How to Apply to Economics at Bates College: Economics Is a Department in a Liberal Arts College, You Declare the Major After You Enroll and Complete Four Core Courses, Three 300-Level Electives and a Thesis, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Bates College is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Economics is taught by the Department of Economics inside the College. The pages I read show no separate business school or school of economics, and no separate admission bar for economics: you apply to Bates and declare the major after you enroll. The department says students usually declare in sophomore year and cannot declare in senior year. Bates also states that it does not offer business courses (marketing, management, accounting, organizational behavior and similar); see our business guide for business degrees. This guide follows the Bates website for fall 2027 entry and covers US domestic, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants.

1. Degrees, tracks and how you get into the major

• Degrees and tracks: the department lists one “Economics Major” and I saw no Business Economics, Quantitative Economics or similar variants. The department pages do not separate B.A. and B.S. paths; the department’s transfer-credit page refers to 32 courses for “the B.A. (or B.S.) degree.” Whether the major is STEM-designated is not written on the pages I read, so it is not published there; ask the department or admissions.
• Choosing a major on the application: the admissions checklist I read does not ask you to select a major or explain how any intended major is used; this is not published there, so ask admission@bates.edu. The admissions FAQ also says Bates does not offer direct admission (meaning the college proactively offering admission before you apply).
• How to declare: the department lists three steps: (1) declare your intention on Garnet Gateway; (2) complete the Economics Major Declaration Survey with a detailed plan to finish the major, which the department co-chairs review, assign an advisor and offer an optional meeting if the plan looks sound; (3) contact your advisor to finish. The pages I read do not state a GPA threshold, a cap on places or minimum grades in required courses; this is not published there. Internal transfer into the major has no separate conditions on these pages.
• Planning: the department suggests prospective majors finish ECON 250 and MATH 105 within the first three semesters (both are offered in fall and winter). Introductory courses (ECON 150–169) are not required but most students are encouraged to start with one; students with a strong economics and math background may start with ECON 260 or 270.
• Honors: a few students each year write a two-semester Honors thesis, admitted by petition. The department says candidates usually need a GPA over 3.5 in economics and excellent earlier work at Bates. Students discuss it with advisors in the winter of junior year, submit a formal proposal to the chair by the end of the first full week of fall in senior year, give an oral presentation late in the fall, and the department decides whether to nominate them; students not nominated complete a one-semester fall thesis.

2. Prerequisites and first-/second-year courses

• High school: the economics and admissions pages I read do not set specific high school math requirements (algebra, precalculus, calculus) for economics; this is not published there, so ask admissions or the department.
• Math after you arrive: complete MATH 105, 106 or 206, a prerequisite for ECON 255, 260 and 270. For graduate study the department advises additional mathematics.
• Major requirements (academic program page):
  • four core courses: ECON 250 (Statistics), 255, 260 and 270; at least three must be taken at Bates and at least three completed before senior year. BIO 244 (Biostatistics), MATH 215 (Statistics) or NRSC 205 (Statistical Methods) may replace ECON 250;
  • three 300-level electives, each requiring ECON 255 and one of ECON 260 or 270; at least two must be taken at Bates;
  • one additional 200- or 300-level economics course that fulfills no other requirement; PLTC 222 (International Political Economy) and SOC 260 (Economic Sociology) also qualify;
  • one thesis course: most students meet the W3 requirement through the thesis seminar ECON 456.
• Other rules: pass/fail may not be used for courses counted toward the major; economics majors cannot use Applying Mathematical Methods (C006) for General Education; a core course failed at Bates must be retaken at Bates.
• Credit for exams (stated by the department): AP Microeconomics or Macroeconomics 4 or 5 earns credit for ECON 150; AP Statistics 4 or 5 earns credit for ECON 250; A-Level Economics grade A or B earns ECON 150 credit (no credit for O-Level); IB Higher Level 6 or 7 earns ECON 150 credit (no credit for Standard Level). Whether AP Calculus counts toward MATH 105/106 is not written on the economics pages I read.
• Year-by-year course sequence: the pages I read do not give a full first-/second-year semester plan; check the department and registrar for the current one.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

Dates below come from the admissions “Application Rounds and Timeline” page. The page prints no year, so check they apply to fall 2027 entry.

• QuestBridge Match: application deadline October 1.
• Early Decision I (binding): November 15 deadline, notification by December 20, reply date January 8. Early Decision II: January 10 deadline, notification by February 15, reply February 19. Regular Decision (non-binding): January 10 deadline, notification by April 1, reply May 1. Bates offers no mid-year or rolling admission.
• Apply with the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Scoir). ED admits must withdraw other applications and you cannot apply to other binding early decision programs.
• Application fee: Bates says applying is free for everyone. Essays: Bates states it does not require a supplemental essay; the page I read does not describe the main Common Application essay, so follow the application form.
• Recommendations and records: one counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation (up to two teacher letters), plus one optional letter from a non-academic setting; the official secondary school transcript and school report/profile; mid-year grades due December 1 (ED I), February 1 (ED II) or February 15 (RD).
• Testing: the SAT/ACT has been optional for all applicants since 1984. If submitted, Bates superscores; scores can be self-reported, with official scores needed at enrollment. For the Class of 2029, the middle 50% of those who submitted: SAT reading and writing 710–760, math 720–750, ACT composite 32–34.
• Interviews: not required; alumni conversations are optional and informational, not evaluative.

