Bates College Top Questions

Bates is an excellent school that is an intellectually rewarding challenge that fosters great relationships with professors and students and is a great place to have fun. While classes may be difficult, most professors are sure to keep you intrigued and many are just really nice people. Socially, there are so many different kinds of groups, and it's pretty common to be involved in more than one group, which is widely accepted and even preferred. Bates has great extracurricular activities, ranging from musical lessons and a cappella groups to dance and sports to knitting clubs and even a competitive eating club- the fat cats. Weekends are full of fun with parties if you're into those, or theme nights like bingo night or themed dances. The outdoors are great since we're surrounded by so many beautiful parks and mountains, even right near campus are great places to bike or run to. FOOD: Great dessert, mac and cheese is awesome, BRICK OVEN PIZZA, ice cream and fro-yo, vegan pad thai, great restaurants in the area, late night snacks at the den, sundae sundays, and great staff. Also, we do have vegetables and fruit but that's not as exciting as an awesome slice of pizza or John Corrie's cheesecake (sing for choir and you'll get at least 3 pieces). Bates is an awesome place, and if you're an awesome person who is accepting of differences, openminded, and a bit quirky, you'll have a great time here.

Bates is a small school with about 1700 students. Its the perfect place to make relationships and good connections that will last years after graduation. At Bates you're definitely not a number like some big schools, the professors know you by name, and are genuinely concerned about your success. The administration is absolutely phenomenal! They really genuinely care about you, I've gone through some crazy stuff in my life while at Bates and the administration is really good about listening and helping you in any way they can, no matter what the problem is. A big controversy on campus is the lack of diversity, there's been rallies and meetings demanding an increase in racial, geographic, and other forms of diversity. I'm please to say that Bates is taking active steps in addressing this issue, and in the time that I've been at Bates I've definitely have seen improvement in this area. One thing I will never forget is on my first day at Bates the dean of the college was up at 1 a.m. talking with me and a friend. I was shocked that the dean of the college was up at 1 a.m. having a conversation with us, but if you decide to come to Bates you'll see thats just Dean Reese for ya or like I like to call him Daddy Reese!

Although many people assume Bates is in the middle of nowhere when they hear it is Maine, it is just because they do not know Maine, or Bates for that matter. Lewiston, although it is nothing to write home about, has all the basics. There are plenty of places to go out to eat, there are bars, and all the normal chain stores like Wal-Mart. The area around Bates is not one in which students should stray off alone or even with a small group of friends. However, as long as you are smart there should be no problems. I have never felt unsafe. The fact that students do not travel off campus very much, aside from trips to Freeport or skiing at Sunday River, causes a close knit community on campus. This is very nice and you get to know people very well. On the down side, Bates is very small. By the end of freshman year you will recognize almost everyone you see, and know a good portion of their names. There are obvious pros and cons to this social atmosphere. The gossip definitely spreads quickly and sometimes it feels like there is no escape, but it is nice to see familiar faces all the time. One of the frequent complaints at Bates is the less than impressive athletic department. Our facilities are not great, especially in comparison to our opponents. Our teams, for one reason or another, are not too successful (a few teams are). Because of this, there is not a lot of fan support or school pride which is disappionting as an athlete.

On my last night of sophomore year, my friend asked me, "did you ever think you'd be this happy at college?" On my last night at Bates for an entire summer and semester (I'm studying abroad), I started reflecting on the past two years; they were better than I could have ever imagined. Something that I've noticed since I decided to come to Bates is that when I tell people I go there, a typical response is "that's such a NICE school." I think that's the best response I could get, and it's 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} true. Bates is such a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, and I think that everyone can feel comfortable there. I love the small size; I love walking around campus and constantly running into friends, being able to walk into the dining hall with the guarantee of seeing a friend, and taking classes where I feel like I'm part of the class, not just a listener in a lecture. I'd say that, especially for a small school, there's a great deal of school spirit. People wear Bates attire on a daily basis, especially when they travel to and from school (need to let everyone know that we go to Bates!).

Bates is a really great school, mostly because of the other students. Coming from far away I worried that I wouldn't make many friends, but it was easy to meet people at Bates. The first year center I was in really helped with this. Getting involved is the best thing to do at Bates. I love all of my extracurriculars (even though I sometimes feel like I'm still in high school). Still, my most valued time is just hanging out with friends. There's not allot of school pride at Bates, most people don't really care that much.

Bates is very small, claustrophobic environment where you see the same boring and uninspired people on a daily basis. Furthermore, unless you are from the east coast (ie., a Masshole) you will be thought of as a freak. Not only do the rich kids from Choate and St. Andrews not like you, but the school does nothing to try and get a more well rounded student body. It is not terribly interesting to go to school with a bunch of rich, white, trustfund babies from Mass who only care about getting completely stoned out of their minds.

People often go to Bates because of the friendly people--Batesies routinely go out of their way to make new people feel at home, or to teach someone a fun skill. This of course is a self-perpetuating characteristic of Batesies, since friendly people will want to come to a school with friendly people.

