Bates College

What are the popular events and traditions at Bates College?

Bates's recurring events include Winter Carnival, the Mount David Summit, and the All College Gala. They serve different purposes: seasonal campus programming, presentation of student academic work, and a college-wide social gathering.

The Mount David Summit is especially relevant to applicants interested in undergraduate research because it gives students a forum to present projects and discuss their work beyond a classroom. Event formats and schedules can change from year to year, so a named tradition should not be taken as a guarantee that a particular activity will occur in the same form every term.

What are the student housing and dining options at Bates College?

Bates offers college-operated undergraduate housing, including coeducational options, and most students live on campus. Housing is an important part of the college's residential model, but the availability of campus housing should not be confused with an unconditional promise of a particular building or room type.

First-year students should follow the college's housing assignment process and review any deadlines for preferences or accommodations. Residence options can differ in layout and community arrangements; reported housing units have high-speed internet access. Students who may need to live off campus should establish how that choice affects housing eligibility, aid, and meal-plan requirements.

Campus dining and meal plans supply the main food options for residential students. Before selecting a plan, students should review its current terms, dining locations, and any arrangements needed for dietary or accessibility reasons. The room-and-board amount used in a published annual budget may not equal every student's final housing and dining charge.