from downtown Portland?
What metro Boston community has a workforce that predominantly lives and works in Maine?
What metro Boston community is located completely in Maine, some 90+ miles from the MA border?
The answer, of course, is absolutely none.
I also went to college in Maine and lived thereafter. I have a home in the mountains of Western Maine. I know how "born and bred" Mainers describe different things as "not REAL Maine." If you go to the ME forum here, you'll hear that constantly about Portland, it's suburbs, and basically anyone or any place with a certain level of affluence. That doesn't make it accurate (and it certainly doesn't make it "like Massachusetts."). MA residents make up about 16% of the Bowdoin student body. You can feel what you want, but none of this is reflective of Metro Boston at all.
MA residents are half of those from New England which makes sense considering Ma is half of New England. Maine is hyper overrepresented and the other states are underrepresented. New York has more students than Maine does. In some years NY and MA are relatively close 290 MA students 217 NY students.
You could make the argument Harvard/MIT are MA students than Bowdoin though I suppose
29.9% of Trinity College Students are from Mass. 29.9%! Way higher than Bowdoin! IN a much more populous state... And Its still not a Boston school. But it makes sense it has way more Boston kids because the Hartford Area its much closer and more similar to Boston than Brunswick Maine.
MA residents are half of those from New England which makes sense considering Ma is half of New England. Maine is hyper overrepresented and the other states are underrepresented. New York has more students than Maine does. In some years NY and MA are relatively close 290 MA students 217 NY students.
You could make the argument Harvard/MIT are MA students than Bowdoin though I suppose
29.9% of Trinity College Students are from Mass. 29.9%! Way higher than Bowdoin! IN a much more populous state... And Its still not a Boston school. But it makes sense it has way more Boston kids because the Hartford Area its much closer and more similar to Boston than Brunswick Maine.
How far is the MA border from Hartford? This misses the point about cultural influence on the institution. As you know, Bowdoin and Trinity, while tiny schools, are very different.
We also know that Hartford looks to Boston, like Portland. Many new grads end up in Boston (this makes sense not a criticism here). Trinity definitely has more NYC-bound finance grads though, although Bowdoin is no slouch here with Druckenmiller and Jes Staley (he's currently mired in scandal though). Bowdoin just has a larger endowment to offer financial aid to a wider spread of students across the country, but the Boston influence is palpable (not necessarily a bad thing so no need for the Boston crew to come for me lol).
How far is the MA border from Hartford? This misses the point about cultural influence on the institution. As you know, Bowdoin and Trinity, while tiny schools, are very different.
We also know that Hartford looks to Boston, like Portland. Many new grads end up in Boston (this makes sense not a criticism here). Trinity definitely has more NYC-bound finance grads though, although Bowdoin is no slouch here with Druckenmiller and Jes Staley (he's currently mired in scandal though). Bowdoin just has a larger endowment to offer financial aid to a wider spread of students across the country, but the Boston influence is palpable.
Hartford is 15-20 minutes from the MA border. 20-25 minutes from Springfield. I guess I see equal Trin grad headed to Bosotn and NYC its really a pretty clean split. But that is part of the appeal for the school proximity to boson and NYC both socially and for an internship opportunity. (I had a friend from Holbrook MA and she traveled from Hartford to Boston 3x a week to intern at Boston hospital). 30% are from MA 15% are from NY and 15% are from CT. NYC is just a much bigger job market (4-5x bigger) so of course, it should have more pull than Boston. The fact that Bostons is as competitive as it is a huge sign of its gravitas on the school.
In Bowdoin's case: it's so far up there and full of 18-22-year-olds Boston is the only thing of note anywhere within 3 hours. So Boston it is.... but yea I don't know what exactly you mean by "cultural influence" before this you were talking about undergrads, Trinity has 2x as many MA undergrads as Bowdoin. That doesn't amount to cultural influence though? Maine students are massively overrepresented at Bowdoin and are closer in share to MA students than CT students are at to MA students Trinity. If we're talking ratios.
Side note: Always considered Worcester an easily identifiable halfway point between Hartford and Boston.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 11-23-2021 at 11:49 AM..
29.9% of Trinity College Students are from Mass. 29.9%! Way higher than Bowdoin! IN a much more populous state... And Its still not a Boston school. But it makes sense it has way more Boston kids because the Hartford Area its much closer and more similar to Boston than Brunswick Maine.
That's pretty high. I don't think ~15% would be too unusual for a private college in New England, but 29% is really high (though not as high as Roger Williams' 37%). Back to Maine, UNE is nearly 28% from MA and Colby's student body is made up of 23% MA residents. Bates is closer to Bowdoin with 19% from MA.
In Bowdoin's case: it's so far up there and full of 18-22-year-olds Boston is the only thing of note anywhere within 3 hours. So Boston it is....
Most smaller town campuses are worlds unto themselves and Bowdoin is no different (though it's nicely integrated with downtown Brunswick). That's where most students spend the bulk of their time. There are lots of Bowdoin (same for UNE, USM, SMCC, etc.) kids out in Portland's Old Port (which really is THE destination for Maine) and doing things in Portland on any given weekend day/night since it's close and easily accessible, but I'd be surprised if there were huge numbers of them heading into Boston for a night/weekend on a regular basis. Maybe once a semester or so, but it's not really in Boston's orbit. Especially with Portland so close.
That's pretty high. I don't think ~15% would be too unusual for a private college in New England, but 29% is really high (though not as high as Roger Williams' 37%). Back to Maine, UNE is nearly 28% from MA and Colby's student body is made up of 23% MA residents. Bates is closer to Bowdoin with 19% from MA.
It's an affluent student body so in New England that means MA and CT. MA students were thick there. Roger Williams in Rhode Island is 37% MA doesn't surprise tbh. I bet Johnson and Wales is even higher.
No doubt Colby being up in Waterville has more ME students, this is just a miserable drive up to nowheresville.
Connecticut College is 29.7% MA.
Wesleyans top 3 states are NY, CA and MA.
Even Quinnipiac down in New Haven has more MA students (19%) than NJ students (17%) and More MA students than Bowdoin.
EDIT:
WHile JWU top state is MA its split pretty evenly between MA NJ CT RI NY
No doubt Portland is more relevant than Boston for Bowdoin kids but Boston is for sure where the employment goes. Id be surprised if they got down there once a semester during undergrad tbh.
No doubt Portland is more relevant than Boston for Bowdoin kids but Boston is for sure where the employment goes. Id be surprised if they got down there once a semester during undergrad tbh.]
Oh definitely. I misinterpreted your post. It's hard to find a job in Maine that justifies the cost of a Bowdoin (or similar) degree. Most students will head to Boston, New York, and beyond. Once a semester is generous. Most probably don't make the trip unless they have family in the area.
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