<p>Poetrygirl, I saw your post on Colby's page as well. Our D is trying to decide the same thing about these two schools!</p>
<p>wedgedrive--Thanks. I'm glad I'm not the only one! :)</p>
<p>espressoroast--good luck with finals! I hope all goes well!</p>
<p>Poetrygirl, I certainly am also very worried about the alcohol thing. I do write poetry (hahaha) and I don't drink. I'm rather a very peaceful, literary bookwork, who likes nature. So, I think i'm pretty harmless. If I end up going to Bates, you'll have some company!</p>
<p>FWIW, my son just finished his freshman year and he says that some kids do drink, but it is never an issue for those who don't drink. There is always something to do that does not involve alchohol.</p>
<p>My son is trying to decide between Conn College and Bates. Bates seems to be a better fit in many ways EXCEPT it does not offer Italian Lanquage. He is thinking about a major in Classics with a Latin concentration and was really hoping to branch out into Italian. Is it possible to take Italian at Bowdoin ?</p>
<p>wedgedriver, </p>
<p>I wish could have a more definitive answer but I’m more of a humanities/social sciences person so I don’t really have a sense of the chemistry and physics departments. All I can offer are observations. I know a senior chemistry major who has been very happy with the department, although the requirements made it impossible for him to study abroad (I don’t know if this is specific to him or if it’s true for all chem majors). </p>
<p>For physics majors interested in engineering, Bates is dual-degree program with Dartmouth, Rensselaer, Columbia, Washington University in St. Louis, or Case Western Reserve. <a href="http://abacus.bates.edu/Faculty/Physics/engineer.html%5B/url%5D">http://abacus.bates.edu/Faculty/Physics/engineer.html</a></p>
<p>If you’re trying to decide between different colleges based on these departments, I would definitely recommend looking at each school’s website to see the specifics of the course requirements and descriptions.</p>
<p>janetlover, the work-study jobs are similar to any on-campus college jobs everywhere. Most are low-key and you can do your homework while "working." However, I don't think the pay is very good (the lowest out of the NESCAC, actually, according to a recent student newspaper article), and I'm not sure about working over breaks. I think most jobs are designed for an active campus (like serving coffee at the Ronj or working the library desk) so I imagine that's not a possibility, but I'm sure there are exceptions.</p>
<p>how's bates economics department? i heard that it is quite strong in economics reserach...</p>
<p>Sorry that we're bombarding you with questions. But how is the music program at Bates?</p>
<p>Oooh I'm so behind! Sorry everyone, I'm working on it. </p>
<p>poetry girl,
The things that originally attracted me to Bates are different than what I have come to love most about it. I was drawn to the campus, the academic reputation, and the “feeling” when I visited. The students seemed to have a lot of energy and I was really impressed with the student panel on accepted students day (sorry about all the “students” in this sentence!). These things are all still important, but another thing that makes Bates special for me is the academic atmosphere. This is probably pretty personal, but it might help some of you understand what its like to be a student here. I have a tendency to be extremely stressed out and get really worked up about homework and tests. In the first few months of Bates, I started to realize that this just isn’t the way people cope with their schoolwork here. There is not a competitive atmosphere. Everyone works hard, but they are working for themselves, and not to compete against their classmates. I’ve found that I’ve gotten much better at handling stress over the course of the year. </p>
<p>I love that Bates fosters a close-knit community. Before coming, I was worried that it would feel to small and claustrophobic, but that isn’t the case at all. I want to meet as many of these amazing personalities that make up the student body as possible! Most people are connected through friends of friends, and by the end of the year you can usually tell if a non-Batesie is on campus. It’s great to walk through the quad and say “hi” to nearly every person you pass by. But at the same time, there are always students studying abroad or returning from studying abroad, the campus dynamic is always changing, and there are always plenty of people you don’t know (yet). </p>
<p>To touch upon the drinking/drugs culture, it is definitely a part of campus life, but I have plenty of friends who don’t drink and friends who live in chem-free dorms. I feel like the majority of people drink on some level and on certain occasions. There are certain dorms with a higher concentration of partiers, and we have designated low-chem and chem-free dorms. During the week, (when, of course, there is very little/no drinking going on) there are tons of nightly activities and things to keep you busy. However, on a Saturday night, unless you want to be cooped up studying in Pettengill, there really aren’t a lot of great alternatives. This doesn’t mean you can’t create your own. People who don’t want to drink can watch movies or just socialize without alcohol. I think this is the nature of almost every college campus. College kids drink, and you may even find yourself adopting this habit and enjoying it in moderation. Most Batesies are pretty smart about their drinking, and I think that’s the most important thing.</p>
