COURSES IN BATES

Courses

   The Bates academic year follows a 4-4-1 calendar.Students take four courses (the normal course load) during the fall and winter semesters,and for at least two of the four years take  five week long intensive course during the spring.This session called Short Term,allows professors to have more freedom and creativity in designing each courses and in many cases allows the class to leave the campus to study a subject by touching it and seeing it rather than just reading about it.Short Term courses allows geologists to study geologic history from inside a kayak in the Inter coastal waterways of Malne; biologists study evolution by learning about the finches of the Galapagos Islands,as Darwin did from the Beagle.

The Harvard Center for Community Partnership

           The Harvard Center for Community Partnership leads Bates efforts in community involvement,including strong programs in services learning,community volunteerism,and environmental stewardship.The center aims to work with community partners to meet community needs and in the process, to integrate civic engagement with the Bates educational experience.The center offers short-and long-term grants to faculty,staff,and students,and provides summer support to pursue community-based research and work-study.The Harvard Center works with more than 125 partners,from schools and cultural Institutions to grassroots community groups.

*Academically-Based-Service-Learning

               The Harvard Center supports sources and projects that activate liberal learning to make a difference in the world,From oral history projects to pollution monitoring of the Androgenic River to literacy research with local immigrants,some fifty percent of Bates students incorporate community work into their studies.

*Community Volunteerism

             The center coordinates Bates community volunteer programs.Led by a term of undergraduate Volunteer Fellows,the program enables Bates students to serve as school mentors or tutors,to work in senior centers or environmental conservation areas,even to plant community gardens and build ski trails.Each years,two thirds of the students on campus take part in volunteer services.

*Environmental Stewardship

          Committed to environmental stewardship,the Harvard center for Community Partnership oversees the Bates-Morse Mountain Conversation area,a six-hundred acre coastal preserve that protects rare salt marsh and dune beach ecologies for research and public use.

Degrees

     Bachlor's degrees are fulfilled after completion of thirty-two courses and two Short-Term units.A degree can be conferred after three years.this accelerated program requires completion of thirty courses and three short-term units.

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General Education Requirements of BATES College

General Education Requirements of BATES College

                             Bates College emphasizes a broad-based liberal arts education,encompassing the social sciences,humanities,mathmatics,sciences and the arts.There are no core courses required of all students;however,there is astructured menu of options allowing students to extend,focus,and connect areas of interest.

             Students enroll in two General Education Concentrations (GECs) outside their major,exposing students to a variety of disciplines.A GEC is a group of four linked courses.A GEC may focus on one topic or area of inquiry,with courses coming from different disciplines,or aGEC may focus on atopic within a single department,program,or major.The faculty is developing an array of GECs.Some interdisciplinary examples being considered are:Sound,Hearing and Music; Legal studies;Coastal and Watershed Systems;Architectural Studies:Urbanism and Constructed Spaces;Diasporas;Evidence:Documentation and Reality;Indigenous Responses to Globalization;and Sports,Competition and culture.
                            Three goals serve the larger liberal arts objectives:

1. Teach every student how academic disciplines complement one another,providing a sophisticatied perspective on how to pursue knowledge.

2. Teach every student to write correctly and persuasively.

3. Give students college-level instruction in the methods and findings of the sciences and in quantitative analysis.

SOCIAL LIFE AND ACTIVITIES OF BATES COLLEGE

Sports:

           While students are conscientious about their work,there are very few who dont have several extracurricular activites keeping them busy.Bates supports thirsty varsity teams and twelve club sports teams.\for many students,athletics are a very important part of the Bates experience.Two-thirds of the current student population participated in varsity and club sports.Bates athletic teams compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).Without a doubt,the most intense rivalries are between Bates and Bowdoin and Colby,referred to as the BBC.One of the goals of every team is to become champs of this "mini-conference" for bragging of Maine.

Clubs/Activity Groups

Bates also supports more than seventy activity groups on campus,including art,chess,choir,dance,drama,gay-lesbian-bisexual alliance,international,jazz band,newspaper,orchestra,political,radio and tv,religious,social,and student government.Students can also start a group.One examples is the Bates Aviators Club,which was started by a student who came to Bates already experienced in piloting.Closely entwined with Bates history is its debate society.Bates was the first American college to engage in International debate.It has produced such eminent Americans as stateman Edmund Muskie and civil right ploneer Benjamin Mays.

