International Perspectives
The Bates tradition of providing a challenging education for men and women began in 1855. Distinguished as the first coeducational college in the eastern United States, the College has always been committed to human freedom, civil rights, and maintaining an academic community that encourages the finest intellectual, emotional, and social growth for all its students. Bates College is recognized for its egalitarian philosophy and inclusive social character. There have never been fraternities and sororities at Bates, and every campus organization is open to anyone wishing to join. Friendships that thrive among very different types of people, both faculty and students, constitute one of the brightest facets of a Bates education. The College has consistently shown commitment to diversity and multiculturalism through its student enrollment, curriculum offerings, and campus activities.
Bates College: The Liberal Arts Tradition Many people think of college as preparation for something else: medical school, law school, or a career in business. Although Bates College prepares students for such careers, its educational vision exceeds mere knowledge and skills. Students are rightfully concerned about meeting the challenge of broad opportunities in their working lives, and they want to obtain the best education possible. At Bates we share this concern. We expect our graduates to make important contributions to their occupational fields. We also expect them to remain intellectually curious throughout their lives. Bates does not simply aim to train students for jobs, but rather to educate them in the liberal arts tradition by teaching them to seek truth, to think critically, to organize effectively, and to communicate clearly. A liberal arts college allows students control and responsibility in determining their educational path. This kind of education does not end with graduation.
The College occupies a beautifully landscaped campus in Lewiston. The twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn are located 140 miles (225 km.) northeast of Boston. Portland, the state’s largest city, is 35 miles (56 km.) to the south, and the state capital, Augusta, is 30 miles (48 km.) to the northeast. Major airlines serve the Portland International Jetport, and bus service is available to Lewiston from Boston, New York, and points in between. Less than an hour from the ocean, Lewiston and its twin city across the Androscoggin River, are the major cities within Maine’s second-largest metropolitan area, totaling some 107,000 residents. Students are able to take advantage of opportunities for service-learning and career internships with hospitals, schools, law firms, social-service agencies, and architectural firms. Forty miles (64 km.) from Lewiston near Popham Beach, the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is a 574-acre (232 hectare) preserve that includes woods, granite ledge, extensive dunes, and breathtaking views of the Atlantic coastline — a fertile resource for Bates biologists and geologists. Also available are laboratories and on-site student lodging.
Currently there are 1,714 students on campus at Bates. They come from 45 U.S. states and 65 countries. Non-U.S. citizens represent roughly 6 percent of the College’s population in addition to a number of dual citizens, permanent residents, and U.S. citizens who have lived abroad prior to enrolling at Bates. Bates College has always been committed to the ideals of academic rigor and intellectual curiosity. Rated among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation, Bates’ curriculum and faculty challenge students to develop powers of critical assessment, analysis, expression, aesthetic sensibility, and independent thought.
Maine: “The Way Life Should Be” One of the attractions of Bates is the opportunity to live in Maine, a state of varied and beautiful landscapes. There are four distinct seasons: clear, crisp weather in fall and spring; warm summers with temperatures averaging about 75F (24C); and snowy New England winters that average 22F (-5.5C). Maine is known for a rocky coastline dotted with quaint New England fishing villages and lighthouses, vibrant autumn foliage, powder-white ski slopes, swift rivers, and clean air.
Academic Life: The Bates Approach Liberal arts is a popular approach to study in the United States. “Liberal arts” isn’t limited to the arts; students can choose from a vast array of subjects in the natural and physical sciences, as well as the humanities and the social sciences. A liberal arts curriculum is very flexible, and students are not limited to selecting only one course of study during their four years. After the second year of studies, students choose one particular discipline as a “major.” At Bates, major requirements are typically one-third of a student’s entire course load, allowing ample opportunity to explore other areas of academic interest. The recipient of a prestigious and lucrative graduate scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Shawna-Kaye Lester ’08 of St. Catherine, Jamaica, is flexing the power of her liberal arts education. “I am able to do a lot of things,” she says. “I can go wherever I want.” Prominent on
with faculty as they write a thesis, conduct independent study, or are involved in facultystudent research. Bates is one of only a few schools in the United States that have an undergraduate thesis requirement.
