United States
Bates College
Funding
Bates is NEED-AWARE for international first-year students and meets 100% of Bates-calculated demonstrated financial need of admitted students regardless of citizenship. International aid packages use grants and on-campus work and do not include loans for non-U.S. citizens; a student work or family contribution may remain. Bates does not award merit scholarships. International applicants who do not request aid before admission cannot first request aid afterward.
Eligibility
Selectivity context: Highly selective. International first-year applicants from Bangladesh may use Common App or Coalition powered by Scoir with NO application fee and NO required Bates supplement. SAT/ACT is test-optional. Crucially, non-Canadian international aid applicants use the Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA) available through the Bates applicant portal AFTER applying; CSS Profile is NOT required for them (Canadian citizens have separate rules). Students not requesting aid must submit a financial certification and bank letter before enrollment if admitted.
Deadlines
Fall 2027 first-year admissions and BISAFA/financial aid due: ED I November 15, 2026; ED II and RD January 10, 2027. The BISAFA is uploaded to the applicant portal after the admission application is submitted and must be complete by the same round's aid deadline. Optional interview and arts materials have separate instructions.
What Bates College needs for Fall 2027
Draft research from official pages (checked 14 Nov 2026). Not yet verified by a bdesh editor — confirm every date and prompt on the official page. 4 details still being checked.
Rounds and deadlines
| Round | Application | Financial aid | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision Ibinding | 15 Nov 2026 | not confirmed | by December 20 (reply by January 8) |
| Early Decision IIbinding | 10 Jan 2027 | not confirmed | by February 15 (reply by February 19) |
| Regular Decision | 10 Jan 2027 | not confirmed | by April 1 (reply by May 1) |
Essays and short answers
No college-specific essays found — only the Common App personal statement.
Testing
- SAT/ACT optional
- English tests: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test
- Required for applicants whose native language and secondary-school language of instruction are not English. Official scores only, best score used; no self-reported English scores. No minimum score listed.
Recommendations · Interview
- counselor + 1 teacher
- Interview: Optional
- Application fee: No fee · Apply through Common App, Coalition with Scoir, QuestBridge
Financial aid for international students
- Need-aware for international applicants
- ✓ Meets full demonstrated need
- Forms: Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA), International Student Financial Certification Document + bank letter
- Documents: BISAFA via application portal
Bates is not need-blind for non-U.S. citizens; need may affect admission. Meets full demonstrated need of admitted students; no loans for non-U.S. citizens; grants up to 8 semesters plus up to 20 hours/week on-campus work. Aid requests after admission are not considered. Aid is the same in every round.
Official pages used
- www.bates.edu/admission/apply/
- www.bates.edu/admission/apply/application-options/
- www.bates.edu/financial-services/financial-aid/deadlines/
- www.bates.edu/admission/apply/international-students/
- www.bates.edu/financial-services/financial-aid/
- www.bates.edu/financial-services/financial-aid/international-undergraduates/