Not really. Bates is a great school.

I couldn't be happier than I am at Bates. It is truly a special place and in my freshman year I have met some truly amazing people. One of the best parts of Bates is that it doesn't matter what year you are - no one is very exclusive. I think it's a beautiful thing that I have just as many freshman friends as I do any other class year.

I graduated today, and I will be sorry to leave Bates, but I know that it has prepared me well for any endeavor I will take on.

I love Bates! While it's great that lots of people take advantage of the opportunity to go abroad, I've decided for academic reasons to stay on campus, and I couldn't be happier! Bates gives you the opportunity to go outside your comfort zone while, at the same time, providing you with a warm, loving place to come home to. For anyone looking at colleges, especially small, nurturing liberal-arts schools, I can't think of anything better. My least favorite thing about Bates is the great amount of dogs on campus (I hate dogs.) If that's the biggest thing I have to complain about, then I'd say it's a pretty great place! And if that doesn't do it, then hear this: our food is amazing. Seriously. It's summer break and I miss Commons food.

I struggled at Bates finding a niche. There are very few opportunities for exploring alternative modes of engagement and it seems a place inhospitable, at times hostile even, towards higher thought/ critical engagement. The professors are wonderful and do their best to engage students in fascinating material. The student body lacks in all the important ways. The administration is filled with lovely people though actively struggling to restructure the community and the President consistently fails to lead or take a stand for its students in any meaningful way (though, to be fair, she will rack up the endowment). Alas- why can't every school have a Ruth Simmons?

In terms of the comparison between bates bowdoin and colby, a batsie would probably say that people at bowdoin are far more intellectual and full of a lot of people who wish they were at harvard. And colby is a little less down to earth than Bates, but hey this could just be the narcissism of small differences.

On the whole, Bates, though my second-choice school, has turned out to be everything that I originally thought college could be. I have met most of my closest friends at Bates, learned more than I thought I was capable of, and have fallen deeply in love with some of the more unlikely parts of Maine. Though I will be the first to admit that it is imperfect, I feel great about having chosen Bates and would do so again.

I have seen a shift in the social atmosphere and general make up of the student body in my four years here. The campus is growing increasingly white collar, upper-class, and privileged. Birkenstocks and dreadlocks are being replaced by Gucci bags and cell phones. This may just be part of a growing national trend, but its definitely a felt reality on campus. Bates is not as "crunchy" as it use to be, and I am concerned with a rising level of apathy that seems to be growing in the last few incoming classes

A lot of the people here LOVE Bates, but I feel like you definitely have to be a certain type of person to feel at home here. I came because my Dad went to Bates, but it ended up not being for me, and I'm actually transferring next year. But then again, I am that high-strung person who wants competition in my academics, intensity in my sport, and not so much alcohol on the weekends. Also, this school is SMALL-we don't even have two thousand kids-so the campus can feel kind of constricting at times. You should definitely take that into account before applying/deciding to come. Also, when you come to visit Bates, take time to look around Lewiston as well.

At Bates, we tend to make our own fun, like cutting a hole in the ice over Lake Andrews and jumping in or occasionally escaping to Boston, Montreal or Quebec City. Closer to home are Freeport, where you can buy from the LL Bean factory outlet or watch a free Bela Fleck and the Flecktones concert. Portland, just 40 minutes south of Bates is a great little city. With a population of 230,000, you can bet there's plenty to do: go out to a nice dinner, hop around Old Port near the water with its cool shops and restaurants or just explore, you'll find something or someone interesting. On campus, the student run Village Club Series brings in musicians from across the country to perform (my freshmen year, the Root's played to a very enthusiastic Bates crowd). Our music department also has an artist in residence, right now Frank Glazer the celebrated concert pianist, who offers frequent performances on campus as well. As far as partying goes, there's really no shortage. Bates isn't a party school, but I'd say we fit the cliché; work hard, play hard. Just ask a Batesie about Lick-it or the 80's dance.

In general, yes. There are conservatives and Bates, and, surprisingly, there are students that come to Maine and not want to spend more than a few fleeting minutes outside. Occasionally, you might even see some Polo shirts with their collars up.

