It may be helpful to have a sense of how the summer will unfold for your new Bates student – and for you as a new Bates family. We’ve provided a general overview below.

A few notes

• All forms and tasks are the responsibility of your student. Incoming students receive frequent updates from the First-Year Orientation team about new or upcoming deadlines or tasks to complete. 
• Family welcome events remain virtual for Summer 2021. We know incoming families are eager to meet one another in person – and we look forward to it, too! However, the biggest silver lining of this year’s virtual series is that all families have an opportunity to participate in welcome events, no matter where they hail from.

Dates for incoming students

Late May: Students receive access to Garnet Gateway, Lyceum, and their bates.edu email address. They should check these resources frequently for regular updates.

July 1: The first large batch of student forms are due. This includes a number of medical forms plus AESOP preferences.

July 12: Students gain access to online Lyceum resources about course registration. Two student-only “Ask Me Anything” forums will be held on July 14 and July 21 to help answer student questions about registering for classes. These events will be recorded so students can view them later if needed. 

July 19-23: Students will register for their First-Year Seminar (FYS). 

July 20: Incoming students and families informational webinar. This event will be recorded.

July 30: Students will be notified of which FYS they will be taking, along with next steps for finishing Fall 2021 course registration.

End of July: Students will receive notification of their roommate and housing assignments.

August 4-10: Students will select their additional preferred 3 courses for the fall as well as at least 4 alternates in the event any preferred courses fills. A Registration Consultant – a member of the Bates faculty or staff – will reach out to your student on or near August 3 to offer assistance or be a sounding board as students consider their selections. 

August 20: Students can review their fall schedule in Garnet Gateway. If they wish to adjust their schedule, the “Add/Drop” period begins on August 31.

August 26: Arrival for most Class of 2025 members. Please review the full arrival calendar here. 

Dates for incoming families

July through early August: Parents/guardians are invited to attend one of our online welcome events. Loosely organized by geography, these virtual sessions provide incoming families with an opportunity to hear from current Bates families and to get to know other Class of 2025 parents/guardians. Registration links will be provided to families by email.

July 20: Incoming families and students webinar. A panel of Bates staff will discuss arrival logistics, campus health protocols, supporting your student, and more. This event will be recorded. Registration links will be provided to families and students by email.

August 26: On drop-off day, the college will host a President’s Welcome for all Class of 2025 families and their students. This is tentatively scheduled for 3:15 p.m. and will take place outside, rain or shine. The welcome event is a lovely moment together on campus before families depart.

Family orientation sessions have been moved online this year and will take place as a series of webinars. Registration links will be provided by email, and all sessions will be recorded.

• Sept. 2 at 8pm ET: Academics at Bates
• Sept. 9 at 8pm ET: Life outside the Bates classroom
• Sept. 14 at 8pm ET: Supporting your student’s well-being

Back to Bates, our family weekend, is currently scheduled for October 1-3, 2021. However, it is important to note that no decision has yet been announced about whether the college will be able to host this event in person. We will update all families as soon as there is more detail available.