I love the student body at Bates. Students, for the most part, are very friendly and approachable. Because it is such a small school, there is a sense of community that I have yet to encounter at a bigger school. People often call our school "Bates High School" for it's small size and your inability to attend the school and remain just another face in the crowd. Secrets don't stay secret at Bates, but the close-knit aspect of the school is one of its most endearing qualities. People complain most frequently about the long winters in Maine--the wintertime brings a lot of snow and a low of cold temperatures. If you're not from New England (or even if you are), this can be hard to adjust to. If you're into skiing, though, or if you love a snow-covered landscape, winter can be a great time of year. Bates's administration is very easily accessible and very helpful, from what I've experienced. Batesies love Bates. Though there may not be a lot of school spirit in terms of sports teams (Bates doesn't stand out in the world of athletic competition), most Bates students love the school and will be happy to talk about how much they love the school and why.

When I tell people familiar with Bates' setting that I go there, the first thing they ask is, “How do you like Lewiston?” Lewiston is known as the grittiest of Maine cities. I mean, this is Maine, and even it's grittiest is still tamer than plenty of bad neighborhoods in college cities. I feel completely safe walking around by myself during the daytime. At night, I don’t stray far from campus if I’m alone. Lewiston was actually one of the things that made me want to come to Bates. Lewiston is real. Every college campus has great security, so it's nice to be able to have a few minute walk into town that can immediately rattle you back to reality. I really wanted to go to school in a city, but I knew that it was more important to me to attend a small school. With Bates, I was able to compromise these two desires (small school, real--but small--city.) Sometimes you'll hear students complain that Bates is too small. While it's true that gossip gets around pretty quickly and you can almost always find a familiar face in a crowd, that's one thing you have to think about when considering a small school. And, of course, on the flip side of having a small student population is the small class sizes and individual attention you get from professors.

Bates is far from any large university, and I've felt the social claustrophobia that comes from a student body only 1700 strong, but my initial apprehensiveness turned into a deep appreciation for the close bonds that Bates allows. By and large, the friends from my freshmen year are still the closest I have at Bates, but I'm still always meeting new people. The town in which Bates is located, Lewiston, doesn't offer the same amenities a place like Boston or New York does. In fact, Lewiston, a college town to an old (est. 1855) and prestigious undergraduate college, remains second to its twin, Auburn, which lies adjacent across the Adroscoggin River. That in mind, Bates has plenty of opportunities for local volunteer work. However, the tucked away little restaurants like Little Dan's BBQ and She Doesn't Like Guthries are like secret treasures not uncovered before the end of your first Bates semester.

Bates is really small, but it's small in a really good way. I graduated from a high school of 1,600, which is only about 350 fewer than Bates, and they feel about the same. You'll probably know or know of just about everyone in your class after a year, but it isn't cliquey like high school. Because of classes and extracurriculars, friend groups have a ton of overlap, and I was making new friends and meeting new people (even if I already knew who they were) throughout my whole first year. Also, the food is great.

Bates is a smaller school which has its pros and cons. People get very acquainted with one another. There is a lot of school pride especially in sports games against Bowdoin or Colby. Most people don't go off campus unless it is to ski, hike, go out to dinner etc. Recently, they have been completing campus renovations so there will be a lot of new facilities. The bates "puddle" or pond is one must see about Bates. It reflects campus buildings and hosts events such as the winter puddle jump and the senior pub crawl.

Bates is however you want it to be. You can be a loner, or you can get to know everyone you meet. Making friends is very easy and most people are friendly and easy-going. There is a lot of respect and appreciation for diversity (since there isn't a lot), whether it's racial or sexual or another. It's very well-respected and well known, and academically it is superb. Labs and classroom equipment are state-of-the-art, the professors for the most part are extremely good and it's easy to get to know them. What's great about Bates is that the student body is small, and you can make friends with everyone or form your own "big happy family" with the people you love the most. Regarding Lewiston, everybody hates it. There is no "main street" you can walk down, no cute bookstores and coffee shops, nowhere to walk to that is worthwhile, no nice bars or clubs - Lewiston is pretty much dead, so we go to Freeport or Portland or Boston every time we get the chance. A lot of people fail to adapt to Bates because of this - there exists a very real "Bates bubble" where we are all kept apart or shielded from Lewiston, whether it's on purpose or not.

Bates is just really fun. All the kids are pretty friendly and it's a good place to go. If you need to get anything the Lewiston has mostly anything you need. There is alot of snow though so you better be prepared for it. The biggest problem at bates is it seems as if the faculty don't care that much about the sports making it hard to get good athletes to come here.

The best thing about Bates is the sense of community. Bates has one dining hall with a very open floor plan so students interact with each other and the commons staff. Each of the offices on the campus are very student friendly and foster a strong sense of community. Additionally, the close relationship students build with each other and professors in the classroom helps to improve the campus's sense of self. Also, the extremely active student government and relationship between the administrators and students helps to provide the campus with the feeling of a small town.

