Did anyone get a call from Bates recently? D got one last night but didn’t pick up out of nervousness lol. The last college call she got was an acceptance from Clark U so she’s thinking (HOPING) it was a similar call. Anyone?
Bates’ RD committee is meeting this week (3/02-3/06). I know this because I emailed a counselor and it sent back an automated reply saying that RD committee was meeting and they wouldn’t be able to respond immediately. I would guess it has something to do with her application… It’s a little too early for an acceptance, I think.
@NEPatsGirl - my son didn’t receive a call when he was applying (he’s a sophomore at Bates now). I find it interesting that our kids seem to have several colleges in common. Clark U was his strong second choice. What a wonderful school! Keeping my fingers crossed for your daughter.
@NEPatsGirl - I remember my S receiving a call from FA office a few weeks before he got his acceptance. Can’t recall what exactly it was about - but I think asking for verification of something. We took it as a good sign, iirc.
Good luck to your D!
I think I’ll have her call them back just in case it was for verification. I thought they’d call again last night but they did not.
@BTMell, while ClarkU was much further down the list for her (and she did not come in as a LEEP finalist so unless there’s a fantastic finaid package its off the list), Bates is one of her top choices. I unfortunately have not seen the school but she really likes it but is concerned about the location. How does your S feel about Lewiston?
@emilybee ~ is your S attending there or did he choose elsewhere?
@NEPatsGirl - Yes. He’s a senior.
Hi @NEPatsgirl - I think he’s fine with Lewiston all told. His other two top choices - Clark U and Union - aren’t in great neighborhoods either and actually of the three, Lewiston probably is the best. There’s some nice revitalization going on downtown (maybe 3/4’s of a mile from campus) with good restaurants going in, etc. And I don’t think he feels unsafe although like being in any city, he’s careful. I love how Bates really supports Lewiston and vice versa. And it’s been fun getting to know Maine. ClarkU wasn’t high on my son’s list either and then we visited for accepted students day and really loved it. Of course Bates doesn’t award merit money at all. There’s a lot to love about Bates for sure. It’s very inclusive and the food is GREAT. I never quite know what to send him in a care package because the food’s so good. If you have questions, just hollar!
I have a son at Bates. He has very little time to actually hang out in Lewiston. I think I have seen more of it than he has. I have taken him to lunch/dinner a few times when I drop him off and I have enjoyed the places we have gone to. I felt very safe and have found people very friendly.
^^^ that’s true too!
I will chime in here, too, and echo Summeristhebest–my sophomore son doesn’t have much time to hang out in Lewiston. He is not a city guy, really, but finds the town manageable. The arrangement and location of the campus can make it feel quite separate from the town. As BTMell said, the food is good. My son has heard that it’s not until junior year that many students begin to wish for something else occasionally. He’s certainly not tired of it yet. That said, there are some good choices to eat elsewhere.
I don’t recall a phone call prior to acceptance.
Lewiston does not feel unsafe to me however it is economically depressed and looks it. But so are so many towns. It really isn’t fair because many areas around Boston are worse, but since we live here we don’t really “see” it, so seeing Lewiston didn’t stop us from applying. Even Amherst is kind of ugly–the surrounding towns, if you’ve seen those, Lewiston isn’t much different. If she liked Bates, I hope she gets in!
She did like Bates, again not first choice but in the running. Seems that alot of schools we looked at have undesirable neighborhoods (Worcester, Scranton, Lewiston, Poughkeepsie) but the choice will not be made weighing the location that heavily, except that she does prefer to be near some type of town that provides movie theatres, a mall, chain restaurants, that sort of thing…and of course, a ski mountain.
I don’t even know how large Lewiston is or how far from Portland or Freeport. I have read that it is less than a mile away from the campus, so walking distance I’d guess. Once the decisions come in, we’ll go into more depth about locations, etc.
The campus is in the town, although not surrounded by a “down town”. There is some residential area (older, nothing fancy) and gas stations, ugly Chinese restaurants surrounded by big parking lots, Family Dollar type stores/run down strip malls, you get the picture. Also a huge feeling that with some investment, some of the beautiful old brick factory type buildings could really be something, and that is perhaps starting to happen, as in Worcester and Lowell! Portland/Freeport is much nicer and I’m jealous of the Bowdoin people for having that. But Bates itself was great and Lewiston is not truly terrible. There are beautiful mountains and rivers and plenty of opportunity. It sounds like your D would love Burlington!!
Love both Portland and Freeport 
And, yes, I now have a very clear image of the town. I think I’ll check the crime stats while I’m at it.
Actually, my older son attends college in Amherst Mass I think it’s the ideal college town and the towns in the immediate vicinity - thinking Northampton, Hadley, etc. - are nice as well. Just saying. Lewiston is maybe 45 minutes from Portland and if she likes outdoorsy activities, it’s really fabulous for that. It sounds like she’s applied to some good places.
Yes, D likes the Amherst area, especially Northhampton and has been accepted by Smith early-write so its definately a contender. And then, of course, UMassAmherst CHC is her safety. She could well end up in that area, between those two schools and waiting for the MoHO decision. And lest we not forget, her very high reach of Amherst College itself.
(Just for clarification, I was referring to surrounding towns around Amherst (Belchertown, Springfield/Chicopee). Clearly, there is plenty to do in Amherst and Northampton! But outlying areas are depressing looking, and Amherst itself is not beautiful except maybe in the Fall, in which case Lewiston would be beautiful too! Not talking about any campuses here-- Bates itself is beautiful. Just talking about surrounding towns. Lewiston is nothing like Northampton (which I love.) Sorry if I offended, just an opinion.)
Congrats on your D’s early write to Smith! My mom and my sister are both alums.
Lewiston has some really lovely restaurants on Lisbon Street and it’s not as dumpy as it used to be. But it is definitely an old mill town.
My S and his friends go to Freeport and Portland frequently. Lots of kids have cars so it is easy to get away from campus. During short term they also go to the beach in South Portland.
@ emilybee, might your Dad be on this forum as well lol? I have shared threads with someone else whose wife and daughter are alums. JK, his daughter just recently graduated. I finally googled the area, it appears Freeport is 30 minutes away, def doable for a Saturday if someone has a car. Portland a bit further but still… Does your S or his friends go skiing at all?
My dad is 88 yrs old and can’t even figure out how to use the TV remote, let alone a computer. It wouldn’t surprise me if my 85 year old mom posts on the Smith thread though. She is a very active alum and computer savvy
It’s 20 minutes to Freeport going the back roads (we have stayed in Freeport when we couldn’t get resv in L/A.) We are staying there over graduation weekend, too. My S and his friends go to Portland quite a bit. They also go to parties/concerts at Bowdoin and Colby every once in awhile.
Most of my son’s friends ski. There is a small-ish ski area about 10 minutes from campus. http://lostvalleyski.com/ and the kids also go to the bigger areas like Sunday River and Sugarbush.
Bates also runs buses to Freeport/Portland/ski areas etc.
Here is a link to the schedule for this winter: http://www.bates.edu/activities/getting-around/bus-schedule/