- What has been your favorite/least favorite part about Bates?
- What is the social scene like at Bates?
- Do you ever feel bored/isolated at Bates?
- What made you ultimately choose Bates?
Bates is very balanced, not isolated at all because it is in town but you will feel a pretty substantial sports vibe there but again it would not be like Penn State, rather kids that really like to play something. The football field for example is right in the middle of campus. Some teams, like track/XC, crew, squash, lacrosse will have kids that could have played in D1 and are potent nationally. I will tell you from visiting over 20 schools the campus facilities and the food were in the top 5 and food maybe higher.
I don’t know where you live but all three airports in the NYC area serve Portland and the airport is a breeze from campus.
Agree that XC/Track team is great - my DD was recruited and would have been thrilled to attend, but chose another NESCAC instead.
@Chembiodad which one?
My son is currently attending Bates. Great school extremely friendly inclusive vibe. Food is excellent. There is always something to do on campus. Academics are outstanding. The president of Bates is pushing the school in an upward direction. Bates is rising in the ranks. We are happy with our choice. Only negative is the school could use a new gym building. Money is flowing into the school so I’m hoping that will be next.
@Olympia2 does he play any sports or participate in any clubs?
My son is a 2017 grad. He did not play organized sports, but did participate in some Outing Club trips, and he learned to skateboard while he was at Bates, using it primarily for cross-campus transportation. He is on the outdoorsy/geeky side, and found his tribe in a club responsible for offering student events that do not include alcohol. His close group of friends there included theater folks, musicians, and athletes–from all over the country. As parents, we were particularly pleased with the Career Development Center, which provided excellent guidance and attracted the recruiter who ultimately hired him; he walked into a good first tech job the week after he graduated. To my knowledge he never felt isolated and had an active social life with plenty to do. Bates was not his first choice, but it offered him a very competitive package and turned out to be a great fit; he is very interested in ethics and that is a recurring theme on campus. We agree that President Spencer is putting Bates on an upward track financially (and in the rankings, apparently).
He is very athletic was a Varsity xc runner all 4 years in HS. He works out daily. I think in the winter the gym is short on machines. Treadmills etc. it’s very important in the long winter season to have access to alleviate stress and keep in shape. There is a great ice rink and indoor track pool etc. This really is a minor complaint though as we love the school.