campus as a musician, dancer, volunteer, Admissions fellow, and peer-group study leader, Lester graduated with a double major in Spanish and biochemistry. She won several Bates awards to travel and study abroad. Bates helped refine her interests in journalism, healthcare, and social justice, Lester says. A liberal arts education allows students to develop a broad range of skills important to everyday life such as critical thinking, problemsolving, and persuasive written and spoken communication. Such skills are as valuable in landing a first job or gaining admission to graduate school as the degree itself. Bates does not offer summer college courses or an ESL (English as a Second Language) program. Faculty Bates has 203 faculty members. One-hundred percent of tenured/tenure track faculty hold the doctorate or appropriate terminal degree. Close bonds between students and faculty are common. With a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, and an average class size of 20 students, excluding one-on-one classes, professors are truly accessible. Professors teach all courses and also serve as academic and thesis advisers for students. Ninety-seven percent of Bates students have at least one individual class
Curriculum The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree is offered in African American Studies, American Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Art and Visual Culture, Asian Studies, Biological Chemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, Classical and Medieval Studies, Economics, English, Environmental Studies, French, Geology, German, History, Japanese, Mathematics, Music, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Politics, Psychology, Religion, Rhetoric, Russian, Sociology, Spanish, Theater, and Women and Gender Studies.
disciplines. Introducing new concentrations each year, the Bates faculty has designed more than 60 concentrations on topics that span the curriculum. Concentrations offered in 2010–2011 include “Environment, Place, History,” “Producing Culture: Arts and Audience,” “Class, Inequity, Poverty and Justice,” and “Applying Mathematical Methods.” For more about General Education Concentrations, visit: www.bates.edu/gened2011.xml
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Bates students choose to study abroad through a wide variety of programs offered by Bates and other institutions. Most students pursue foreign language studies while abroad, but many also participate in programs that relate to other
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Visit www.bates.edu/majors.xml Other fields of study (minors and pre-professional tracks) include pre-medical studies, prelaw studies, foreign languages, South Asian Studies, Dance, and Education. Interdisciplinary and double majors are common at Bates, and independent study courses are popular as well. Studies at Bates are often enhanced with off-campus experiences through internships, exchanges with other institutions, and study abroad. A 3-2 engineering program is also available with Dartmouth College, RPI, and Columbia, Case Western Reserve, and Washington universities. General Education Concentrations are unique to Bates. A group of four linked courses, a concentration may focus on one topic or area of inquiry, with courses coming from different disciplines, or it may focus on a topic within a single department, program, or major. Students enroll in two concentrations outside their major, exposing them to a variety of
academic areas. Professor of Japanese Language and Literature Sarah Strong and Assistant Professor of Psychology Helen Boucher recently led a Bates Fall Semester Abroad in Japan. Their
Chomba Kaluba ’10 Growing up in Zambia, Chomba Kaluba ’10 was inspired by the work of Peace Corps volunteers from Maine. As a Bates student, he seized opportunities to make a difference in both Maine and struggling communities abroad. Skilled at fashioning toy buses from recycled materials, Kaluba taught this craft to children of families in Guatemala City that survive by scavenging the infamous city dump. Proceeds from the sale of the toys benefit a nonprofit that supports the children’s education and after-school care.
Kaluba’s Guatemala visit was supported by a Phillips Student Fellowship at Bates. “Education is the key to independence and self-sufficiency, but you can’t get an education if you have no food or shelter,” says Kaluba, who majored in sociology. “These children are using creativity to make a nice toy and sell it. They can spend that money on food, clothes, and then education.” At Bates, Kaluba twice received national Davis Projects for Peace awards. In 2008, he shared an
award with other students to help establish a community garden in Mwanza, Tanzania, to fight the foodfor-sex trade. A 2010 award enabled him to advance a microfinancing initiative and a literacy initiative for elderly widows in rural Zambia. Kaluba today is pursuing a master’s degree in conflict and development at the School for International Training, and hopes to make his career in international and human rights law. He says, “I believe in the spirit of doing something where you are and being part of the change you want to see.”
