<p>Hoping some wise souls could commment here. Fortunate for acceptances to some wonderful schools. Just fnished visiting each and my decision is not clear. All have similar qualities. Interested in liberal arts, Spanish, Dance/Theater, Envrionment and study abroad. Desire a caring and supportive campus community where students are not competitive with each other. I love the outdoors and exploring, big city life is not that important but an occasional meal out or an interesting jogging/biking route is. I thrive academically with faculty and curriculum that are interesting and thoughful: I am not interested in classes or faculty that are difficult just for the sake of being diffiicult. </p>
<p>Hi - my younger son is a freshman at Bates and is an extremely happy Bobcat, I can’t comment on the other two schools (and congratulations on having some nice choices!) but he was asked to write about his college experience and why he chose Bates. He was able to do an overnight stay at Bates the evening before an accepted students’ day. This is what he said about it:</p>
<p>“I decided on one last overnight stay on the Bates campus in order to get a taste of college life there. That night, I was eating dinner with the student I was shadowing and half dozen of his friends. They all noticed another student at the next table eating alone, and invited him to come eat with us. After dinner, I learned that this student was a complete stranger to the students I was with. I immediately texted my mom to tell her that I was going to Bates in the fall, end of discussion. The students at Bates College really display qualities that I value - being inclusive, down to earth and humble.”</p>
<p>He’s found this year that Bates has lived up to its reputation of being inclusive and has greatly enjoyed his classes. I think he’s finding himself moving in a somewhat different direction academically from what he initially imagined which I think is good. Oh - and he LOVES the food at Bates. I send my older son baked goodies relatively often because his school’s food is okay. I never know what to send my younger son because the food is so good!</p>
<p>If you have questions, let us know. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Another parent of a happy Bates first-year here. My son came from a competitive public magnet high school with something of a pressure cooker environment and finds the challenging but lower-stress atmosphere at Bates refreshing. He is a bit of a geek but has participated quite a bit in the outdoor program with canoeing and hiking trips in Maine, and plans on climbing in Kentucky with the outing club over the upcoming spring break. He chose Bates for liberal arts, and (surprise!) is thinking about being a math/econ major. His roommate is in the choir, one of the several a capella groups, and a musical theatre production this year. Many international students in his residence, which is turning out to be a close group. I don’t know if my son will study abroad, but I do know there are many options for that. And as BTMell says, the food is very good. Good luck with your choice.</p>
<p>Yet another parent of a Bates freshman. My daughter chose Bates over Oberlin, Colby and several others. We’ve never seen a school with a friendlier bunch of students and faculty. The food is wonderful (no pesky meal plans to choose from either). The dorms are spacious, nice, and the residents bond very well. Daughter is outdoorsy and really enjoyed her Aesop trip. The outdoors club, and especially the skiing, is great. Academics are challenging, but the competitive atmosphere is healthy, not cutthroat. Daughter is a Bio major (pre-med track), but is also enjoying her liberal arts classes. She probably has to work harder than most (pre-med will do that to you), but still finds the time to dance, play in the orchestra, attend the social and cultural events on campus, and more. She (and we) couldn’t be happier with her choice. Can’t speak to your other options, but Bates really is a special college.</p>