Bates vs. Union?

Science major, student athlete (swimmer)
tough decision both great schools need to decide on 1.

Union is a harder partying school than Bates.

I’m a huge fan of Bates, just saying…

I live in the Cap District so am very familiar with Union. Very much a frat oriented school and just a different school culture than Bates - which is very inclusive and socially/community oriented.

My S went to Bates.

I find very little these two schools have in common except they are LACs.

You might get a different view if you post this in Union’s forum, but I think Bates is much better than Union.

My kids both preferred Bates.

Bates. Union is in the middle of nowhere and no one can spell the city it’s located in.

It’s not in the middle of nowhere, but true no one can spell Schenectady (which is having a rebirth at the moment.) We go to the theatre there once a month and lots of very good restaurants in downtown. Over 1 million people live in the Cap District.

About as far from there to NYC and Boston (2 1/2 hours) as Lewiston is from Boston.

Much less in the middle of nowhere than Bates (where my kid went and loved.)

While Bates has a lower acceptance rate, they profile the same according to the latest CDS and are both great schools, so I think its more about vibe/fit. Also, for many its probably hard to beat being less than a hour from the Maine coast.

^^I love Maine but know kids who loved that at union, you can walk to amtrak and get a train to nyc. It really depends on your priorities.

Union is strong in sciences, but it seems you really need to embrace Greek life to go there. Really a good place for the right student. Bates has an excellent swim team and top notch coaching. They are really good in the humanities- that’s where they shine. (Our D was accepted at both but chose another peer LAC with very strong science departments and brand new science complex and no greek life.) Good choices both. Good luck.

Isn’t Union on a trimester system? Could be a consideration with swimming season, perhaps allowing a lighter load for one trimester when most of the swim season is happening.

Union swims from November to February, straddling the first two trimesters so that wouldn’t really work.

I would say Bates. It is ranked higher and it has a more tight knit community than Union if thats what you’re looking for.

Know both schools well. I’d pick Bates for a lot of reasons.

If you want engineering and don’t see yourself doing a 4-2, and many a LAC kid thinking they will wind up passing on it, then Union.

Bates is, in my estimation, a better school academically.