As the Jan. 1 deadline nears, the Bates admission team offers advice to apply

The deadline to apply to Bates and other highly selective liberal arts colleges is less than a month away, and high school seniors are deep into the details of their applications.

The deadline for applying to Bates through Regular Decision and Early Decision II is Jan. 1, 2014.

We asked the Bates admission team what advice they might have, both for seniors right now and for younger students just beginning their college search.

The number one piece of advice comes from the dean herself, Leigh Weisenberger.

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Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenberger

The college application is your opportunity to tell us about what you truly enjoy doing, what inspires you and what holds meaning for you.

It is not a sin to fail, said Benjamin Mays ’25, the revered civil rights leader and Bates graduate. But aiming low is.

In all your efforts, show us that you can aim high.

The academic work you do in high school, the initiative you take, is what will set you apart. Showing us that you can take the extra step in your coursework is the first thing any college admission team will notice.

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Director of Admission Scott Steinberg ’86

Choose your college carefully, and be mindful of what it stands for.

In the best sense, going to college isn’t a transactional relationship, it’s a transformational one. You’re not just choosing a place to study for four years. You’re choosing an association of people — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — with whom you’ll study, play, network, socialize, work, and grow for many, many years to come.

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Director of Student Financial Services Wendy Glass

Once you’ve submitted your application, it’s easy to settle back into your high school routine and forget about your financial-aid application — especially since aid deadlines are often later than admission deadlines.

So, just as you’ve focused on application deadlines all fall, now be mindful of financial-aid deadlines. Note them on your calendar at home, and on your computer or smartphone.

Communicate with your parents so you can together create a schedule that gives you enough time to gather information and submit the required forms on time.

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Associate Dean of Admission Jared Rivers

Try your best to remain true to yourself throughout the college search process without placing too much value in what your friends say.

That should help you find the best college match based on your interests and things that are important to you.

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Associate Dean of Admission Johie Seltzer ’03

Don’t forget to be a senior. You have worked hard to get to this point in your high school career. Make sure that you are taking time to enjoy that.

This year isn’t all about your college search, it’s also about savoring your final year in high school.

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Admission Counselor Noah Jenkins

Bates students are intelligent, active, multifaceted people and a good application calls attention to the student’s individual talents and passions. Students that thrive here are ones that enrich campus with their individuality.

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Admission Counselor Katy Nowiszewski

The smartest way to get to know a college is by talking to its students and alumni. Bates interviews are conversations that can help you understand this place best — and help you decide if you are a Bobcat at heart.

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Associate Dean of Admission LK Gagnon ’88

Just be yourself. We want to know who you are, not who you think we want you to be.

Although, Judy Garland said it way better: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

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Admission Counselor Freddi Dupre

My piece of advice is a simple one: stay sane.

It can be easy to get caught up with all the chatter that goes on in school during the fall of senior year — it seems like who’s applying where and when is the only topic of conversation.

Remind yourself to turn down that noise and remember that this is a process that is all about you: who you are, who you want to be, and where you want to be. Applying to college can be stressful, but ignoring the hype will make it easier.

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Assistant Dean of Admission Mai Hinton

It’s all about fit. Find the best college for you!