school level. The College provides various grants that enable students to assist professors with research on a year-round basis, and it is not uncommon for students and faculty to co-publish academic works. For information about grants and scholarships for student research, visit: www.bates.edu/Research-grants.xml
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The College Calendar: 4-4-1 The majority of Bates students enroll in four courses during each of the two semesters of the traditional school year, from early September through mid-April. Short Term, a fiveweek period of intensive study in one subject of interest, is held from late April through the month of May. Short Term allows time for social-service internships, laboratory experiments in the natural sciences, and study in foreign countries. Recent off-campus Short Terms have included geology fieldwork in the American Southwest; archeology in the Shetland Islands; environmental studies in China and Russia; and art, theater, and music studies in New York City and Europe.
Campus Facilities students developed a critical and personal sense of Japan through study of the Japanese language, culture, psychology, and environment. Based in the culturally vibrant city of Kanazawa on Japan’s western coast, the program included travel to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, as well as hiking trips in the mountains and along Ishikawa’s rugged Noto Peninsula. Study abroad isn’t limited to junior year; the Bates Fall Semester Abroad Programs and Off-Campus Short Term units are available for all classes, including first-years. Bates recognizes the special role that international study plays in providing students with the
perspective and the opportunities that lead to international careers or service as well as a sense of world citizenship. Typically, more than 60 percent of Bates juniors study abroad for a semester or longer, one of the highest participation rates in the nation. For more information about the College’s study abroad programs, visit: www.bates.edu/acad/offcampusstudy
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Research Grants Bates does not offer graduate courses, but students often conduct research that is comparable to work done on the graduate
Everything students need is within a short walk — the New Dining Commons, the bookstore, laboratories, classrooms, the Health Center, the Bates Career Development Center, the library, and athletic facilities. Students enjoy spending time in The Ronj (a coffeehouse), the Multicultural Center, or at WRBC-FM, the College’s own student-run radio station. First-time visitors often remark on the beauty of the tree-shaded 109-acre Bates campus. The College’s 155-year history is mirrored in its varied yet harmonious architecture, from Hathorn Hall, a Palladian-style landmark built in 1856, to the contemporary new Commons. The marketplace model in Commons
Sulochana Dissanayake ’09 Her first semester on the Bates campus, Sulochana Dissanayake ’09 directed a play with the Robinson Players, a student theater group. A Sri Lankan native, “I had literally just gotten off the plane,” she says. Accustomed to a system that rewards status rather than ability, Dissanayake discovered that “at Bates, if you are serious about something, you can do anything you want.” She launched a stellar career in theater that included directing nine productions at Bates — including a mainstage production, usually reserved for a theater professor.
Bates, she says, gave her not only the techniques, but the professional confidence to pursue a theater career. The theater department faculty, she says, affords an “intellectual freedom that makes you realize your potential. They respect you and give you opportunities based on that.” Bates is known for the support it provides to students seeking postgraduate funding, and Dissanayake won a 2009 Watson Fellowship that allowed her to follow theater around the world. She spent her Watson year in South Africa, where she worked with
companies that produce political theater, and in Indonesia, where she studied with masters of that nation’s long puppetry tradition. Now, Dissanayake is ready to develop her own style of theater that will show Sri Lankan audiences their own society through the lens of performance. “I saw so many artists in both countries work with the resources they have, work out of their homes, to create something recognized at an international level. And I thought, ‘I can do this, for sure.’”
and features three linked buildings connected by glass walkways. Housing is available for holiday periods, including the summer.
