2025-26 prompts · 2026–27 not yet confirmed · Lewiston, ME
Bates College supplemental essays
Bates College asks for no supplemental essays. Your Common App personal statement carries all the writing, so it has to do more work here than at most schools.
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What “no supplement” means for you
With no supplemental essays, Bates College reads only your Common App personal statement (650 words, one of seven prompts), your activities list and your transcript. Three consequences:
- The personal statement is the whole conversation.
There is no second essay to show a different side of you. If the statement is about a sport, the reader never learns you also build things. Pick the topic that shows the most of how you think.
- The activities list does the work a “why major” essay would do elsewhere.
Each 150-character description should say what you did and what came of it, not the club name twice. Lead with the activities that match your intended major.
- Demonstrated interest may matter more.
Without a “why us” essay, some no-supplement schools track whether you opened their emails, visited, or applied early. Check whether Bates College considers demonstrated interest on its Common Data Set.
A self-check before you submit
Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Bates College) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.
Run your draft through Admitify, free →Prompts verified September 2026 against Bates College's published application. Admission facts and requirements for Bates College are on its university page. Spotted a change? Tell us.