I've taken 16 classes, and all but 2 of my professors knew my name. I've been so impressed with the professors, especially in the psychology department. Every professor is so enthusiastic about the classes that he or she teaches, and that has a huge impact on the students. I'm a psych major, and I took a class called Motivation and Emotion (a biopsych class) which was the best class I've taken at Bates. I never had any interest in the biological bases of psychology, but this class and my professor's enthusiasm and encouragement turned me into a biopysch major. Professors are very accessible and willing to help--they want you to come to them when you're having trouble. It shows them that you care and that you really want to understand the material. I honestly don't think I would have made it through some of my classes if I didn't stop by my professors' offices on several occasions. I think it's also important to note that professors are equally as excited to talk about your interests and experiences; I've spent a great deal of time talking to my professors about mutual interests and aspirations. One of my professors, who's the chair of the neuroscience department, suggested that I (not a neuro major) speak to him about figuring out a potential path for the rest of college and beyond. I don't know why he took such an interest in my choices, but it was so encouraging and reassuring and made me realize how special Bates is. In my experience--and maybe this is just because I'm a psych major--the education is geared toward learning for its own sake. I've taken some classes that will not help me at all in terms of getting a job, but that have broadened my scope of interest and knowledge. It's refreshing to see professors teaching classes on subjects that may not lead directly to successful careers, but that they are passionate about. For the most part, students are very focused on their studies and spend a lot of time working. Students are competitive, but I find that we're competitive more with ourselves than with our peers. I always study in groups, and have found that everyone is willing to share their opinions, knowledge, and everyone is eager to help each other.

Academics are all above average. There are a few teachers who perhaps should be considering another career, but that is true of almost anywhere. Classes are mostly small size (especially as you get into higher level courses) and engaging. The only complaint I currently have is that the current Spanish department is pretty unimaginative and unexciting.

While there definitely exists a large hippy contingent at Bates(I lived with them in one of our two Environmental Sustainability Houses), the student body represents the entire country and more. I'm from Philadelphia, my girl friend is a Tucson native, the music director of my a capella group calls the Bay Area in California home. However, the New Englanders are overrepresented, and one will often hear about their "just outside Boston" neighborhoods. Beyond all that though, the administration and trustees are working hard to diversify our school, and the success is evident with increasingly diverse incoming classes. I think our football team may have won one game last season, but I can't say I was following their season either... While our winter can drag on in the intense way Maine winters do, Maine offers spectacular beauty throughout the year. In October, our entire campus turns a golden red as the leaves begin to fall. All I can say about winter is that we have a six month ski season. I saved the best for last. In April and May, Bates's Short Term offers students a unique experience to, generally speaking, take a class just because they think it will be interesting. While the classes often require a significant amount of effort put in outside of class (which isn't such a big deal when you're in class six hours a week), there's always plenty of time to get friends together to grill some burgers or hike a mountain. And don't forget about the on campus outdoor concerts and annual lobster bake down at Popham beach state park.

In terms of the comparison between bates bowdoin and colby, a batsie would probably say that people at bowdoin are far more intellectual and full of a lot of people who wish they were at harvard. And colby is a little less down to earth than Bates, but hey this could just be the narcissism of small differences.

There are no frats or anything on campus but there are lot of oncampus houses that have parties on the weekend. Footballs pretty nice but obvisouly it's not for everybody. Most people are friends based ont he groups they belong to but everyone knows each and there's not a lot of drama. People party usually on Friday and Saturday except during short term when it's bascially a party every night.

I am part of the sailing team, which is, in my opinion, the best team on campus. We are completely student run and self-motivated. We have set high goals for ourselves and even though we are considered a club team by the school, we provide fierce competition for our division 1 competitors! The team is also very close: we have weekly gatherings and fabulous theme parties. The social scene, in terms of the dating scene, is a little rough towards the end of four years. But, it's okay - who needs a serious boyfriend in college, anyway? You are too focused on yourself and what you want to do with your life. That is most important. The traditions at Bates are great fun - the pub crawl, the puddle jump, midnight madness... they are what bond students together.

Almost everybody is in a sport or a club and is pretty passionate about participating in their respective activities.

My experience with most campus groups is that they love to get new members and take on new projects (definitely true for those I am part of), but that most groups prefer to be autonomous rather than working with other student organizations. I can also attest to the fact that it is relatively easy to form a new student organization and receive funding from the student government, having headed up an effort to start a woodsmen team. We are currently in our first year of existence and have just purchased equipment, but we have ambitious plans to be competing in the fall. Different types of students absolutely interact--when classes are small, it's all but impossible not to meet all kinds of people that Bates has to offer. And there are all kinds of people--though plenty hail from New England, that in itself means a pretty wide range of experiences, and on the whole, people are from all over, and from a broad scope of backgrounds. Many of us are on financial aid, but--by and large--finances are not a divisive topic, with most students electing to keep those matters private. Students are largely liberal, though some vocal right-wingers make their presence known, and on the whole we are largely aware and active when it comes to politics.