Social Life

              The social life at Bates is definitely "alive" social activities are primarly on campus due to the fact that ninety percent of students live on campus.Students can take study breaks at the Den or meet with classmates at the Ronj,an entirely student run coffee house where students perform music and read poetry.Some like to play pool or Ping-Pong in Chase Hall.During the weekend,campus-wide parties,film club movies,and dance and theater productions give the students almost too many choices.The chase Hall Committee,a student run activities group,does a great job of getting big name bands to come and play on campus;past groups include counting crows,Trey Anastaslo of Phish,eminent singer-songwriter Ellis Paul and Edie Carey,Guster,and perennial alt-facorites,Yo La Tengo.

Off-campus Activities

                Being in the metropolitian area of Lewiston-Auburn also provides students with a number of options.Several multi-screen cinemas,shopping malls,and restaurants,accessible by student-run shuttle vans throughout the weekend,give students an off campus release when needed.Add in the fact that the Maine coastline,Portland's Old Port,andhiking and skiing are all lessthan an hour away,and one recognizes the opportunities students have  to enrichtheir Bates experience.

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SOCIAL LIFE AND ACTIVITIES IN CARNEGIE MELLON

The Campus              

     

                Carnegie Mellon is technically in a city. The campus is self-contained and surprisingly open for a city campus. There is grass and tree and (if you are in the right dorm) you never have to cross the street. The campus is also fairly safe. Pittsburgh's crime rate is relatively low compared to the national average. With relative security and other culture benefits, Pittsburgh has continually been named one of the country's most livable cities. Because the Carnegie Mellon campus is so self-contained, it is even safer.

           

                The university has about fifty security employees. About half are sworn police officers who have the power to make arrests; the other half are security guards. These guards and officers patrol the campus (on foot, bike, and in cars) twenty-four hours a day. If something does happen on campus police will hang up "crime reports" on all of the bulletin boards and in all of the dorms to keep everybody informed.

                 In addition to the campus police, there are many students run safety organizations. There is an escort shuttle bus (driven by students) that runs within two miles of the campus and will bring you home if  you don’t want to walk off campus alone. If you feel unsafe walking across campus alone, you can all safe walk and two students will come and walk you wherever you need to go.

UNWINDING

                 Although the academic environment can get fairly intense, Carnegie Mellon students definitely know how to unwind. After a full week of classes and schoolwork, everybody's ready to relax and have some fun. A common stereotype of Carnegie Mellon student is that they can never tear themselves away from their computers. While everybody here has probably has a few weekends when they spent much of it working, it is much more common for students to find other, non work related things to do.

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ACADEMIC LIFE OF CARNEGIE MELLON

ACADEMIC LIFE

            The students of Carnegie Mellon come from a number of different backgrounds. The one thing that everyone has in common is that they have worked hard to get here. Most of the students come from the top of their high school classes. At first, many of them are surprised that they are not necessarily in the same position here; however, they are surrounded by people and situations that challenge them and inspire them to work harder.

            Nobody ever said that being a student at Carnegie Mellon was easy, but it is certainly not impossible. You may be working hard and studying more than you'd expected, but so is everybody else. People understand what their colleagues are going through and they help each other.

            Although Carnegie Mellon is an extremely competitive school, students learn early that they need to help and support each other to succeed. People are willing to explain a difficult concept or give constructive criticism because they know that at some point they will probably need the same favor.

           For every class there is a study session offered before a test. In many cases, the professor or a teaching assistant will organize a review session to help members of the class. In addition to this, many students take it upon themselves to start their own study groups. In addition to helping and being helped by their peers, many students find this to be a good way to get to know people in their classes.

CLASSES AND FACULTY

             The faculty/student ratio is ten to one; the average class size is between twenty-five and thirty-five students. This also takes into consideration the larger lectures. The largest lecture hall on campus seats 250, which is relatively small compared to other universities. Most of the classes that have lectures this size are introductory classes that many students are required to take. In classes with this size, there is always a recitation offered with lecture. The recitation is a smaller group (ten to twenty people) led by a teaching assistant (TA) or graduate student who discusses the concepts and subjects covered in the lecture. In all cases, the TA and professor will always have office hours for people who may need extra help, and in most cases, they will also give the class members (no matter how many) their office (and sometimes home) telephone number and e-mail address. Some professors even host social gatherings to become better acquainted with their students.

              The course load and the kind of work you do depends on what college you're in and what you're majoring in. Computer science majors will obviously spend a lot of time at their computers, while architecture majors will spend a lot of time in their studios. While one person is working on problem sets every night, another will be writing a long paper. Everyone will say that his or her work is the hardest, but the truth is that everyone is doing the kind of work they enjoy (or they should be). It's impossible to classify the class work here into one category. Every class has its own pattern.

