Bates v Bowdoin v Colby

<p>Sailfish-
You might want to check your facts.
<a href=“http://bateshockey.com/about[/url]”>http://bateshockey.com/about&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>As to Lewiston, I think people often make the mistake of confusing shabby with dangerous. Lewiston, ME has a lower violent crime rate than Waterville, ME (home to Colby), Cambridge, MA or even Amherst MA. Frankly, none of these communities strikes me as overly dangerous.</p>

<p>[Lewiston</a> ME 04240 crime rates and crime statistics - NeighborhoodScout](<a href=“The page you were looking for doesn't exist (404)”>Lewiston, ME, 04240 Crime Rates and Crime Statistics - NeighborhoodScout)
[Waterville</a> ME 04901 crime rates and crime statistics - NeighborhoodScout](<a href=“The page you were looking for doesn't exist (404)”>Waterville, ME, 04901 Crime Rates and Crime Statistics - NeighborhoodScout)
[Cambridge</a> MA crime rates and statistics - NeighborhoodScout](<a href=“The page you were looking for doesn't exist (404)”>Cambridge, MA Crime Rates and Statistics - NeighborhoodScout)</p>

<p>Bates is the only NESCAC school without varsity hockey despite having a regulation sized rink on campus. </p>

<p>Hockey at Bates is a club sport for both men and women.</p>

<p>I stand corrected. Sorry about that sailfish!</p>

<p>The hockey is a big deal for me.</p>

<p>Jamoboo,</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Yes. And soccer helped her gain leverage a notch above where she would have been competitive without it. I’d peg her current U-18 team at about where yours is.</p></li>
<li><p>You will find people who love each of the top schools in Maine in different ways. They are different delicious flavors of ice cream. The key here is loving Maine.</p></li>
<li><p>All of the schools are hard to get into. Soccer helps with leverage. It helps you to stand out among all your age-group peers who apply. You still need the grades and scores (look at the median range of grades and scores to see where you fit), and if you have those, use your soccer that you’ve worked so hard on all these years. You only get the leverage if the coach is pushing or nudging for you. So get to their overnight clinics so they’ll get to know you. They won’t all click with you and you might not like some of them. Life is like that. Don’t worry about this. Just play your best; you never know who is watching. Get to the Amherst clinic for sure. Check out Dartmouth’s clinics too. Bowdoin may have a good one again. A bunch of coaches and assistants attend and work these from a variety of schools. (And they know each other and talk to each other!)</p></li>
<li><p>You’re doing everything right. Visit the schools, all of them, and form your own opinions. You’ll know what you like. Be observant. Meet students. Ask questions. Spend time driving around the towns and eat at a local happening spot in each. Keep writing to the coaches (always be literate and proofread!). Email to endeavor to get an appointment or drop by to say hello when you visit the school. Meeting the assistant coaches at this point is good too. Assistants help with a lot of the recruiting, depending on the school. Assistants often become head coaches. Send a school profile if you haven’t yet. Send test scores and grades proactively if they are strong. Update your player-athlete profile and resend it when you have a substantive update. Emphasize your desire for strong academics and state why you like their school.</p></li>
<li><p>Wheaton in Norton, Mass is what I had in mind. The coach is awesome. Email him. Visit. It’ll be on your way to Maine. You might find you really like this school. The acceptance rates are higher, I believe, because it’s off the radar and fewer people apply. The faculty is great. People don’t apply there unless they’ve visited. People don’t visit Wheaton unless the school counselor or the parents (or grandmothers) know about it from some personal experience. Check out Wheaton’s alumnae list. It is impressive. Just because snarky NYC kids haven’t heard of something doesn’t mean it isn’t wonderful. (Just had to add that…our school is full of these types. What’s Davidson? Who’s ever heard of Pomona? Is that a community college? And on and on…) Downside is that they don’t have hockey…yet. If Wheaton adds hockey (and we hear they’re thinking about it), it’ll be the next hot school.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Aim for high academics and have a highish-safety in the works. Visit a lot but only focus on schools you would truly be willing to attend. The worst they can do is say no. This is not a problem. Someone else will say yes.</p>

