B at e s T h e
c a t a l y s t
A thrillingly brief introduction to about 2,000 irrepressible, unapologetically smart people who happen to think that finding the truth sometimes requires a leap into a frigid pond.
B at e s C o l l e g e Lewiston, Maine
Facts
About 2,000 students (250 studying abroad) | 46 states | 65 countries | 33 majors | 20 students in the average class | 10 to 1 student to faculty ratio | 100% of faculty hold highest degree in their field | 100% of students complete a capstone or thesis | 60% of students study abroad | 31 NESCAC Division III teams | 160 community partnerships through the Harward Center | 110 student clubs, open to all | 0 fraternities and sororities | 5 partners in special engineering program (3 years at Bates followed by 2 years at Case Western, Columbia, Dartmouth, RPI or Wash U. St. Louis) | 5-week spring Short Term | 109 acres on Lewiston campus | 600 acres in Bates– Morse Mountain Conservation Area | $38,200 average financial aid package | 24,000 alumni Majors African American Studies, American Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Art and Visual Culture, Biological Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, Classical and Medieval Studies, Dance, East Asian Studies, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, French, Geology, German, History, Japanese, Mathematics, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religion, Rhetoric, Russian, Sociology, Spanish, Theater, Women and Gender Studies. bates.edu/2018/academics VARS I T Y at h l e t i c t e a m s Alpine Skiing (W, M), Baseball, Basketball (W, M), Cross Country (W, M), Field Hockey, Football, Golf (W, M), Indoor Track and Field (W, M), Lacrosse (W, M), Nordic Skiing (W, M), Outdoor Track and Field (W, M), Rowing (W, M), Soccer (W, M), Softball, Squash (W, M), Swimming and Diving (W, M), Tennis (W, M), Volleyball. bates.edu/2018/athletics
We want the hard questions.
Our community is radically open — with abolitionist founders, inclusion is in our DNA.
You can see the whole world from here.
also:
Our academic program starts with an intensive, often interdisciplinary first-year seminar and ends with an intensive, often interdisciplinary senior thesis. In between there’s a lot of (wait for it) intensive, often interdisciplinary work, including funded research opportunities, internships with regional and national firms and organizations, and an astounding number of community-based learning opportunities through our Harward Center. bates.edu/2018/harward We offer 33 majors; you can also design your own. Plus: Students take two General Education Concentrations — a group of linked courses coordinated under one theme (for instance, colonialism, public health, 2-D and 3-D design). Thoughtfully designed by the faculty, we call them GECs. bates.edu/2018/gec About 60 percent of our students study abroad at least once in their four years. We offer access to nearly 200 programs around the world and sponsor our own Fall Semester Abroad programs, plus specialized Short Term trips (e.g., environmental studies in China, indigenous politics in Mexico, theater production in Budapest). bates.edu/2018/offcampus
All of our student-run clubs and organizations (nearly 100) are open to every student. We’re not interested in exclusivity — which helps explain why we’ve never had fraternities and sororities. It also explains why our dining hall is called Commons and why we’re pretty serious about hosting campus-wide events like Winter Carnival, which features the legendary Puddle Jump. Our 31 Division III teams play in the NESCAC, one of the nation’s most competitive college athletic conferences. We love to compete and we do a lot of winning, which of course is one of the goals. But we’re in it because we love to play and because we believe that discipline, teamwork and drive are equally important (and exciting) aspects of a solid education. About 60 percent of our students are involved in our intramural program. We live in a small city called Lewiston, in the big, beautiful state of Maine. Lewiston is actually a sister city to Auburn, just over the Androscoggin River; together they’re known as L-A. It’s a hardworking, worldly community; you could be important here; you could even fall in love with it. We’re an easy drive to Maine’s astonishing coastline, including Acadia National Park and our own Bates–Morse Mountain Conservation Area, 600 acres on the coast of Maine. We hike the Appalachian Trail, explore the White Mountain National Forest. And we ski! bates.edu/2018/maine
And of course:
Visit us. It’s easy and eye-opening. You’ll check out some classes and meet faculty. You’ll eat in our Dining Commons, get a feel for campus and talk to us. We’re close to Portland (Maine) and close-ish to Boston (Mass.). bates.edu/2018/visit Admission to Bates is based on how much you’ve challenged yourself in the classroom — and in the world — and the way you think about your life. Significantly, it is not based on a set of test scores. We were one of the first colleges to make SAT/ACT scores optional for admission. bates.edu/2018/apply Our financial aid program is another way in which we are open. About 44% of our students receive need-based financial aid from Bates; the average financial aid package is about $38,200. All of our financial aid budget — $29 million — supports students with demonstrated financial need and meets 100% of that need. bates.edu/2018/sfs See for yourself: bates.edu/2018 Call us: 1.855.BATES55 (1.855.228.3755) Or email: admission@bates.edu
Bates values the diversity of persons, perspectives and convictions. Critical thinking, rigorous analysis and open discussion of a full range of ideas lie at the heart of the college’s mission as an institution of higher learning. The college seeks to e ncourage inquiry and reasoned dialogue in a climate of mutual respect.
Since 1855, Bates College has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion — Amore ac Studio — we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual d iscovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders s ustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.
Office of Admission 23 Campus Ave. Lewiston, ME 04240 1.855.BATES55 (1.855.228.3755) bates.edu