It's hard to think of anything outrightly bad about Bates. Everyone has their petty complaints. I have one friend who loves travel and he thinks we are too far from any big city. I have another friend who absolutely hates Lewiston. Some people wish that cars weren't aloud on campus. Others think that people study too much. A few of my friends hate the cardio room in the gym or think our athletic facilities aren't up to par. One friend wishes the library was open 24 hours and another wishes it would close earlier on the weekends. I have a group of friends who aren't athletes and they feel like athletes separate themselves from the rest of the campus. Athletes sometimes feel the administration doesn't support their efforts. A lot of my friends want a place for public art on campus. Sometimes buying books can be a pain. The requirement to write a thesis can be stressful. Classes can be overwhelming. Professors can be demanding. Winters are long. But think about it, when you gather together a diverse group of 2,000 students onto a small selective college campus in central Maine and ask them what they don't like, you'll probably get a lot of answers. To be frank, all of these can be issues for any student while they're at Bates, but if the pros can outweigh the cons, like it does for all of the aforementioned students, than none of really matters at all.

Close community. Get to know the professors, classmates, friends quickly. The school is small but if that is what you are looking for its perfect. Bates is definitely not in a college town. Lewiston-Auburn has fun bars (the goose, the pub, gritty's etc) but for day time activities its lacking. Biggest recent controversy was at my graduation (08) 2 black students ranted about how the white community raped their families and ignored them on campus. NOT TRUE... the two speakers had switched their speeches and decided to bash the white people at the school. This is not bates. it was very very very out of the ordinary and sucks to have to leave the school on that note. Their speeches definitely spoiled many peoples graduation. Bates administration is awesome. They definitely watch your back and very supportive. My grandfather died my sophomore year and Bates was very understanding and allowed me to take some time off to go to the funeral, visit family, etc. There is a lot of school pride. The sports games are big at bates (relative to the population size). Also, there are countless opportunities to help the communities and participate in on-campus activities. Our "commons"- where we eat is new just this year. It is so beautiful and really brings the students together. You never feel lonely.

The students are the best part about Bates. They are all really friendly and enthusiastic about being at Bates. Most students are genuine, engaging, and caring. Since the student body is small, you really get to know most people in the school at least by their face. You do not see many strangers on campus. You also become very close with the people in your grade. I think this is a great size for the campus because you still meet new people each year, but you are not overwhelmed by a huge student body. You never get lost in the crowd. The big spots to hang out on campus are commons, milts, and anywhere outside when the weather is nice: the quad, football field, etc. The town of Lewiston is not too exciting and I don't think that students go there often. However, there are some nice restaurants if you want to go out and people take many trips to Walmart and Shaws during the week. There is a lot of school pride. A lot of students go to the school events, like sports games, plays, dance performances, concerts, etc. People are very eager to get involved and support their friends in activities. One experience that I will always remember is the puddle jump, a winter event in which students jump into the frozen pond. It was an exhilarating experience in which many students attended and cheered each other on. It is definitely an experience that all students should try at least once before they graduate.

Bates is just the right size in my mind as most people know or know of each other but you can always meet someone new...If you want to get off campus, it´s easy to escape or find a friend to drive you down to Portland, Boston, or the other big two private colleges, Bowdoin or Colby. Also, the Bates Outing Club has a lot of hiking and climbing trips if you want to get in touch with nature... Not many people want to escape into Lewiston, town-college relations are bad, but what can you do about elitists who are out of touch with the working class reality?... There are plenty of opportunities to do community service-learning though, and it´s a shame most people don´t get to know Lewiston for what it is and appreciate it. Bates admin is out of touch, The Turtle rarely comes out(except when Amandla, the black organization on campus led a diversity demonstration), but her husband is known for walking her dogs on campus... People from the rest of the country don´t know what Bates is(master bates or motel bates jokes are common), but up northeast, it´s well known. Bates pride is up to the student, as for me, I know it´s one of those schools that gives a great education, but no one´s going to confuse it with Bowdoin, Colby, or upwards.

The best thing about Bates is undoubtably the strong, supportive community created by students on campus that extends well into the alumni base. Batesies are generally friendly and welcoming and I recieved exceptional support from alumni when I reached out to find a job and prepared to leave Bates. Students refer to campus as "the Bates Bubble" since it often seems like its own wonderful little world and, on many occasions, felt like another life when away on break. Batesies spend most of their time on campus or out enjoying Maine's wilderness. The surrounding towns are small but offer plenty of nice restaurants and simple pleasures like movie theaters. Bates' culture and activities have also evolved around its small town locality over the years so there is always plenty happening on campus. That said, Lewiston and Auburn have changed radically just in the time I was a student there and may soon offer many lively spots for students to visit. A final seperate thought, Bates values social responsibility, community service, and environmental sustainability a great deal which is reflected in many aspects of campus life and institutional policy.