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To see Bates housing options visit: www.bates.edu/x53746.xml
Student Life: Friendliness and Personal Attention
gives students an opportunity to slow down, see their food being prepared, and enjoy chance encounters. Visually striking and environmentally friendly, the facility continues Bates’ cherished tradition of the entire community gathering together for meals. On-campus housing is guaranteed for four years. We believe that the quality of residencehall life at Bates an important influence on a student’s academic achievement and overall personal growth. There are six traditional residence halls that house from 40 to 153 students each; 26 Victorian houses, each accommodating from 10 to 30 students; and three apartment-style residences that house students from 40 to 140 students each. Ninety-two percent of the student body lives on campus in one of the residence halls or houses. 280 College Street, the College’s new 152-bed residence, offers a striking set of architectural lines
From the moment international students arrive at the Portland Jetport and are met by current students, they are well-supported. All international students are encouraged to participate in the international student orientation program, which is designed to acquaint students with Bates, introduce them to the community, culture, and life, and guide them in complying with governmental regulations. The International Student Adviser in the Dean of Students’ Office, James Reese, can assist students from abroad with individual needs, including traveling to campus, shopping for seasonal clothing, and finding summer jobs and internships. “I don’t think there are enough words to describe what he does for us,” says Maria Joachim of Nicosia, Cyprus. “He’s like an older brother, one of my best friends.” Organizations Bates supports more than 110 clubs and organizations involving the outdoors, arts, religion, politics, the environment, and athletics, among many others. Students find it easy to participate and contribute as soon as they arrive at Bates. From the International Club to Sangai Asia, from the Bates Hindu Awareness Group to Latinos Unidos, these groups provide everyday evidence of Bates’ commitment to internationalism. To see the complete listing of clubs and organizations, visit: www.bates.edu/student-org-list.xml
The International Club, with an active membership of 150 students, promotes crosscultural awareness and understanding through a variety of campus activities, such as the International Coffee House. At the annual International Dinner, guests enjoy dishes from around the world and multicultural entertainment throughout the evening. Considered one of the most popular events on campus, the dinner is prepared by various members of the Bates community including international students. “It is truly a community effort, and everyone helps make it a success,” says Khoa Pham ’07 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The International Club serves primarily as a support group for international students at the College, but is open to all members of the Bates community, and the club has enjoyed a growing enrollment from students of various backgrounds.
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For more information on the club, visit: www.bates.edu/people/orgs/intclub
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E-mail current international students at www.bates.edu/intl-email-students.xml
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Mustafa Basij-Rasikh ’12 Many Afghans harbor “this preconceived notion, orally passed from generation to generation, that democracy is not good,” says Mustafa Basij-Rasikh ’12. And with more than 70 percent of the population illiterate, democracy’s fate in Afghanistan “just comes back to a lack of education.” Kabul resident Basij-Rasikh comes from what he terms “an unusual liberal family” that’s not only willing to give its children good educations, as many Afghans are, but actually able to do so. Three sisters are also studying in the United States.
Support from the Peter M. Goodrich Foundation, created by the parents of a member of the Bates Class of 1989 who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, enabled Basij-Rasikh to attend Bates. “Coming to Bates was one of my wisest decisions,” he says. “It’s amazing to be in a smaller college environment where you can establish a good connection with your professors.” Basij-Rasikh has extended the Bates tradition of service back to his homeland, some 6,500 miles away. During summer 2010, he carried out an initiative funded
by a Davis Project for Peace grant: an effort to provide hand-powered carts, similar to bicycles, to people disabled by landmines. Giving the recipients mobility and a display area for merchandise, the carts enable the recipients to earn money as vendors. “I have a dream,” says Basij-Rasikh, who is the first Afghan student at Bates since at least 1984, “that my generation will be the generation who will solve the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan.”
