If you are not a varsity athlete at Bates, can you still find your people (especially if you are conservative)?

[pinksparkle4]

Hi. Reading that over 40% of the Bates class is varsity athletes and know that in many of those cases, at smaller schools, the sports teams ARE the social life. Can my athletic, very well rounded student who trends towards conservative, find a place in the Bates community if they are not on a sports team (might join intramural if an option)? TYIA!!!

[tsbna44]

Bates appears to have a College republicans group. You might reach out and ask, speak to its leader. Also, this thread may or may not be of interest.

Is Bates open minded to more conservative ideas?

Hello all, I’m looking at political science at Bates College in Maine; it has everything I’m looking for in a school. I’m religious, right-of-center, and very libertarian. The school is obviously very left-leaning, but it advertises itself as very quirky and accepting. Most of my friend group is LGBTQ+ and very leftist, and I’ve learned how to navigate and maintain relationships with people I disagree with. However, I’m not sure how professors and the administration would react to ideas challenging their status quo. Would I be able to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally at Bates?