Bringing Bates To you

To the students admitted to the Bates Class of 2028, congratulations! This page is for you. Scroll down to engage in more Bates content. On behalf of the entire Bates community, we cannot wait for the years to come!

How to Use This Page

You have an exciting four years ahead of you. We know there is much you still need and want to know about Bates, and we’re working hard to bring as much information as possible online to you and your family. We’re creating new content regularly to help answer your questions and create opportunities to connect you with the Bates community and your future classmates.

“It’s super exciting to have new Bobcats on campus. I’m kind of the first person in the line of everybody who’s welcoming them today.”
.
— Admission tour guide Ronan Goulden ’22, an environmental studies major from Lagunitas, Calif., standing outside of Chase Hall, where newly admitted members of the Class of 2023 arrived and departed for a series of events, including an official welcome from President Clayton Spencer.
Emily Bowen, other tour guide in headband;
Abby Graumann ‘22, holds master class won.
EXDS s21. Life Architecture: Designing Your Future Work.
Visit to class held on the historic Quad by podcaster Megan Tan.
Everyone works, whether for pay or for pleasure, in public or in private, with gusto or with dread. This course supports students as they prepare for a lifetime of work by encouraging consideration of the philosophical components of their plan including identifying and developing personal attributes correlated with career well-being, exploring the context of vocational decision making, and contemplating how meaning and purpose can be infused into any work. They also consider the pragmatic components, discussing how mentors can be cultivated, how jobs are best secured, and the practical considerations that can hold people back from realizing their visions. Not open to First-Years or Sophomores New course beginning Short Term 2016. Enrollment limited to 30. (Purposeful Work.) Normally offered every other year. Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Director of Program Design, Purposeful Work, Lecturer in Psychology
“It’s super exciting to have new Bobcats on campus. I’m kind of the first person in the line of everybody who’s welcoming them today.”
.
— Admission tour guide Ronan Goulden ’22, an environmental studies major from Lagunitas, Calif., standing outside of Chase Hall, where newly admitted members of the Class of 2023 arrived and departed for a series of events, including an official welcome from President Clayton Spencer.
Emily Bowen, other tour guide in headband;
Abby Graumann ‘22, holds master class won.

This Summer

In the summer, you will begin to receive key information from staff in Student Affairs regarding your Bates email, on-campus housing, course placement and registration, and much more.

In the meantime, this First-Year Experience and Orientation page provides information about the first-year experience team, the orientation program (known as AESOP), academics in the first year, and life on campus.

Connect With Us – Virtually or On-Campus

Connect with us anywhere, any time! In this section, you will find a multitude of ways to join the conversation, get answers to your questions, and connect with our students and staff, as well as your future classmates.

On Monday, April 8 and Friday, April 12, 2024, we will host special on-campus events just for students admitted to the Class of 2028! The programming on each Bates Beginnings visit day will be identical, so pick the day that works best for you and your family!

For Parents and Families

We know that the decision to attend college is rarely made in isolation, and that rightfully so, parents, families, and other supporters are often involved.

We invite your parents and other supporters to attend and engage with two opportunities meant especially for them:

  • A virtual panel where they can connect directly with families of current Bates students.
  • A Facebook group for parents and families co-facilitated by the Bates Admission, Advancement, and Communications offices .

Virtual Opportunities

Ask Me Anything Sessions for Class of 2028 Admitted Students & Families

Please join Vice President for Enrollment & Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger for either (or both!) special Ask Me Anything (AMA) Sessions for admitted students and their family members.

Admitted Students Bobcat Chat

Connect with student ambassadors (and your future peers) as they share their Bates experiences with you, and answer any questions! No staff members will be present, and this is an opportunity to engage in a more casual, unstructured setting with cameras on!

Guidebook: The Bates Visit App

Download our Bates Visit App for Class of 2028 Admitted Students! The passphrase is: bates2028. In Guidebook, you can:

  • Search for and contact current Bates students based on your academic and co-curricular interests 
  • Access the schedule of events for our in-person Bates Beginnings days
  • Explore academic and extracurricular clubs and organizations
  • Examine on-campus housing options
  • See a (partial!) list of the wonderful things to do and places to eat in Lewiston/Auburn

Academics

Bates students tend to be up for just about anything. It’s a good thing we have about three dozen majors and two dozen minors.

Some are liberal-arts classics (history, mathematics, philosophy). Some are STEM-focused (neuroscience, engineering, earth and climate sciences). Many draw from more than one discipline (American cultural studies, environmental studies, biochemistry, gender & sexuality studies). And some won’t exist until you invent them — by designing your own major with the help of a faculty mentor.

Life on Campus

You’ll have many chances to dive into the unexpected at Bates.

Learn to surf with the Outing Club or perform a spoken-word piece at the weekly Village Club Series showcase. Test your technical skills with the High-Altitude Ballooning Club. Or your sense of rhythm with the Bollywood Dance Team. Find your zen through Yoga Kula and practice mindful meditation with the Multifaith Chaplaincy.

With nearly 100 student-run clubs, you’re sure to find something of interest. What you won’t find are fraternities or sororities–we’ve never had them, never will.

Virtual Campus Tour

We think visiting campus, if you have not yet, is a great way to get to know Bates, but we recognize that not everyone can visit — so we’re bringing a little bit of Bates to you!

Where You’ll Live

With a combined population of about 60,000, Lewiston and its twin city of Auburn offer the best of both worlds: A close-knit community and a vibrant downtown.

Inside former factories that once powered the American industrial revolution, you’ll find startups and brewpubs. Lisbon Street, Lewiston’s downtown shopping district, has cafes, bike shops, and galleries, all within minutes of campus. 

While many families who live here have French Canadian roots, more than 34 languages are spoken in the halls of Lewiston High School. Lewiston enjoys a growing community from Burundi, Somalia, Togo, and other African nations, as well as many other new Americans.

For arts lovers, L/A offers a professional theater company, a film festival, museums, and an underground music scene.

Outdoor lovers will fully appreciate that L/A is nestled in the Androscoggin River valley with easy access to the lakes, mountains, and the ocean that Maine is known for. Bates even has its very own 600-acre conservation area on the coast, just a short drive from campus.

In other words, you could find many ways to get involved and make a difference here — and L/A could make a difference for you.

Purposeful Work

When you understand what drives you to learn, grow, and thrive, you’ll have a more satisfying relationship with work throughout your life. That’s the idea behind Purposeful Work at Bates.

Most colleges offer career counseling and help with job applications. Our Center for Purposeful Work goes way beyond jobs or careers. We focus on the whole person — your beliefs, your strengths, your interests — and infuse concepts of meaningful work into all aspects of your time at Bates.

With each new Purposeful Work experience, you’ll consider whether a given role feels right for you, and why. By the time you graduate, you’ll have a clear idea of the values you want reflected in your life after college. And you’ll have a professional network and the practical experience to help you make it happen.

Class of 2022 Outcomes:

99% of new graduates are settled in a job, graduate school, fellowship, internship, or other opportunity within six months of graduation.

100% of Class of 2022 graduates who applied were accepted to law school.

84% of students and alumni who worked with the Medical Studies Committee were accepted to medical school.

100% were accepted to dental and veterinary school.

12 earned prestigious Fulbright fellowships. In 2024 Bates College was named a Top Producer of Fulbright Student awards for the 13th straight year

Take the Plunge

Puddle Jumpers

Are you brave enough to make the leap? You have an opportunity each February to join your classmates in Bates’ own version of a polar plunge.

Check out this Picture Story of the 2024 Puddle Jump!

Hear From Our Students

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