Bringing Bates To you
To all the students admitted to Bates, congratulations! This interactive page is for you.
Scroll down to engage in more Bates content. On behalf of the 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.
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, AESOP, academics in the first year, and life on campus.
Connect With Us – Virtually or On-Campus
Connect with us anywhere, any time!
To your right, you will find a multitude of ways to connect with our students and staff, as well as your future classmates.
On-Campus Admitted Student Visit Days
We have reserved several days just for admitted students: Monday, April 3, 2023 and Friday, April 14, 2023. The programming on each Admitted Student Visit Day will be identical, so pick the day that works best for you and your family!
Monday, April 3, 2023 – Register
Friday, April 14, 2023 – Register
Guidebook
We have built an app called Guidebook to help you understand the breadth and depth of academic, social, and extracurricular opportunities at Bates. To download the app, the passphrase is: bates2027.
In Guidebook, you will be able to:
- Access the schedule of events for your Admitted Student Visit Day
- Examine on-campus housing options
- Explore student-run academic and extracurricular clubs
- Search for and email current Bates students, sorted by class year
- See a (partial) list of commercial, culinary, and recreational activities in Lewiston and Auburn, and the rest of Maine
For Parents and Families
We know that the decision to attend college is rarely made in isolation, and that rightfully so, parents and families are often involved.
As such, feel free to let your parent(s)/family know that we have a few special virtual events just for them. These two virtual panels are designed for parents/families to connect directly with families of current Bates students and families of Bates graduates.
Friday, March 24, 2023 – Register
Friday, April 21, 2023 – Register
Virtual Opportunities
Virtual Admitted Student Bobcat Chat:
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
@7pm ET – Register
Bobcat Chats are live panels of current students who will discuss all facets of the student experience and be available to answer your questions. No admission staff members are present, as this is meant to be a casual opportunity to connect in real time with students.
Information on events for all virtual visitors, including information sessions, virtual campus tours, and other student-led Bobcat Chats, can be found on our Live Virtual Programming page.
Bates Beginnings
Bates Beginnings is a cohort experience for admitted students who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education, including first-generation-to-college and low-income students. Bates Beginnings happens twice in April and is a fly-in program that provides travel and overnight housing for admitted students who have not previously visited campus.
Bates Beginnings is an invite-only program available to a limited number of admitted students who also participate in the Admitted Student Visit Days.
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, geology). 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 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!
Launch ExperienceWhere 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 safe, close-knit community and a vibrant downtown.
Inside former factories that once powered the 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 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 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.
Why does Bates Love Lewiston?
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.
2021 Outcomes:
97% of new graduates are settled in a job, graduate school, fellowship, internship, or other opportunity within six months of graduation.
100% of Class of 2021 graduates who applied were accepted to law school.
67% of students and alumni who worked with the Medical Studies Committee were accepted to medical school.
86% were accepted to dental school.
10 earned prestigious Fulbright fellowships. In 2022 Bates College was named a Top Producer of Fulbright Student awards for the 11th 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.