              No matter what a person's major is he, or she will have a few classes in other areas. For example, computer science majors are required to take non-computer related electives (such as an English class), people in the humanities are required to take a math class and two science classes and every freshman is required to take a computer skills workshop course. Introduction to World History and Introductory English class. 

COMPUTERS

           Any student at Carnegie Mellon would tell you that this is a very computer oriented campus. Almost everything from communicating with professors to signing up for classes is done over the Internet. One or the first things students are taught when they come here is how to use the campus network, Andrew. Every freshman is required to pass a class called Computer Skills Workshop (CSW), which covers everything from e-mail to ethics. Almost everything is announced over the Internet. Most classes and student organization have their own electronic bulletin boards to make announcements and have discussions.

            Students aren't required to have their own computers but many have them. There are computer clusters in many of the dorms and in every academic building. Every dorm room has Ethernet hookups in case the students do have a computer of their own, so they have access to the Internet from their rooms. Carnegie Mellon was the first university campus to offer wireless networking in all administrative and academic buildings. Wireless Andrew, the largest installation of its type anywhere, connects over 5,000 students, faculty and staff across campus and that number is growing. The wireless network is now available in all administrative, academic, and residential buildings across campus. The network is also accessible from outdoor areas on campus due to wireless leakage around buildings and through access points mounted on the exterior of some buildings. Users are able to access Wireless Andrew by purchasing a WaveLan card from the campus computer store and inserting it into their laptop or portable computer. The need for a computer depends on the major. Some people, who have a lot of work to do on computers, find it convenient to not have to leave their room to get their work done. Others, who don’t do a lot of work with computers, don’t have any need for them. Your best bet is to wait until you get to school and figure it out then (if you don’t already have one).  

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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS AT CARNEGIE MELLON

          What does it take to get into Carnegie Mellon? The Office of Admission looks at a lot of different elements when choosing who gets in. Basically, the admissions counselors are trying to get a feel of who you are and what you've done. Unlike many people think, it isn't only your transcript that admissions counselors look at. Of course, high school grades are important, but they are definitely not everything. The Office of Admission also looks at your standardized test scores (SATs or ACTs) and SAT Subject Tests, your essay, activities you've been involved in, personal recommendations, a portfolio or audition depending on your major interest and your interview (recommended not required).
           
         There is no set formula for how people get accepted. In some cases, one element (like test scores) may not be as strong as you'd like, but something else (like extracurricular activities) will make up for it. What admissions counselors look at also depends heavily on what your intended major is. For example, if you are applying to be a math major, they will concentrate on your math grades and scores more than on other things.

        However, what they are looking for is a well-rounded student who will take full advantage of the opportunity to come here. Your best bet is to do your best in everything and, above all, get involved! Most Carnegie Mellon students are involved in much more than just class work the admissions counselors want to find people who will be willing to take part in other things. This doesn't moan just sports or clubs. Your activities can be interests or hobbies.

         There is no grade or score that will get you in or keep you out of Carnegie Mellon. The decision comes from a number of different considerations that the counselors use to decide whether Carnegie Mellon is right for you.

        To apply to Carnegie Mellon, you can call or write and request an application for admission. You can also submit the Common Application online. Once you're on the mailing list, the university will send you all the information you meed. When you apply, you must indicate which college within the university you'd like to apply to. If you're still not sure what you want to major in (which college), you can apply to more than one college for no additional charge. Keep in mind that it is possible to be admitted to one college and rejected from another.

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INTRODUCING CARNEGIE MELLON

           The atmosphere at Carnegie Mellon is one of the most eclectic of any school. The name "Carnegie Mellon" is often association with computers and engineering; others think of it as a school that specializes in art and drama. All of these people are right. And when you add outstanding programs in the sciences,the humanities and business administration, you've got the basic academic view of Carnegie Mellon. The students here are as different from each other as you can get, yet everyone still finds ways to interact. There are students here from halfway around the world; there are students here from two miles away.There are students from all fifty states and over forty foreign countries. Some people are here building complex electronic devices, and some are making beautiful art. The one thing that everyone does have in common is that they're committed to what they're doing, and they work hard.

             Carnegie Mellon, located about five miles from downtown Pittsburgh, is surrounded by three culturally active, residential neighborhoods. Pittsburgh has come a long way since its industrial past. Today, the city, a top twenty-five arts destination, has cultural activity and diversity, and there is no more shortage of things to do and learn. This serves as the perfect setting for one of the fastest growing universities in the country.