<p>For the record, I said that I personally like Auburn-Lewiston, and I do! Bates was not at all appealing as a school to my kid or to me. We have friends whose kids love it. And the soccer coach is really nice.</p>

<p>As for crime-danger, I don’t consider anywhere in Maine dangerous. I live in NYC. Quite right to point out that we should not confuse tired or economically depressed for dangerous. Most of the country is depressed. (Most New Yorkers don’t know this.)</p>

<p>On the questions of soccer and the process, the coach can go to admissions with your transcript and SAT/ACT scores after July 1 before senior year. Admissions will give an early read and tell the coach if you will be admitted. At most NESCACs, the women’s soccer coach gets around three tips as part of this process. If admissions gives the thumbs up and the coach is willing to use one of her tips, she’ll expect you to apply ED1. </p>

<p>What SAT score you’ll need varies by school, with Amherst and Williams being the highest (probably around 1950 unless you have some other racial or geographical diversity points). Colby and Bates will require something above 1800, but if you’re that low, you would need to be exceptionally good.</p>

<p>In general, you have to recruit the coach. In the end, she’ll have lots of players trying for those three tips and other support beyond those tips (for girls who don’t really need the tips, but who could use some protection). These coaches want to know that you want to be on their team and at their school.</p>

<p>You’re getting very sound advice from Dezama, Bates2017 and SolaPuellarum. As a former NESCAC athlete I’d add a few points.</p>

<p>Visit now if at all possible. You’ll learn much more about schools if you visit wile they’re in session. During the summer campuses will be empty or filled with summer program participants who aren’t representative of the college populations. Once the outdoor season starts you’ll be too busy with soccer to take these trips.</p>

<p>When you visit pay attention to behavior. Do the athletes all cluster together? Do they sit together in the dining hall? Is this good or bad? Do people seem happy and friendly? </p>

<p>Think about how you’d feel attending the school if you tore up your ACL freshman year and couldn’t play soccer. Does the school have the majors you’d like? Is their career counseling solid? Remember that you’re there to get an education.</p>

<p>Look at team rosters and ask about playing time. Do freshmen really get to play or are they predominantly bench warmers? Are the rosters filled with freshmen and sophomores? If so, why? If there are few juniors on the team is is because the school has a fabulous JYA program or because the coach burns her players out? Ask lots of questions.</p>

<p>I’d echo dezama’s post about Wheaton. It doesn’t have the reputation of some of the other schools on your list but I think it’s an up and comer. It would make a good likely school (I hate the term “safety”.)</p>

<p>Bates will expect high grades and strong recommendations but is truly score optional. I say that as the parent of a kid who was just admitted without submitting test scores. Bowdoin is test optional as well, but as you know has an even lower acceptance rate than Bates.</p>

<p>Sue22,</p>

<p>My D experience …although Bates is test optional. the coach wanted her scores for the preread anyway. I am not sure if she submitted them to adcom, but she said they want them no matter what.</p>

<p>To Bates 2017,</p>

<p>Congrats on your acceptance to Bates. This is a major accomplishment, and you should
be proud of your school.</p>

<p>As a Colby grad, I want to point out
while the three Maine schools are friendly rivals when we are students,
once we graduate we are just friends, and many alumni activities are held
together and/or with the other NESCAC schools. Having attended a great
small liberal arts college in Maine is a unique experience we all share.</p>

<p>Please note that Colby is located in Waterville, perhaps three minutes from
downtown, or for that matter in whatever direction you take in Waterville. We are
about 20 minutes from Augusta, which is 18 miles away.</p>

<p>Bates, on average, is not strong in sports. Williams - yes. Middlebury - yes.
Bates - no, but with the Class of 2017, perhaps that will change!</p>

<p>A friend’s D was recruited by Mid for womens soccer and is doing well there. Not sure I can add much to the above posts on that front, other than to encourage you to spread your net a little wider because different coaches can emphasize different attributes based on their preferred style of play and what their positional needs are at a given point in time. If you have a preferred style of play, you may want to view a game to see how you would fit in. </p>

