Bates College 2018 Wait-list

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I first applied to Bates Early Decision in November, and was deferred. I recently received my admissions decision for the Regular Decision round, and they wait-listed me. So, here's a little information about me:</p>

<p>I am the salutatorian (ranked 2nd) of my class, and am currently taking 3 AP classes--AP Literature and Comp., AP US History, and AP Calculus. I'm also in Spanish V H and Forensic Science H, as well as chorus, but obviously they pay more attention to my math and english classes, etc. On a 4-point scale, I have a 4.0 GPA. I recently started working at the State House as a House Page, I'm president of Young Democrats and have been involved in it since I was a freshman (I was treasurer my sophomore and junior year), and have worked on a senator's campaign. I've been a member of class committee and film club for the past two years, as well as Spanish Club, of which I am treasurer this year. I am also Vice President of National Honor Society at my school, and ran a fundraiser this year to send help to the Philippines. I have been in the Spring Musical at my high school every year since I was a freshman, and am a lead role this year. For the past two years, I have been acting in a fall play that is a collaboration between my high school and one of the middle schools nearby. I was the second female lead this year. In the spring I also volunteer as a costume designer and hair stylist for the play that is just for middle schoolers. I have been volunteering at a non-profit organization in my state capitol for 7 years now that teaches underprivileged children to write plays and then has professional adult actors perform them. I'm the youngest stage manager they've ever had, and have also co-written and acted in a play with one of our playwrights. I wrote my college essay on the organization and how much it has meant to me. The artistic director of it said it made her cry and asked if she could post it on the website, and my Lit teacher said it was the best in my class. So, I promise it wasn't a meaningless essay just trying to prove that I've spent hundreds of hours volunteering for this organization. I also volunteer at a program that works with adults who have developmental disabilities and I work with the students at my school who have developmental disabilities as well. I was awarded the Harvard Book Award last year, and was voted "Most Positive Role Model" for our senior superlatives. I was also named a DAR Good Citizen this month. </p>

<p>But, here's the worst part about all of this:</p>

<p>Although I don't live in Maine, I used to, and have a very strong attachment to it. Besides my parents and sister, most of my family lives there. I have been to Bates 5 times, and am completely in love with it. I had an interview over the summer and the woman told me I was a "perfect fit" and "the best interview she'd had all day". I stayed overnight in May, and the student I stayed with liked me so much that she wrote a letter to the Admissions office explaining how perfect I was for the school and how much I deserved to go there (I didn't ask her to do this, she did it on her own). I was pretty much told multiple times that I was a "shoo-in"... but, as you know, I did not get in. I went to the Open House, and also toured when I was a sophomore. I know the place like the back of my hand. What just hurts the most for me is that since 8th grade (when I had my first tour because my sister was looking at it) I have been working my butt off (more so than usual, that is) and that everyone at Bates made it seem like I was an obvious first choice and now I'm more of a last resort.</p>

<p>I applied to 5 schools: Bowdoin, Bard, Brandeis, Bates, and Wheaton. The only two I got into were Wheaton and Bard. I was wait-listed at Brandeis and rejected at Bowdoin. </p>

<p>Anyway, I intend to write Bates a letter, as they suggested on their page, to inform them about everything new happening with me and to update them on my grades. Also, I scored a 1990 on my SATs but never sent my scores in because I wasn't sure if they would help or hurt me. Any thoughts on if I should send those? I hate standardized testing, hahah. Sorry for the novel, but does anyone have any ideas on my chances? All of the guidance counselors at my school were outraged when I didn't get in, as well as my teachers... I guess no one really can fully understand the college admissions process!</p>

<p>For the record: I'm a caucasian girl, from a pretty low-income family. Both of my parents went to college... even my grandparents did, haha.</p>

2

<p>for what it’s worth, my D was on the WL last year and got in. her profile is similar to yours except that she had 2200 sat which she sent in. ask your counselor if it makes sense to send yours. i’m not sure but believe your score is very much in the wheelhouse of their avg of those who do send them? you can probably find that info online somewhere. remember that bates does have a prioritized WL, and while you can’t know where you are ranked on it, hopefully you are up there. aside from keeping in touch w/ admissions to report any new accomplishments, stellar grades, awards, etc, my D also had her HS send an additional teacher rec and she sent a letter stating her continued enthusiastic interest in bates. if bates remains your top choice, tell them. write a note saying what you think you can offer the school, and that if you are offered a spot you will absolutely accept it. obviously you should only say this if it’s true. don’t give up – D did not get the call until early june and was in touch with them often between march and then – a long haul and tough on the emotions. go for it, you have nothing to lose, i don’t think? like you, her HS was stunned that she was WL’d but the process really is so hard to predict and it’s a number game. . i wish you the best of luck and truly hope it works out for you. i know how hard it is to be in limbo on a WL of a school you love. hang in there! </p>

3

<p>Thank you so much, I really appreciate you sharing your daughter’s experience!</p>

4

<p>And congratulations to her, too! Bates is an all around amazing school. She must be really happy!</p>