            Carnegie Mellon is also one of the universities that uses bagpipes to greet its freshmen on the first day and say farewell to graduates at commencement. Carnegie's Scottish heritage is celebrated even today. The name of our marching band, the Kiltie Band, says it all; every member of the band wears authentic Scottish garb (yes, including kilts). Carnegie Mellon is one of the few schools in the United States that offers a music degree in bag-piping. If you're not interested in majoring in it, there's also a bagpipe club (no kidding).

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PROFESSORS

         Do not choose CMC if you want to go through four years of college as an anonymous student in the back of the classroom. The vast majority of CMC professors want to hear your ideas and opinions, they want you to ask questions, they hope that you will come to their office hours, and they would like to know how you are doing outside of school as well. It is not uncommon to find professors eating lunch with students in the dining hall and students are often invited to professors' homes for class gatherings.
       
         My professors introduced me to fundamental school of thought that bend my mind and make me feel more engaged in the rest of my life. The best classes here leave me thinking about the basic values and truths of the world after I leave the classroom. They also spark conversations about anything and everything with my friends.

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REQUIREMENTS

              CMC has various general education requirements that all students, regardless of major., must fulfill. These include three semesters of social sciences, two semesters each of science and humanities courses, and one semesters of literature, math (calculus-based), and world civilization. Additionally, all students must either demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language or complete three semesters of foreign language.
         
              An additional requirement for all CMC students is the senior thesis, a major research paper or project designed by the student. Normally completed during the senior year and overseen by a faculty adviser, this one or two semester venture is usually on a topic of interest within the student's major field of study. Social science and humanities students usually write thesis paper ranging from thirty to hundred of pages, science students design and carry out experimental research, and often students choose to do a creative project such as a short film of a novel.

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RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESSAYS

        It is also necessary to include three recommendations, one from a high school guidance counselor and two from teachers. Two essays must also be included. These essays include a personal statement and an analytical essay, and are one of the most important components of your application. The personal essay is an opportunity to show your personality and highlight your special achievements or personal experiences. The analytical essay should identify a person who has shaped current events and culture.

       It is also highly recommended that all applicants complete an interview with either an admission officer or with an alumnus of the college in their city. This interview is another opportunity for applicants to demonstrate the qualities that can set them apart from other candidates.

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CURRICULUM AND STANDARDIZED TESTS

          An applicant's high school education must have included four years of English, three to four years of math, at least three years of a foreign language, at least two years of science, and one year of history. All high schools are different however, and the availability of advanced, honors, or AP classes at your school will be taken into account. Steady improvement over the high school career is considered, and slacking during the senior year is not viewed favorably. Admission Dean vos said, "That last year is crucial because students who carry their grades through to the end will likely be people who see projects through and complete tasks to the best of their ability."
         The SAT is required. The median SAT score for the entering class in 2006 was 700 on the Critical Reading portion and 700 on the Math portion. These are median scores, how-ever, not hard and fast standards that all candidates must achieve and the admission office requests that applicants submit all scores earned for each and every time that an applicant has taken the SAT. Interested students should plan to take the exam during their junior year, or between October and January of the senior year.

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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

       CMC is highly selective and traditionally accepts approximately twenty percent of applicants. What is this selectivity based on? There are the usual traits each entering class includes its fair share of valedictorians and National Merit Finalists, and the median combined SAT score in around 2100. In addition, though, CMC seeks students who will be engaged learners and active members of the CMC community. Admission officers look for students who have shown leadership potential, self-motivation, and interpersonal skills and emphasis is placed on extra curricular involvement and how these activities could translate into success in the classroom and in the CMC community
   
      We're not trying to maximize pure intellectual performance, Certainly we want to have good grades, test scores, and recommendations, but we balance it a lot with considerations. It is ultimately important whether or not the student is a good fit for CMC, and vise versa.

        CMC's small size allows the admission office to build a comprehensive class made up of individuals who will be well suited to the CMC community and CMC's educational style. The admissions officers will try to "get to know you" as they consider your admissions materials. The components of your application that allow your personality to shine through, such as your essays, along with other factors such as your test scores, will all be considered. One recent graduate recalled being amazed when, during her first semester at CMC, one of the admissions officers approached her in the dining hall to tell her how much she had enjoyed the student's personal statement.

         It is equally important for you as an applicant to get to know CMC to determine that CMC is the best fit for you.

         The admission Office regularly offers tour of the campus and it is also possible to arrange an overnight stay in a dorm. Those who may be unable to visit the campus can write directly to current students with any questions that they may have by using the "Ask a Student" section of the admission office web site.

