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.

Counselor Events

Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin (CBB) Counselor Tour

The Colby Bates Bowdoin (CBB) Counselor Tour affords school and community-based organization counselors the opportunity to explore our three institutions, connect with our communities, and experience Maine.

The 2023 CBB Counselor Tour will be held from Sunday, September 10 through Tuesday, September 12. Applications for the 2023 tour have now closed. For more information about the program, please see this page on the Colby College website.

Prologue to Bates

Prologue to Bates will be held on-campus this fall from:

• Sunday, October 8 – Tuesday October 10, 2023

All seniors who attend school in the United States and Puerto Rico are welcomed to apply, including students who are historically excluded from higher education, such as first-generation-to-college and low-income students. Please see our Prologue to Bates page for more information on application requirements, deadlines, session programming, and 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

Counselor Resources

We look forward to supporting you and your prospective students. Click through the resources below or connect with us today.