Information for Counselors
Bates College is a rigorous liberal arts and sciences college in the heart of Maine. We’ve had extraordinary success in athletics, seen fantastic achievements from our faculty, and have welcomed one of the academically prepared and most diverse incoming class we’ve ever had.
The Bates Admission team prides ourselves in practicing holistic review of our applicants, and to that end, we’ve been test-optional for nearly four decades. With a commitment to opportunity and excellence, we meet 100 percent of our students’ calculated financial need, and ensure that every student has the opportunity for a funded internship that aligns who they are with what they do. We look forward to learning more about your students.
Connect with Us
Counselor Events
Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin (CBB) Counselor Tour
About the Tour
The Colby Bates Bowdoin (CBB) Counselor Tour affords school and community-based organization (CBO) counselors the opportunity to explore our three liberal arts and sciences institutions, connect with our communities, and experience fall in Maine. Following the experience, counselors leave better able to inform and advise their students about these three selective colleges.
Program Details
The 2024 CBB Counselor Tour will be held from Sunday, September 8 through Tuesday, September 10. All transportation and lodging will be paid for by the CBB consortium, and travel arrangements will be made with your input. The three-day program includes campus tours, panels with admission staff and current students, information sessions, and time to connect with other school counselors. With limited time and so much information, the robust schedule leaves little time for personal or other professional work.
Selection Process
Please check back for the online application at the end of April. The online application constitutes your request to attend the 2024 CBB tour. All applications will be reviewed together following the June 5 application deadline; note that applicants are not selected based on when their application is submitted. Next, notification of selection will be sent via email by the end of June. Please note that only one counselor per school or organization may attend the CBB tour. Recent participation from your school/district or organization will be considered when selecting final participants. Geography will also be a consideration. As such, counselors located within three hours of campuses are encouraged to contact the institutions to arrange individual visits whenever is most convenient.
Prologue to Bates
Prologue to Bates will be held on-campus this fall from
Sunday, October 13 – Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Applications for Prologue to Bates will be available in late April/early May. The deadline to apply will be Friday, August 11, 2023. Applicants will be notified of decisions by mid-September.
Please see our Prologue to Bates page for more information on application requirements, deadlines, session programming, and answers to frequently asked questions.
*Bates College defines a first-generation college student as an individual whose parents/guardians did not complete a Bachelor’s degree; or if the individual resides with and receives support from only one parent/guardian, that parent/guardian did not complete a Bachelor’s degree.
Counselor Advisory Board
The Bates Office of Admission established a Counselor Advisory Board in 2022. More information about the purpose and composition of this select group of school counselors and college access advocates can be found on our Counselor Advisory Board webpage.
Ask the (College) Experts
We asked you about the commonly asked questions from your students and families. Your helpful insights, coupled with feedback from our programming led us to create of a series of (very) short videos affectionately called “Ask the (College) Experts”.
These videos are neither meant to provide all of the answers, nor are they meant to focus solely on Bates. Rather, it is our hope that these small bites of information will be a helpful starting point for you, your students, and your families as the college search process is navigated.
More videos are in the works, and will be released on our YouTube page. For now, we hope you enjoy our answers to some commonly asked questions. Share them widely!
Foundation Grants
In 2022, Bates was named a top producer of Fulbright Student awards among U.S. liberal arts colleges for the 11th straight year. The Fulbright Fellowship is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Bates has seen a sharp rise in the number of Fulbright Student grants awarded, from six in 2013 to the record-setting 24 in 2020.
Post-Graduate Plans
Six months after graduation, 99% of students in the Class of 2022 had secured employment, graduate school admission, a fellowship, or an internship. Our Center for Purposeful Work knows that enabling students to lead lives of meaningful work is at the heart of a liberal arts mission.
Bates at a Glance
| 20 | average class size |
| 10:1 | student to faculty ratio |
| 90 | community-engaged internships, research projects, or independent studies take place each year |
| $58K | average financial aid package for last year’s enrolled class |
Counselor Resources
We look forward to supporting you and your prospective students. Click through the resources below or connect with us today.
Application Dates & Deadlines
What’s the difference between Early and Regular Decision? When are student transcripts due? Read about our application plans and timeline here.
Affording Bates
Use the MyIntuition Financial Aid calculator and read about our financial aid initiatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to your frequently asked questions regarding visiting campus, application materials, and more.
Viewbook
Life is full of pre-established lanes and rules. But there’s a lot of freedom at Bates. We believe the best way to approach college is to find what makes you tick, and then build the coming years around it.
Outcomes
At Bates, enabling students to lead lives of meaningful work is at the heart of our liberal arts mission.