Making College Costs Affordable: Need-Based Financial Aid Bates College charges a single Comprehensive Fee that includes tuition, room, board and fees. For the 2010–11 school year, the Comprehensive Fee is $53,300. Costs for books, personal expenses, and transportation (usually figured as two round trips home) are added to a student’s budget for the purpose of calculating financial need and awarding financial aid. The College provides need-based financial assistance for all of its students, including nonU.S. citizens who cannot fully meet the cost of tuition. Merit and athletic-based scholarships are not offered. Financial aid awards are made on the basis of documented need, and are available only for students who decide to enroll at Bates. There is no particular amount of aid that is offered since each family’s circumstance is unique. The College pledges to meet demonstrated need in full for the duration of the student’s enrollment. Since Bates makes this commitment to provide financial assistance, the competition to be admitted is very intense. A typical international financial aid package includes three parts: a Bates Grant (which does not need to be repaid to the College), a campus job that involves working up to 15 hours per week, and an annual contribution, usually earned through summer employment. In 2009–2010 the average financial aid award for international students was $45,016. Each year international students at Bates receive financial aid packages that meet the full need of their families, totaling approximately $3.6 million. To apply for financial assistance, the appropriate sections of the Bates Financial Statement for International Students form must be completed. Students should enclose any relevant
supplemental information to provide an accurate picture of the family’s financial situation, such as bank statements, a letter from parents’ employers, or tax returns. Students are also encouraged to seek financial assistance through sponsors and outside sources. In many countries, it is often possible to find information at United States Information Service (USIS) posts or at educational advising centers designated by the U.S. Embassy. Some Web sites provide general information about international admissions and financial aid. Here are several that may serve as helpful starting points:
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Institute of International Education: www.iie.org
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NAFSA, Association of International Educators: www.nafsa.org
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EducationUSA: educationusa.state.gov eduPASS: www.edupass.org
Dean James Reese “My life with international students is among the most pleasurable of the many things I do at Bates. I can know each person as an individual here. I can address the individual’s goals as they emerge during various stages of the Bates career and beyond. When I arrived on campus 30 years ago, everyone told me I would have the best job at the College because of the international students. They were right!” — James Reese, associate dean of students, serves as the Designated School Official, advising international students on everything from orientation to Maine to information on visas and other government documents.
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International Education Financial Aid: www.iefa.org
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Council of International Schools: www.cois.org/page.cfm?p=272
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The College Board: www.collegeboard.com
Please direct any questions regarding financial aid to the Office of Student Financial Services: E-mail: finaid@bates.edu Telephone: 207-786-6096 Fax: 207-786-8350
Life After Bates The Bates Career Development Center educates students, alumni, and staff about their changing interests, needs, skills, and values, and empowers them to relate these to a variety of career and life options. Bates is dedicated to helping students and alumni develop a mastery of career/life skills that will lead to independence and empowerment in their professional lives. Various resources are offered:
counseling, career testing, a career library, internships, alumni networking, training sessions, recruiting and graduate school fairs, and a résumé reference and referral service. Approximately two-thirds of Bates students attend graduate schools within five years of leaving Bates. The top five graduate institutions attended by recent Bates graduates are Boston University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Columbia University, and the University of Connecticut.
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For more information, visit: www.bates.edu/admin/offices/career
Admissions Guidelines Admission to Bates is highly selective. The College seeks promising individuals from a variety of educational, ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. Bates welcomes applications from around the world: each year, approximately 115 countries are represented in the applicant pool. Academic, extracurricular, and personal achievements are considered in the evaluation of a candidate’s preparation, aptitude, character, and potential to add to the life of the Bates community. There is no particular profile for students who gain admission to Bates. Bates does not allow students to receive a degree if they already have earned a bachelor’s degree from another institution. Application Forms for Admission and Financial Aid Bates College uses the Common Application exclusively. All students must complete the Bates Supplement to the Common Application. All non-U.S. citizens, regardless of financial need, must also submit the Bates Financial Statement for International Students. We strongly encourage students to submit the Bates Financial Statement, but will also accept other financial aid forms. The completed financial
statement, including all required signatures and supporting tax/employer documents, is due at the same time as the application for admission. To download forms or to submit an application online, visit: www.bates.edu/intl-apply.xml. All U.S. citizens, dual citizens (of the United States and another country), and U.S. permanent residents applying for financial assistance must submit both the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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For links to financial aid resources, visit: www.bates.edu/sfs.xml
Students who are not citizens of the United States are not required to submit an application fee or a fee waiver request. U.S. citizens who reside abroad should submit an application fee of $60 or a fee waiver request. Fee waiver requests should be written by a school official (e.g., guidance counselor, headmaster, etc.). Testing Policies Submission of standardized testing results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (both SAT Reasoning and SAT II) and the American College Test (ACT) is optional for all students who apply to Bates. Students may submit any combination of these test results or none at all. Students whose first language is not English are required to submit their scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or some other parallel form of testing. This includes non-native English speakers who attend English-medium schools or live in the United States. A minimum TOEFL score is not required. The average score of international students at Bates is 637 on the paper-based scale, and 270 on the computer-based scale.
