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Grades to apply to Bates College?

Hi I'm interested in applying into Bates College class of 2024. By the end of senior year I should have taken around 13 AP classes but I have gotten 4-5 Bs in my classes. Does Bates consider the level of courses you're taking or do they mainly just look at your unweighted GPA?
19 replies
Replies to: Grades to apply to Bates College?
The average weighted GPA for admitted students is around 3.91, so you definitely have a shot
Bates is need blind. While I think they do know the financial aid status of most of their 70 or so athletic recruits, I take them at their word that applications are evaluated without regard to financial need. When going to the waitlist, Bates does say financial need can be a factor in the decision--likely depends on what net revenues are looking like at that point.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/your-money/college-admissions-wealth.html
I don't have time to look at all Bates' peer schools but Amherst and Williams have 50%+ of students receiving aid and Bowdoin is at 48.5%...they are all need-blind schools. Colby hasn't filled out a CDS in a few years so don't know about their ratios, but they are need aware too.
My guess is that at the fringes (including WL), ability to pay is a major factor but that for most of the class, it is not. Many of the "institutional needs" naturally favor kids from wealthier backgrounds, so this often sorts itself out in that arena.
33 ACT but 34 superscore and midd superscores
95 GPA unweighted so much higher weighted
ib diploma candidate taking all of the hardest ib classes
ap world sophmore year- 5
subject tests- math 2 - 750
us history- 720- might not submit
head of tutoring program at school, varsity soccer, track, deca with awards, volunteering, more tutoring, etc...
good recs
summer internship, also camp counselor experienced, want to major in history or political science
from NJ
lmk!
"Is Bates College need-aware?
Yes. This means that, on occasion, a student’s financial need may impact their application decision. Bates has a generous but limited pool of financial aid for non-U.S. students."
Now, OP, there's an expression: "Where to you think th tippy top kids go, when they don't get into a tippy top college?" You will face competition that had closer to a 4.0, the right ECs and more.
How much do you know about Bates? You can look up stats on their web sites. But much more matters. Try to figure what that is.