My student graduated in '17. We live in the rural Smoky Mountain region–not a big source of students for Bates. Although he did not go to private school, he did attend a public boarding magnet school for his last 2 high school years, and administrators there could not remember the last time one of their students had even applied to Bates. He is introspective, introverted, nerdy, and an adamant non-drinker/chem-user. He enjoys the outdoors but is far from a jock. He loved Bates.
Over the years his roommates included a pole vaulter/Asian Studies major from NC; a theater nerd/Classics major from New Jersey who also sang a cappella; a French horn player/Math major from California; and a member of a Maine lobstering family/Japanese major who invited him to their home up the coast. This group also reflected ethnic and religious diversity. He maintained a work-study job all through his four years in Commons (the dining hall–BTW, many people don’t know that Bates, unlike most other colleges, owns its food service, and the locals who work there are justifiably proud of what they do, as they are Bates staff, not employees of a contractor). He became a leader in a club and enjoyed his friends there. If your daughter ends up at Bates, I believe she will find her people.
Oh, and PS: I can’t resist a plug for the Bates Career Development Center, which I think is fabulous. It pulls in recruiters from top firms and in my opinion provides spot-on guidance for students who use it. I believe my son would never have received that kind of attention at a large university. He had an excellent job waiting for him by the time he graduated, and he’s still happily working there 2+ years later.