Bates is a small liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine, a city of nearly 40,000 along the Androscoggin River. Directly across the river is Auburn, a city of over 25,000. Despite being a few hours from the closest major airport, Bates has become a popular option for international applicants for reasons we’re going to explore in this post, along with some tips, tricks, and must-know details that will help you as you apply.
Bates College is fully undergraduate, meaning that the focus is entirely on you, and you won’t have classes taught by graduate students. Instead, you’ll get to work directly with professors. The 2,000 (or so) students are guaranteed four years of student housing, which is typically far more affordable than living off campus regardless of where you go to college, and there are about 160 international students. There are over 80 countries represented among the student body, and Bates has a multitude of student groups to support and celebrate the many cultures on campus.
Over the past few years, people have caught on to what a good option Bates is for a small liberal arts school, causing the acceptance rate to plummet precipitously. Today, Bates is among the most selective colleges in the country, only admitting 13.7% of applicants. In this post, we’ll help you become part of that select group of admitted students.
If you’re excited to go to college in the U.S. but aren’t excited about the application process, we can help. We specialize in making your college admissions experience seamless and successful.
What is Bates looking for in International Students?
First, let’s define who an international student is at Bates. Different colleges define “international student” differently, so the first step to applying as an international student is to determine if you indeed are one. At Bates, an international student is any student who is a non-U.S. citizen, and who requires a visa to be in the United States.
If you go to school outside the U.S. but are a U.S. citizen, you are looked at as a “student with an international background.” Your application will be reviewed by a member of the International Admission Committee (among others), who is specially trained to understand international school systems and curriculums, and to advocate on your behalf, but when it comes to financial aid you will be considered as a domestic applicant.
Let’s break it down a bit more
Once you’ve confirmed that you are indeed an international student, it’s time to look at what may be different for you than someone applying within the US. For Bates, you’ll fill out the same applicants as any other applicant, but there are still some things you need to take into consideration well in advance of logging into the Common App for the first time.
Courses + Grades
Some colleges have no subject distribution requirements for applicants. They may suggest that you take science for a few years, but they don’t require it. Bates is different. Bates requires applicants to have taken certain subjects for a specified number of years. We’ve outlined the requirements in broad strokes below, but highly recommend verifying that you will meet these requirements in advance of your senior year such that you have time to catch up if need be.
The Bates Requirement:
4 years English (or literature)
3 years math
3 years science with two labs
2 years foreign language
3 years social studies
3 years history
Any art classes or other electives must be on top of this foundation. And your grades need to be good. Ideally, better than good. With such a low acceptance rate, we advise students who want to be competitive in the Bates admissions pool to work hard to have excellent grades. It’s ok if you had a few rough classes freshman or sophomore year, but your grades or scores should show an upward trajectory with you performing better as you’ve progressed through secondary school.
Ultimately, your grades are the single most important aspect of your application. While your extracurriculars and test scores provide useful information, and the essays can fill in gaps and provide meaningful context, you’re not going to be admitted to Bates if you don’t have strong grades.
Extracurriculars
That said, Bates considers your extracurricular activities, talents, and personal qualities to be very important, so you need to represent them through the activities section and essays in a way that clearly communicates what you are passionate about.
We encourage students to go beyond whatever clubs your school may offer or pay-to-play opportunities you have access to. Admissions officials know that your extracurricular options may be limited, so find internships (paid or unpaid, but not ones you pay for) and jobs that connect to things you are passionate about. You could also start a school club if there is interest among your peers and you can get a faculty advisor on board. If school clubs aren’t an option, create a community of peers outside of your school to meet about and act on something you care about.
When choosing activities, pursue things as far as you can take them, seek out leadership opportunities, but don’t be a lone wolf. Work together with people, and celebrate anywhere that you are part of a team. Bates likes students who are independent, but who can still thrive in an environment where they are working collaboratively
Standardized Tests
At Bates, the SAT or ACT have been optional since 1984 — this isn’t just a COVID-era policy. This means that they are used to not receiving SAT and ACT scores, whereas some other selective colleges are still adjusting to it and may judge applications without scores more harshly. Only 39% of admitted and enrolled students in the 2022-2023 application cycle submitted SAT or ACT scores. So over 60% of students who were admitted and enrolled did not send in standardized test results.
Since so few students submit scores, this skews things a little because only students who receive scores that they feel are good send them in. Ultimately, this means the admissions officials are used to seeing high numbers even if most students who applied didn’t score that well. So, you want to make sure that your scores will stand out positively if you do send them. If you are going to submit, make sure your SAT is above 1400 and your ACT is above 32 to be competitive. But if you feel your scores don’t reflect your knowledge or potential, don’t stress about leaving them out.
There’s one more test you will need to take if English is not your native language and is not the primary language you’re taught in at your schools. If you don’t speak English as your first language and your school isn’t taught in English, you will be required to take an English-proficiency test, such as the TOEFL or IELTS. They also accept InitialView and Vericant recorded interviews as additional evidence of English proficiency, and, they say, “Applicants who submit one of these interviews tend to be more competitive for admission.”
Pro Tip: When you do the InitialView or Vericant interview, designate Bates with a star or heart to show that it’s a top choice for you. Why? Demonstrated interest.
Demonstrated Interest
Bates takes demonstrated interest, or whether you’ve shown them that Bates is a top choice for you, into account in their admissions decisions. They want to know that you want them. We know visiting is off the table for most international applicants, so reach out to the admissions office well in advance of applying with a question or two, attend virtual info sessions if possible, and definitely request an interview.
Financial Aid
The last thing we’re going to take a moment to focus on here is financial aid. If you’re going to need financial assistance to attend college in the U.S., you may already know that a lot of U.S. colleges do not offer financial aid to international students. Bates is different. They meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all students, including international students. This can mean a combination of grants and on-campus employment, but international student financial aid packages do not include loans. Your intent to apply for aid must be indicated in your initial application, not after you’ve been accepted.
It's important to know, too, that need can impact your college decision from Bates. They do take how much aid you’ve demonstrated need of into consideration when looking at your application, as they need to ensure that they can meet their 100% commitment to every student.
As you consider applying to Bates, remember that advanced planning is your friend. You’ll need to make sure you meet the subject distribution requirements, decide whether to submit your SAT or ACT scores, and develop extracurriculars that will stand out. And, in the end, it all comes down to storytelling. So, how do you want to tell your story?
If you want to tell the most compelling story possible, send us an email. We specialize in helping outstanding students put together exceptional applications that stand out for all the right reasons.