<p>I also want to put another plug in for Wheaton. A reason why it has a low profile is that it was an all girls school up until the late '80s. It has undergone a major transformation in the intervening years, but academic rankings tend to be about 30 years behind the times.
They don’t have a huge endowment, but they are spending their money in the right places.
Their recent academic track record probably outshines many of the schools on your list.</p>

<p>“In recent years, Wheaton has enjoyed an outstanding record of student achievement. The college produced 18 national scholarship winners in 2005, including its second Rhodes Scholar in five years. Since 2000, more than 40 Wheaton students have won national scholarship awards, including the Truman, Fulbright, Madison, Watson, British Marshall, Goldwater and Rotary International scholarships. Wheaton is one of only a handful of liberal arts colleges in the country to have produced two Rhodes in recent years. The college also was named a Truman Foundation Honor School for its focus on Truman Scholar candidates and students interested in pursuing careers in public service.”</p>

<p>They also have a cross registration program with Brown University, which you probably won’t use, but Brown does not partner with just anybody.</p>

<p>You didn’t mention what your planned major was, but every school has relatively stronger and weaker majors, so that should factor into your decision as well. </p>

<p>Go for the best fit in both in the classroom and on the soccer field.</p>

<p>Best of Luck, you will do fine</p>

<p>Yeah, playing time for my first year will be tough. But personally, as long as I get to appear in even 4 or 5 games I would be happy. Wheaton is sounding appealing to me, and it sounds really good. I also like the consistent appearences in the Ncaa tournament, and was always a dream for me to play in one. Divsion 1,2, or 3. I prefer to major in Economics, marketing, or business. I am fine with taking anything along those lines. I know someone commited to Dartmouth for soccer but am not interested in going to a ivy league. I want to go to a college that I will be happy with and I don’t think I can handle soccer with Dartmouth. I know someone who goes to Middlebury but have not really explored it yet. I constantly watch soccer games. I have watched Brown, Lehigh,Stony Brook, Ionaand St. Johns. They were local and at Stony Brook games were free. I feel my soccer level would fit in just fine in those schools. But is Wheaton Mass. religious, just want to know? My parents are not allowing me to go to a catholic school.</p>

<p>No, the Wheaton in Norton MA is not at all religious. It’s often confused with the Illinois school of the same name- which is a Christian college.</p>

<p>Jamoboo,</p>

<p>You are sounding more like my daughter every day. And thanks, Sue…“likely” is a much better word. Wheaton is in the top 10% of schools nationally, just at the lower end of that top group in terms of its admissions. This was never anything to snub (unless you were at Smith or Wellesley or, lately, Williams).</p>

<p>Wheaton is a must-see for female soccer player interested in a small school WITH ACADEMICS in the north east. They have an interesting way of integrating subjects to confirm that you get a rounded education. The tour guide will tout this, and it is explained on the website.</p>

<p>Wheaton also has a dean who specializes in helping with post-grad applications. The school is very serious about this. One of the Rhodes Scholars was a women’s soccer player. Ask the coach about her. He is very proud of this accomplishment.</p>

<p>The coach is amazing, truly. If you play for him for four years, you will play in the NCAA tournament. You will also be encouraged to be a great student. He is the reason the team has a top record over the past 15 or so years. The women’s soccer team members are the cool kids on campus.</p>

<p>Visit the Hillel site: [Wheaton</a> College - Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life](<a href=“http://www.hillel.org/HillelApps/JLOC/Campus.aspx?AgencyId=17993]Wheaton”>http://www.hillel.org/HillelApps/JLOC/Campus.aspx?AgencyId=17993)
See also the campus Hillel schedule: <a href=“http://wheatonhillel.wikispaces.com/[/url]”>http://wheatonhillel.wikispaces.com/&lt;/a&gt;
Reach out to them so you can link up with someone when you visit. They will be helpful to you in your search process and will speak to campus life at Wheaton.</p>