Score reports must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) or the College Board, and should be received no later than the appropriate application deadline. The institutional code for Bates is 3076. Early Decision If you are certain that Bates is your first choice, you should give serious thought to the Early Decision (ED) plan. Bates offers two rounds of ED applications. ED is binding; thus, you may submit applications to other colleges with the understanding that you will withdraw these applications if Bates accepts you under ED. We will withdraw your application if you apply simultaneously to more than one college under Early Decision plans. It is the policy of the College to award a financial-aid package that meets the full financial need (as determined by the Financial Aid Office) of students accepted under ED. If you intend to apply for financial aid, you must do so at the time of application for admission. Transfer Admission Applications from students who wish to transfer to Bates from another college are welcomed. In order to be classified as a transfer, a student must have completed at least four liberal arts courses at an accredited college or university. Transfer students are eligible for need-based financial aid and are guaranteed campus housing. The application deadline for fall enrollment is February 15, and for winter semester enrollment, November 1. International transfer applicants have a fall enrollment deadline of January 1. The transfer application and a list of required information can be found on the Bates website: www.bates.edu/transferstudents.xml.
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The Interview We encourage prospective students to come to campus and join a member of the Bates Admissions staff for an interview. The interview is our chance to meet you and learn about your background. And you’ll benefit from this opportunity to ask questions about things that interest you and to clarify the admission process. Of course, not all applicants are able to visit campus, but we can arrange for a telephone interview if that’s helpful to you. To arrange your campus visit, please go to home.bates.edu/admissions-tour/visit or call the Admissions Office at 207-786-6000.
Admissions Timetable Due to the highly competitive nature of admission to Bates, it is very important to submit all required credentials and documents by the deadlines. Students with incomplete applications will be placed at a disadvantage. For nonU.S. citizens, the Bates Financial Statement for International Students is due at the same time as the application for admission. November 1: Deadline for January* admission; applicant to receive notification by December 15. November 15: Deadline for Early Decision Round I; applicant to receive notification by December 20.
January 1: Deadline for Early Decision Round II; applicant to receive notification by February 15. January 1: Deadline for Regular Decision and international Transfer applications; applicant to receive notification from Bates by April 10 regarding admission and financial aid (if applicable).
CANADA
Montreal
MAINE
Bar Harbor
Burlington
March 1: Deadline for Transfer applications (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only; non-U.S. citizens by January 1). May 1: Deadline for candidates to reply to offers of admission.
Mt. Washington
Bates 1 hr
Portland
2 hrs
Albany
Boston 4 hrs
*January Admission First-year and transfer candidates may apply for the semester that begins in January. It is important to note, however, that there are generally very few spaces available for this semester. The financial aid budget for the year is usually expended by this time as well. As a result, a good number of January applicants are deferred to the Regular Decision pool to be considered for September.
Transportation to Bates Major airlines serve the Portland International Jetport (the airport code is PWM), which is 45 minutes from campus. Transportation to campus from the airport is available through bus or shuttle services. Flights that originate
Admissions Office Bates College 23 Campus Avenue Lewiston, Maine 04240-6098 USA
Hartford New York City
from outside the United States usually connect through Boston or New York. Amtrak passenger rail service links Portland and Boston. Thank you for your interest in Bates College. For more information please log on to our international admissions website at www.bates.edu/international-students.xml. © Bates College Office of Communications and Media Relations 9-10 / ADM / 11-053 / 6M / printed on recycled paper
Phone: 207-786-6000 Fax: 207-786-6025 E-mail: admissions@bates.edu