D21 is Biology/Microbiology/Genetics major. Interested in Epigenetics research and working w children. She is a writer (plays, short stories) and trained dancer. Wants to continue having full experiences in all of these areas. (Coming from a nationally ranked arts high school.) She wants a small school, and her heart is in the Northeast.
Smith - most generous offer
Wesleyan - decent aid
Bates - most expensive (D21 first choice, she thinks)
Also, accepted to and received decent aid to:
Reed
Scripps
Case-Western
and four (FL) in-state schools she already eliminated
WL at four schools
Waiting on Barnard and some Ivies
While I am a Bates fanatic, and she would have a great experience there, I couldnât turn down generous aid from Wesleyan, where she will be able to indulge in all her interests. Smith is also great, but she needs to be sure she will be happy at a womenâs college.
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Have you considered appealing your FA from Bates? Smith and Wesleyan are peer schools, which should help your case.
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Yes, I have considered it - was waiting a bit longer.
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Wesleyan or Barnard (if admitted)
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This thread may be a bit premature if you have strong interest in Barnard College & in the Ivies to which you applied.
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@Publisher, Not holding our breath. WL from Bowdoin, Williams, Wellesley, Haverford.
Waitlist from Bowdoin College is not an indication regarding Ivy admission as Bowdoin is difficult for non-ED applicants. W/L at Wellesley does, however, raise concern.
Why is Bates College her first choice ? (Once this question is addressed, then it should help posters to offer meaningful suggestions.)
FWIW, I think some of these WLs will move after Ivy Day. Itâs been such a crazy year. Hang in there.
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@Publisher
Bates was the first school she researched and loved it from the start. Every correspondence, interview, etc. was âso nice.â I think she felt seen and heard. The idea of purposeful work and the small, supportive community, resonate with her. Although these reasons for liking Bates may seem obvious, they stand in stark contrast with other schoolsâ communications.
And, it is the only school where she ordered the t-shirt 
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I agree that itâs worth contacting the FA office and asking if they might be able to match the aid offered by Wesleyan. It sounds like she has genuine reasons for wanting to attend Bates. FWIW, my daughter had a fantastic experience there. Itâs hard to compete with Wesleyan or Smith if they have offered good aid though. Iâll send you a message.
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If Bates College is your daughterâs first choice, then @Lindagaf is a great resource.
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@Lindagaf - posting back on my thread, for future usersâŠ
My D21 has researched outcomes of her schools because she will most likely head to graduate school. Do Bates graduates get into top grad programs (Ivies, etc.)? It is more difficult to find specifics on where Bates grads continue their education?
Thanks, in advance!
I donât know about all students of course. One friend headed to Dartmouth for a masters. Another did a masters at Oxford. Another is at Duke law school. D herself works with an HYP teaching doctor. Her coworker, also from Bates, is soon headed to the most prestigious PhD program in the country for her chosen field. Two of her closest friends are doing Fulbright placements and those students often go on to prestigious colleges for Masters degrees. So it seems that a degree from Bates can set grads up for competitive postgrad positions, in general.
@momartist14 , you can probably call Bates and ask them about this too. Getting into a top grad school program, btw, is far more dependent on the student than the school. Students getting into these programs are getting high grades, getting great recs from professors, and are ensuring that they are doing things that are relevant to their future goals. In addition to D, the doc she works with has hired students from other prestigious colleges, but also several from colleges that are not so well known.
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Itâs all falling into place! Thank you!
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Well, D21 reached out to her Bates admissions counselor and then FA counselor and secured 25k more aid! Amazing! Smith still offers the best aid package, but next is Bates. She is thrilled.
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I would point to Wesleyanâs strength in the natural sciences, and there are strong programs in writing. As for her interest in dance, she would find an outlet for that at Wes.
Smith is a great choice, but the obvious variable there is no men on campus. Northampton is great and the campus is beautiful.
Iâve heard (and seen pictures to support) that Bates is beautiful and all the people we know who had students attend loved it. Everyone always has great things to say about Bates. It almost seems like it wins the award for âleast complained aboutâ school amongst its peers.