<p>(Jamoboo, can you tell that I really liked this school? As I wrote earlier, my daughter had a different ranking of schools. Wheaton, however, was always in the mix alongside 3 NESCACs. You need to visit to judge what is best for you. I looked back at your early emails and I still recommend you give it a shot.)</p>

<p>Dezama- i hope you didn’t think my “likely” comment was in response to your post. I just think that in the wacky world of admissions nothing is a safe bet.:slight_smile:
My son went early to a Maine NESCAC but had an application to Wheaton filled out and ready to go in case that didn’t work out. He and I both liked it more than we expected to.</p>

<p>I looked at Wheaton’s website, record, who the coach was. I am interested and will maybe visit in March or April. I like that you can cross-register at Brown and its location between Boston and Providence.</p>

<p>Ditto Sue. Wheaton was ready to go in our home too. It wasn’t a first choice because Massachusetts is not Maine.</p>

<p>My comment about “likely” was praise. I likewise don’t care for the expression “safety” with regard to any school, certainly not for a competitive school. Wheaton is a “reach” for most kids.</p>

<p>Jamoboo, my advice is that you indicate interest on their website’s recruiting page and write to him TODAY to let him know what tournaments you have coming up. He’ll be freshly back from Disney with a lot of players on his mind.</p>

<p>It would be great if he sees you before you visit the school, and you can try to get an appointment to see him when you do, scheduled around your tour and info session. Same goes for the Maine NESCACs. There will be a lot of movement in the D-III schools out of the big March tournaments and March-April college campus visits during the HS spring breaks.</p>

<p>Just a heads up, this is written from the point of view of a future Bowdoin student ('17).</p>

<p>I considered all three of these schools in my college search, but ultimately only decided to visit two of them: Bowdoin and Colby. I’ve grown up in a suburb outside of a pretty big city on the West Coast and I don’t really like urban areas. Reading about Lewiston, I thought it may be too urban (maybe even in a bad area). Whether or not my assumption is justified, I decided not to visit Bates and to instead focus my attention on other colleges.</p>

<p>My visit at Colby went extremely well. The rolling green hills are beautiful and the academics are certainly strong. I was interviewed by someone who was very likable and interested in similar things that I was interested in. At the time I visited Colby, I had almost finished my East Coast college trip, but I had not yet visited Bowdoin or Wesleyan. If it means anything, I liked Colby more than Dickinson, Colgate, and Trinity, but less so than Haverford and Williams. That was just my personal preference.</p>

<p>When I visited Bowdoin, I knew it was the place for me. It has the strong academics and probably a better reputation among Grad schools than does Colby (but who am I to think that? I’m still a high schooler.). On my tour, the guide and the people touring seemed more socially “normal” to me than did people on the tours from other schools, including Colby. Because LACs have a small number of students, they tend to attract students who are more quiet than do a school such as NYU, but don’t get me wrong I expect the social life and both Bowdoin and Colby to be vibrant. My point is the people at Bowdoin seemed more outgoing than any of the other schools I visited. Maybe it was just the tour I was on, but I got a sense that Bowdoin was the fit for me. Also I wouldn’t consider the people there as snobby (I’m not rich either; I’m getting financial aid). Maybe the other people on this thread just had an isolated bad experience.</p>

<p>As for the people telling you to look at some lower caliber schools, it is probably a good idea to have some safety schools because admission is very competitive for Bowdoin, Bates and Colby. That said, don’t let anybody on CC discourage you from applying to all 3 of these wonderful schools. Unless they are admissions officers, they don’t know your whole story and can only give you very rough estimates of your chances of admission.</p>

<p>As for me, I was a NESCAC recruit in a sport that is trivial and doesn’t have a lot of influence in admission like soccer, lacrosse, or hockey. The Bowdoin coach never told me if he was going to help me with admission, but I applied ED 1 anyway and was admitted. I’ll never know how and if I got help though; my academics were very strong (2290 SAT, 4.3 WGPA).</p>

<p>Best of luck! and I hope you end up applying to all 3 schools!</p>