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INTRODUCING CLAREMONT MCKENNA

           Recognized as one of the nation's most prestigious liberal arts colleges, Claremont Mckenna College sets itself apart from its counterparts by its focus on leadership. The college's mission statement is to train "Leaders in the making" and leadership is stressed everywhere, from the classroom to dorm life to athletics. Many students pursue the "Leadership Sequence," which includes courses focusing on Leadership across disciplines, in addition to their major.
           CMC academically different because it provides its students with so many opportunities outside of the classroom for them to gain experience and knowledge that text book simply cannot offer. There are countless numbers of fellowships and scholarships for students that will pay for interning in another country, working for a nonprofit organization, starting up businesses, and study trips.

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INTRODUCING BATES

        Choosing the right college or university is often thought of as a difficult task. One obvious reason for this perception is that many college applicants are preoccupied with the academic, social, and athletic rigors of their senior year in high school. Deeper examination may reveal that the student is struggling with the important task of discovering exactly who they are. The successful choosing of the right college, in fact, involves a recognition and understanding of the true identity of an individual. It is also a reflection of what he or she wishes to become.
       My college selection process was probably very similar to many other prospective students of the small liberal arts college in New England. I had interviews in many top schools and had a chance to work around several campuses with students. My visit to BATES was defiantly different than others. From the beginning, the people at Bates made me feel very welcome and important. After my interview and tour I wandered into the science building to see the biology facilities ( I was pretty sure I wanted to be a bio major). Walking down a hall with my family, we happen by an open door where a student was doing a research. This student welcomed us into his lab and proceeded to tell us what he was doing and asked if we had any question about Bates. I remember vividly this student's willingness to help me find the biology labs, but more importantly, what i took away from this conversation  was the students genuine interest and warmth. I also mate with the lacrosse coach, and even though i was not a recruit and had just mate him, he talked with me and my parents for over an hour, took us to lunch in the dining hall and even walked us to our car. Of all the top schools I had visited, Bates was the one that felt right. With so many fine academic colleges to choose from, i went with a gut feeling that Bates was the best for me. I applied early and never look back.

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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENT

Admission to Columbia University's FU Foundation, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) is highly competitive. Either SAT or the ACT is required. Additionally, SAT subject Tests are required in the areas: Mathematics (either level I or II), Chemistry or Physics, and writing. For students taking the new SAT with writing, or the ACT with writing, students are not required to take the SAT II Subject Writing test. In addition to the standardized examination requirements, it is expected that each applicant has had sufficient preparation in high school to maintain competitive standings while enrolled at Columbia. it is recommended that the high school preparation courses include:

• mathematics courses including calculus
• one year of Chemistry
• one year of Physics
• four years of English
• three to four years of history or social science
• two to three years of a foreign language  

            In addition to coursework requirements, in consideration for admission to Seas, a written evaluation from a guidance counselor or college adviser is expected. Also expected as part of the applicant's file are two recommendations from teachers of academic subjects, including one from a mathematics teacher. A personal essay is also a required part of the application.
           As in most other aspects of life at Columbia, admission is based on balance. Academic standing alone is not the only attribute used to measure a student's potential to be a successful and integral member of SEAS. While Advanced placement or honors placement in high school are important factors, also weighted is the applicant's extracurricular activities record as well as evidence of special talent. Further, a substantive and sincere interest in engineering should be demonstrated.
           Life as a student at CU was probably far different than life would have been had I attended any other school. Before joining the CU community. t thought college would simply be an extension of my academic career. I had visited a typical New York City green campus only a few times, but for some reason I always felt comfortable and excited while on campus. Columbia has prepared me academically and socially. Most of all, Columbia has been responsive to both technological changes and social changes providing effective tools to approach life with an open mind and great enthusiasm.

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INTRODUCING SEAS

            Columbia's tradition in engineering and applied science education traces back to the chartering of king's college in 1754. Steamboat inventor John Stevens graduated from the college a few years before the Revolutionary War, and Dewitt Clinton, the statesman responsible for the Erie Canal, earned his Columbia degree in 1786. Columbia's legacy of engineering instruction continued in the nineteenth century was formalized in 1864 with the founding of the engineering school, the third oldest in the country.

            As the Engineering School has diversified and grown, it has built an enduring reputation as a center of research excellence in select fields and as Alma Mater to generations of alumni who have shaped academic departments and industrial research program across the country. In 1997, Z.Y. Fu and The FU Foundation announced a gift of $26 million, designed broadly for "support of engineering excellence at Columbia," and more specifically for support of faculty and the enhancement of interdisciplinary research in areas of emerging strength.

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