Hello, Class of 2026 families –
 
It’s official – the Class of 2026 is now fully enrolled! We are thrilled to welcome you and your students to Bates.
 
We hope our summer-long outreach will help you feel at home at Bates and help you support your students as they manage the transition to college.
 
Today, we want to share these resources:

• This year, Bates will host both in-person and virtual Summer Welcome events, so please check the schedule and watch your email for invitations. In-person events help family members and their incoming students meet other new Bobcats. Virtual gatherings are designed for Bates families to provide you with a parent-to-parent perspective.
• First-year students will hear from the First-Year Experience team throughout the summer. Next week, incoming students will receive an update about their access to Garnet Gateway. Garnet Gateway is where new students complete needed forms before arriving at Bates such as activating their Bates email, making housing requests, ranking AESOP preferences, and submitting health forms. Please remind your student to activate their Garnet Gateway account.
• Once your student is on Garnet Gateway, if you would like access to the portal in order to view your student’s financial aid, billing, or other information, your student must grant you access using this process.
• First-year student arrival is Wednesday, August 31. Fall student-athletes typically arrive before the rest of the class, and they should consult coaches directly about team arrival dates. International students also have an earlier arrival date, so please watch the schedule for that update.
• Back to Bates: Family Weekend will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2022. We encourage you to make travel and hotel arrangements as soon as possible.

We are delighted you are part of the Bates family and look forward to staying in touch. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or say hello in the Bates Class of 2026 Parents & Families Facebook group! 
 
Best from campus,
 
Emily Levine
Director of Parent Giving and Engagement
 
Penney Ward
Assistant Director of Parent Giving and Engagement