Application Rounds and Timeline

Early Decision I & II

For students who decide that “Bates is my first choice!,” applying Early Decision (ED) is a great option. ED is binding: ED applicants who are admitted to Bates agree to withdraw all applications to other colleges. Bates offers two rounds of ED applications: EDI and EDII.


What is the difference between EDI and EDII?

The main difference between Early Decision I and Early Decision II is the application deadline.  The deadline for EDI is November 15, and the EDII deadline is January 10. This creates two pools of Early Decision applicants, and as a result students are considered in separate rounds of competition. Check with your school counselor to select the Early Decision round that best suits your needs and school schedule.


Converting to Early Decision I

Students who have applied under Regular Decision or Early Decision II and who wish to convert their application to Early Decision I can do so by filing this Early Decision agreement (PDF via the Common Application site) by 11:59pm ET on December 1. Applicants will receive notification of their admission decision by December 20.


Converting to Early Decision II

Students who have applied under Regular Decision and who wish to convert their application to Early Decision II can do so by filing this Early Decision agreement (PDF via the Common Application site) by 11:59pm ET on February 1. Applicants will receive notification of their admission decision by February 15.


What if you’re not admitted under Early Decision?

Every year some Early Decision applications are denied, and others are deferred for consideration in the Regular Decision pool.

Regular Decision

The Regular Decision application round is non-binding. The application deadline for Regular Admission is January 10. Bates uses the Common Application and the Coalition Application, Powered by Scoir.

Please note that Bates College does not offer mid-year or rolling admission.

Transfer Admission

Bates considers applications from students who have attended, or are attending, other institutions — including international students enrolled overseas.

For the transfer applicant who hasn’t yet completed a second semester at another institution, the high school transcript remains critical. For all transfer applicants, both high school and college transcripts are required. Learn more about transferring to Bates.

Timeline

Please pay attention to these dates as you move through the application process.

Admission PlanAdmission and Financial Aid DeadlineNotification from BatesCandidate’s Reply Date
Early Decision Iby November 15by December 20January 12
Early Decision IIby January 10by February 15February 24
Regular Decisionby January 10by April 1May 1*
Transfer Admissionby March 1by May 15May 24
*Requests for Regular Decision Reply Deadline Extensions

For students offered admission to Bates through regular decision, the candidate reply deadline date remains May 1, 2024. If a student needs additional time to evaluate an offer from another institution that has extended its deadline, please contact Bates Admission to request an extension of our reply deadline. Bates is committed to making this educational experience accessible and affordable to all admitted students, regardless of family financial circumstances, and offers need-based financial aid to eligible students.

A Note on Supporting Application Materials

All supporting materials (letters of recommendation, school transcripts, etc.) should be submitted by November 15 for Early Decision I applicants, and January 10 for Early Decision II or Regular Decision applicants. If this is not doable, please ensure all supporting materials are received as soon as possible so that we can fully consider your application. You can check what is missing from your application on your Application Status PagePlease know that during our busiest application processing times, it can take up to two weeks for materials to be reflected in your application status page. 

A Note to Bates Financial Aid Applicants

We want to ensure that a Bates education is accessible for every admitted student. Learn more about our commitment to meeting your full financial need.

Bates requires applicants who are eligible citizens or noncitizens to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to calculate an applicant’s eligibility for federal financial aid. While the 2024-25 FAFSA is now available on the studentaid.gov website, there have been reports of delays in accessing the form. To allow families sufficient time to complete the FAFSA, and in recognition of the fact that FAFSA data will not be sent to colleges until the end of January, Bates has established February 15 as our FAFSA filing deadline

In the meantime, Bates financial aid applicants and their families should submit the CSS Profile and provide requested tax documentation by the applicable deadline, as this is the information Bates will use to calculate eligibility for need-based institutional grant financial aid. Applicants can review the status of their requirements on the financial aid checklist of their application status page at any time. For more information about the FAFSA, please visit the Federal Student Aid FAFSA website. These short videos can also help you prepare to complete the FAFSA.