<p>artschoolmom,</p>
<p>Yes, I believe it's possible to take Italian through Bowdoin. And your son could look into spending a semester or even a year in Italy to practice.</p>
<p>espressoroast, could you talk about the Brooks Quimby Debate Council? How many people are there, what activities does it offer, etc. </p>
<p>Also, I'm planning on visiting two weeks from now, any tips on what I should check out? Would you think it'd be useful if I met with the debate coach (I'm president of the Peruvian Debate Association down here in Peru.)</p>
<p>Can you please help me with this? I checked that Bates is known for its department of economics..Is it like good for research? And Does Bates greatly value ECs? And how does the SAT optional policy work? And is interest huge for Bates?</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>And also, what is the motto of bates?</p>
<p>it looks as though espressoroast is on hiatus so i'll take a stab...hi everyone i am a bates junior....econ is definitely one of the strongest departments here and in terms of research, professors are required to get students involved in their own personal research...including social sciences and humanities...bates does value ECs, but places a larger emphasis on the interview and the rigor of your academic schedule...SAT optional is just as it sounds, don't submit your SATs if you feel they do not accurately represent your abilities and submit them if you believe they will bolster your application...i submitted mine, my roommate did not and i know it makes no difference unless they are stellar...interest is a large part of bates admissions, most importantly the interview (on or off-campus)</p>
<p>as for a motto...i do not know of a motto</p>
<p>sorry :)</p>
<p>well I have a question about Bates: what characteristics do they enjoy much from a student ? ..bates has Why essay, right ? So what makes Bates stand out in thousands of colleges in America ? Is there any difference in their method to approach knowledge ? Should I submit supplemental essays or work of art ? I love photography so should I send along some photos ? does that delay the application evaluating process ?</p>
<p>what makes bates stand out from other colleges? that is different for every person who has visited or currently attends bates. for me it is the people hands down, but would a prospective necessarily know that? probably not. I am in the sciences at Bates so I spoke specifically about their philosophy in terms of collaborative work in the sciences. Bates also stood out to me because of the personal attention each student receives from professors, we are not numbers and never will be. when i speak to prospective students on campus i always tell them that if they intend to never be acknowledged in the classroom, then bates is certainly not the place for them.</p>
<p>as for the supplemental material, i say if you love to do and you think it is a piece of who you are, then by all means insert some photography. i did not submit any supplements so I am not sure of how its viewed, but considering the fact that bates is very accepting of all talents, i would think it would be to your benefit.</p>
<p>Do you know of any students there from the South?
Can you tell me about the Psychology department?
How hard was it to get in? What were your test scores like?</p>
<p>I do not know of many students from the South...pretty much every except the South. I only have one friend from Texas and a few from Florida...</p>
<p>The psychology department is phenomenal so it comes as no surprise that Psych is one of the top majors at Bates. The professors are all extremely engaging, caring, and intelligent...the only course that seems to upset potential majors is statistics...</p>
<p>How hard is it to get in? That really depends on your applicant status...I never have told anyone my test scores and will not be posting them here; however, I did submit my SATs, ACTs, and I had an above 4.0GPA (obviously scaled)...I was not a legacy, applied regular decision, had a long list of extracurriculars, and what I thought was a strong common app essay...I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear, but your question was quite broad...feel free to question further...</p>
<p>whats the dating scene like at bates? i'm really not interested in the random hookups at schools like Colgate where people just get sloshed out of their minds each weekend and hook up with random people they don't plan on getting to know.. i know theres probably some of that at bates but how dominant is it?</p>