Summer Scholars live in doubles or triples in a coeducational residential house that is one of the College's small dormitories. The Summer Scholars' house has a computer workstation, a lounge and television, small kitchen, and laundry facilities. Students take their meals at the College Commons, along with other Bates students who are spending the summer on campus as researchers or employees, and the many other individuals who are at Bates for summer programs, including the renowned Bates Dance Festival.

The Summer Scholars have dedicated study space in academic buildings, but they usually study together in their house in the evenings. Summer scholars have access to all that Bates has to offer, including our extensive athletics facilities, where they can work out during the week and or weekends.

Two residence fellows live and eat with the Summer Scholars. The residence fellows are upperclass students with extensive training as residential life coordinators. They manage the day-to-day affairs of the house, plan social activities, and help Summer Scholars make the adjustment to college. The residence fellows work with staff of the Dean of Students Office to make residential and social life an important and positive feature of the summer program. Living in a house the way many upperclass Batesies do offers Summer Scholars an introduction to the community life of the College.

With the residence fellows, the Summer Scholars undertake a wide range of fun social activities on Saturdays. Some take place on campus, taking advantage of Bates' vibrant summer life. Others take students off campus to explore Maine and enjoy the beautiful summertime of "Vacationland." On the weeknights, study breaks, ice cream and mini-golf, and movies are interspersed with studying. One goal of the program is to introduce students the College's home town of Lewiston and neighboring Auburn, as well as nearby mountains, lakes, and ocean beaches.

On Sundays, students have free time when they can catch up on sleep, do laundry, homework, exercise, explore Lewiston-Auburn, or do things together.

Students find that living and studying together is a real strength of the Bates Summer Scholars Program, as they develop friendships and help each other. Said one student at the end of the 2007 Program, "We're all really, really close, and I feel like I'm leaving here with a family."