Bates College

Yes. Bates is highly selective, admitting about 14.8% of applicants in the most recent cycle — roughly 1,433 offers from a pool of more than 9,600, with about 493 students enrolling. As a test-optional, holistic college, Bates weighs the rigor of your course load, GPA, class rank, and application essay as very important factors rather than relying on a single cutoff.

Bates does not publish an average admitted GPA, so there is no hard cutoff. As a holistic, test-optional college it treats academic GPA, class rank, and the rigor of your high school record as very important factors, so admitted students typically present strong grades in a demanding college-preparatory program rather than a single magic number.

No. Bates has been test-optional for decades and was one of the first colleges in the U.S. to drop the requirement, so you can apply without submitting scores. Among enrolled first-years who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1325–1510 on the SAT and 31–34 on the ACT; standardized test scores are only 'considered' in Bates's review, not required.

Yes, a 1450 is competitive. It sits above the median for enrolled first-years who submitted scores — the middle 50% scored 1325–1510, with a median around 1440 — and lands in the upper half of admitted students. Because Bates is test-optional and rates standardized tests only as 'considered,' a score in this range can help your application but is not required.

Bates offers binding Early Decision in two rounds, ED I and ED II, and the early round shows a higher admit rate than the regular pool: the early round received 949 applications and admitted 318, versus an overall acceptance rate of about 14.8%. ED is binding, so it's best suited to applicants for whom Bates is a clear first choice. Bates also marks level of applicant interest as an important admission factor.

Tuition and required fees run about $70,596 per year, with the total cost higher once food and housing (about $19,784) are added. Bates meets 100% of demonstrated financial need; roughly 45% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average first-year need-based package near $63,460.

The social sciences are the single most popular area at about 26% of degrees, followed by the biological and life sciences (about 19%) and psychology (about 9%). Environmental studies, the physical sciences, and the visual and performing arts round out the most-conferred fields, reflecting Bates's strength as a liberal arts college with a small 9-to-1 student-faculty ratio.

Yes — a lot. Bates rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, on par with GPA, course rigor, recommendations, and character, and well above standardized test scores, which are only 'considered.' With an acceptance rate around 14.8%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out.

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