Good day CC!
I’ve been reading through the forums regularly for almost several months now and after much evaluation and research, I’ve come to the realization that Bates is my dream school. I’ve had my common app appraised by several friends attending US & local colleges, and they’ve mentioned that my stats + essay + chances are decent. I would be more than happy to share them privately just to gather more insights.
Trouble is, I am an international student from Asia needing financial aid. Think less than $15,000 a year. Just enough to get by in a third world country, but not enough to sustain my schooling in my private high school, much less a US college. I know that this will hurt my chances a lot. But hopefully, Bates would have seen my keen interest to go there, considering it’s the only US college to which I’ll be applying (I have a lot of safety state universities here, and a couple of match private colleges w/ generous scholarships, so I still have some backup plans).
The office of admissions contacted me because I missed the EDI deadline, to which I responded that I will be applying for EDII. However, the more I think about it, the less it becomes a realistic option. That being said, should I still apply to Bates even though I know my chances are dim?
I would appreciate kindly all your responses. Much regards.
You should call Bates and share your strong interest and your financial concerns. Maybe they can help you estimate whether you would get enough aid to be able to go.
Anyway, no harm in applying. The worst case scenario is that it does not work out. But you certainly cannot be admitted and aided if you do not apply.
Have another plan in case it does not work out.
I agree with the above. The FA office at Bates is very helpful and I am sure will answer your questions to the best of their ability. I think you should apply ED2, unless you can’t afford the application fee. You should also request a Skype interview, as Bates likes interest.
The fact that they contacted you bodes well. You might even submit now, and email the rep for your region, asking if they would consider your app for ED1. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they said yes.
Thank you for responding quickly @TheGreyKing and @Lindagaf — I will definitely be emailing Bates come the following days. Your answers are much appreciated.
Pending one recommendation form, my application should be finished. However, since my recommender’s schedule is very demanding, I’m not sure if I would still make it in time, even if I do request for an extension. In this regard, would my chances decrease if I were to submit EDII instead of EDI? While I found the ED statistics and acceptance rates after some browsing, I haven’t seen the statistics for the separate rounds.
Thank you kindly 
No idea, sorry. But any ED round offers a higher chance of acceptance.
Try to let go of the idea of a dream school, becasue it sets you up for disappointment if you don’t get in or can’t afford it. You should also apply to other schools that give good aid and are less selective.
Thanks very much. And yup, I do have several backup plans in my home country - an assortment of match and safety colleges who’ve kindly waived their respective application fees and whose results will be released by January. Bates is slightly out of reach for me in terms of academic and financial concerns, but I agree that it can’t hurt to try.
@Lindagaf , would it be possible for me to PM my stats to you for evaluation, just to have a fresh pair of eyes? I would understand if it would be too much of a hassle, though.
Post them here. Others can chime in too if they are inclined. It’s so difficult to gauge chances at colleges with holistic admissions.
Okay. Here are my stats…
GPA: 93.07/100 (highest possible grade is 98, lowest is 70)
graduating class size (approx.): 192
class rank reporting: Top 10%
senior courses: art history, physical education, information communication technology, academic writing, research project, entrepreneurship, philosophy & ethics, CSP (culture, society, and politics), literature, biology (basic and advanced), and physics (basic & advanced). taking up vocational courses elsewhere.
ACT/SAT: did not take… no $$$. i’ve explained the lack of standardized testing in the common app, so i’m very thankful that bates is test-optional.
Major Awards (USAMO, intel, etc…):
- no major int’l awards
- individually: leadership (national), publication (regional, district), creative writing (regional). also got published by a university portfolio.
- by group: research conference (national - two papers for both life and physical sciences)
Extracurriculars:
- school publication (9-12), youngest and longest-serving in my school.
- research club (11), founder and co-president.
- health club (12), founder and secretary.
- advanced math & science club (9-10), secretary.
- class (9-12), secretary.
- school spirit (11), one-act play scriptwriter.
- documentation committee (12), national religious conference.
- a couple of other things, but this is what i’ve chosen to add in my activites in the common app
Job Experience:
- if my plan for entrepreneurship class pushes through, i’ll be conducting an academic writing consultation service on school grounds and a t-shirt design & printing service within the local community.
Volunteering:
- a couple of religious/spiritually-inclined services (9-12)
- medical missions, albeit informally (since my mom is a chair of the outreach committee PTA in my school)
- everything from welfare institutions, public hospitals, and relief goods distribution. though this is part of my school curriculum, so i’m not sure if i should still include it in terms of volunteer hours.
Teacher Recommendations:
- english teacher/publication advisor (8, 10-11) & physics/research teacher (11, 12): both have known me since i was in grade school. i have an a-ok relationship with both of them, and i believe that they could cater to my respective strengths (in terms of arts/sciences)
Essays:
- not that fantastic in terms of grammar & mechanics, but sorta heartfelt. talked about how i tried to fit in a conservative, religious society despite being part of the LGBT+ community. undergoing massive reconstruction and probably going to be discussing how disney, the internet, and writing became a huge part of my life.
Other:
colleges applied to: bates (US), a couple of private religious/state universities in my country.
prospective major: sociology, religion, physics & astronomy. either pre-law or pre-med, but i will most likely return to my country if i do decide to take up a professional degree.
income bracket: <15k
hooks: international student needing financial aid… so no hooks at all 
…sorry i wasn’t able to type with proper capitalization, i was honestly nervous typing this up.