It looks like my final decision is down to Colorado College & Bates.
If anyone has any insight between these two, I would appreciate it.
Extra Info:
-I am from the east coast so Bates would be about 6 hrs away by car and Colorado is obviously super far. Cost wise, Bates is slightly more expensive (like 5-7k more per yr when you factor in transportation costs to Colorado).
-I feel like Colorado’s block plan makes it less of a “safe” choice than Bates, and I also am hesitant about the lack of socioeconomic diversity on campus (like 24% of students are from the top 1% income bracket). Also having to take a plane back and forth to get there. But the location seems really cool as well as the off-campus/study abroad opportunities with the block plan.
-I wonder if I will feel a bit isolated at Bates because of where it is, but (if I can afford one) I’m allowed to bring a car on campus and won’t have to worry about planes/getting rides. I also saw a lot of really interesting classes when looking through the course catalog & for FYE. I like the idea of short term. But I wonder if a part of feeling more comfortable going to Bates has to do with not being so far away from friends/a support system, and I don’t want to make my college choice based on fear.
I admit, I love all of the BBC schools so I have a bias toward Bates.
But I think the big thing here is the block plan. It works really well for some types of majors and courses and less well for others. And it works great for the student who likes to be absorbed in one thing and less well for one who likes a little more variety day to day. (And very badly for a student who may miss class from time to time. ) You really need to assess that for yourself. The kids I know who thrive at CC are ones who love that style of learning.
Note that the short term at Bates will allow you you have one "block " experience each year, so you can use it for a class that is best approached immersively.
It’s nice to have a car at any of the BBC schools, especially if you want to use Maine as your playground. And also unnecessary (and a bit of a hassle-- digging out after a snowfall is a drag.) All these schools import plenty of entertainment to campus and organize activities off campus with the car-less in mind.
Reading between the lines, I think you have more reasons to say yes to Bates than you do to CC, but it is really hard to assess that based on your post above.
Are any of your friends going to be up there? Six hours is far enough away that no one is going to accidentally drop by. My D is five hours from home. She knew no one up there, and she might as well have been a plane ride away. She had a hard time settling in. We did not once go up to rescue her, and she had no car. Personally, I see no reason why you need a car on campus. You might find it worse if you do, because you become the person who might be expected to drive others around. Bate offers lots of shuttles to places you can visit and also places you might need to visit, like the Maine Mall.
I honestly don’t think of Bates as being isolated. It’s 2 hours from a major east coast metropolis, 45 minutes from a city with a decent airport and good food and shopping, and in a small city/large town where you are surrounded by easy access to mountains, coasts and forests.
I agree that you should consider if the block plan is something you will enjoy. It can be quite intense, but also very immersive. Bates’ May short term will give you that if you want it, and students love being on campus in May. May also offers very popular short study abroad options, which are great for kids who have majors that make traditional study abroad difficult.
You can’t beat Bates’ study abroad options. CC might have good study abroad programs too, but they aren’t going to be better than Bates’, so I wouldn’t factor that in. (As an aside, I’m writing this from Japan, where my D is just finishing her program. She’s been living with a lovely family since January and last night we all made sushi for dinner at their home! She’s had an incredible experience.)
You have two great choices. I think you should take location out of the equation. Where do you see yourself? How did you feel about the people you’ve met? And the money might be a factor too, so make sure your parents are happy to pay the extra if you choose Bates.
Honestly the issue is I think both of them are great and I would be happy at either-academically and socially. So I am scouring the websites and focusing on the little things because I can’t discern where I would “see myself” more. The more I look the more I see that they each have cool attributes that I would love. The main difference on my mind is the location (in terms of how much I like the immediate physical surroundings of the campus and how far it is from home). Cost is also a factor, even though my parents have told me that they dont want me to make my decision based on the cost difference, I cant help but feel guilty if I chose to go to the most expensive option I had.
Do you know what you’d like to study or have any career plans? That can sometimes help determine what the best choice is. Ultimately, of course, you want to go to a place that’s comfortable for you, and that does sound like Bates.