5

<p>she is indeed happy. and you’re quite welcome, i hope her story was helpful. i feel for you. i really do understand how hard this process is having watched her go thru it. it does take some emotional stamina to stay the course on a WL, but don’t give up. here is a link to the stats for last year’s admitted kids if you’ve not seen it. <a href=“http://www.bates.edu/admission/files/2013/09/adm-profile-2017-9-3.pdf”>http://www.bates.edu/admission/files/2013/09/adm-profile-2017-9-3.pdf&lt;/a&gt; your SATs are very much aligned with the avg admittee. also, you can see their yield was about 40%. this is helpful to know because you can assume it will be similar this year and use that info to estimate how many kids may get in off the WL. the fact that you appplied ED is great because they know that means Bates is your first choice, so your file may be in a special pile vs kids who applied RD. even so, definitely don’t be shy about reinforcing the message that it’s still your first choice and the fact that you would commit to matriculate if offered a spot. Bates is big on demonstrated interest. call, write, get their attention! and you have good options at Wheaton and Bard, maybe Brandeis too if all else fails, so try to stay positive. good luck! really hope it works out for you. </p>

6

<p>I’m going to visit Bard this weekend, and am currently working on my letter to Bates. I think Bard would also be a pretty good fit for me because I am much more artistic than I am athletic, but there’s a feeling that I get at Bates that I haven’t gotten at any other school. I guess I’ll see if I get it at Bard, too! I’m actually pretty nervous that I’ll end up really liking Bard, since I’ve never had a single doubt about Bates. I’ll keep you posted on whether or not they end up giving me a call! Thanks again for everything, I’m very grateful. </p>

7

<p>it sounds to me like you’ll be fine either way, which is great. how was your visit? </p>

8

<p>I think I may possibly be in a worse position than I was before, haha. The campus was gorgeous, the professors were very impressive, and the school itself does focus on the arts quite a bit, which I really like. I think the education quality at Bard and Bates is probably equal. I do like the Bates’ schedule much better–I love the idea of short term–Bard runs on a typical semester schedule. Bard is kind of known amongst students for having pretty bad food, whereas Bates is well-known for having amazing food, and I like Bates’ study abroad program better, which is a pretty big factor for me. I met the Spanish professor at Bard, which is something I’m certain I’ll be going into, and she was a lovely woman and really excited about me. She actually told me she loved me, hahah. In addition, at Bard I could have the opportunity to work in the costume shop (sewing and maybe even designing) as my work study, which I would absolutely love. They’re the only school in the country where you can major in Human Rights, which I found pretty fascinating and something I’d definitely consider. </p>

<p>My basic comparison for the two lately has been:
At Bates, you’re required to take Phys Ed and, from what students and tour guides (as well as my own visits have proven) pretty much every student at Bates plays some kind of sport, whether it’s intramural or varsity, which I don’t think that I’ll be doing. I never really felt like Bates was that focused on athletics until I was deferred and really started to look into it… is your daughter someone who’s more artistic like me, or is she really athletic (or, you know, somewhere in between)?
But, at Bard, you’re required to take an art, and pretty much everyone there is very artistic, and if they’re not, they at least have a great respect for the arts. My parents have become partial to Bard (they went to art school) because they think it will be a better place for my talents to grow, since I quite literally have a passion/knack for pretty much every art form, although, of course there are some that I am more passionate about/better at than others.
I do think I like Bard’s campus better, but I haven’t been to Bates since August and I’m starting to feel like I need to go back again just to get some clarity on how I feel. I’m not sure if you’ve seen Bard, but you should look at pictures if you haven’t. There’s been a bit of pressure from friends and family for me to just go to Bard since I’ve been through so much with Bates, and many of my teachers as well as my guidance counselor think that Bard seems like a good fit, but I just can’t seem to let go. Every thought and feeling I had at either school is so muddled in my brain right now that I am completely clueless. I got so frustrated the other day that I told my guidance counselor I thought I’d just go to Bard, but she told me I should stay on Bates’ wait-list because it’d be a “win-win situation” (which I completely disagree with, I tried to make a decision because I’m terrified of being rejected yet again, but I’m also a little nervous about getting the call and only having 24 hours to decide because it’s such a huge decision).
I’ve wanted to go to Bates since 8th grade, but it was also the first college I saw and I fell in love with it. If I had seen Bard first, I might feel differently. I don’t think I love Bates just because I saw it first, but maybe because it was the first one I saw and really liked. I’m not sure. My GC thinks that I may have romanticized the school because I’ve pictured myself there for so long.
I’m so unbelievably confused and stressed about this, it’s really taking a toll on me and I’m not sure what else to do to help with my decision. I will be sending in my 3rd quarter grades to Bates and I was drafting a letter but I’ve stopped writing it because I am so stuck at this point. I do know that I should send it soon if I really want to have a chance at getting in, though. I keep telling myself if I go to Bard and don’t like it I can always transfer to Bates, but I just don’t know what to do.</p>