4. US domestic applicants

• Bates is private and the pages I read do not describe a different price for in-state students; all students are billed the same fees (section 8).
• Testing is optional; transcript, recommendations and the school report are required.
• For aid you submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile; Bates says it meets 100% of demonstrated need. The FAQ gives $58,518 as the average need-based grant for enrolling students in the Class of 2029 and $13,279 as the average federal loan debt of 2025 graduates.
• In-state preference: not mentioned on the pages I read.

5. International applicants (including those from China)

• Who counts: a non-U.S. citizen who needs a visa to be in the United States. U.S. citizens living abroad are reviewed by the International Admission Committee but treated as domestic for aid.
• English proficiency: if English is neither your native language nor the main language of secondary instruction, you must send official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test results; all versions of TOEFL and IELTS are accepted; self-reported scores are not accepted; the best score is used. The pages I read do not state minimum scores, so they are not published there.
• Testing and interviews: SAT/ACT is optional for international applicants too. Bates accepts InitialView or Vericant recorded interviews (encouraged, not required) and says those who submit one tend to be more competitive; it does not accept the interview that is part of the Duolingo English Test.
• Need-based aid: Bates meets 100% of demonstrated need regardless of citizenship, but is not need-blind for international students, so need can sometimes affect the admission decision. You must say you are applying for aid before admission; requests after admission are not considered. Non-U.S. citizens submit the Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA); the CSS Profile is not needed (Canadian citizens excepted). Aid lasts up to eight semesters, as a grant plus on-campus work (up to 20 hours a week during the year), and does not include loans for non-U.S. citizens.
• Scholarships: Bates has no merit scholarships for international students; all aid is need-based. United World College Davis Scholars receive $25,000 a year toward their need-based aid.
• International students not seeking aid: complete the International Student Financial Certification Document and upload it with a bank letter; it is required to enroll after admission.
• Credential evaluation, visa and I-20 steps are not described on the pages I read; ask the admission office.

6. Applicants from China

• The Bates pages I read have no separate section for applicants from China and do not say whether Gaokao scores are considered; this is not published there, so contact admissions (admission@bates.edu, +1-207-786-6000).
• Transcripts and exam records: the checklist says Bates accepts a wide range of school transcripts if they meet its admission requirements and fully and accurately present what the applicant has learned; whether exit-exam or huikao records are needed is not published there.
• Everything for international applicants in the previous section applies: English results, InitialView/Vericant interviews, BISAFA for aid.

7. Transfer applicants

• Eligibility: you must have completed at least one semester at an accredited college or university by the application deadline. There is no minimum GPA, but Bates says transfer students generally have a college GPA of 3.3 or higher (out of 4.0) in a challenging liberal arts and sciences curriculum. International applicants enrolled overseas may apply.
• Deadlines: Fall Transfer, March 1 (materials by March 5), decision by May 2. The reply date is May 21 on the timeline table, May 23 on the transfer page, and the FAQ asks for the $300 deposit by May 20, so confirm with admissions. Winter Transfer: November 1, notification in late November, reply November 25.
• Materials: Common Application for Transfer Students (Bates is not accepting the Coalition Application for transfers this cycle), transfer essay, official transcripts from every college, course descriptions, two recommendations (one from a college professor, one from a college advisor or high school counselor), College Report, Mid-term Report and the high school transcript; SAT/ACT optional; English results if English is not your native language.
• Credit: Bates transfers most liberal arts and sciences courses that are similar in content, rigor and length, with a grade of at least C. Transfer students are eligible for need-based aid and guaranteed housing.
• Entering economics: no economics-specific transfer entry requirement appears on the pages I read; it is not published there. For credit taken elsewhere by Bates students, the department allows only one of the four core courses (ECON 250, 255, 260, 270) to be taken off campus, expects calculus-based intermediate courses, accepts intro courses for ECON 150, allows one 200-level and one 300-level elective, does not allow the thesis to be transferred, and asks for pre-approval from the chair.

8. Costs, research and internships

• 2026-27: a single fee of $94,560 ($73,760 tuition and $20,800 food and housing); first-year students add a $475 fee. Student health insurance (SHIP) is $2,352 for the year, and international students are automatically enrolled. Off-campus study carries a $3,310 fee per semester. Estimated indirect costs: books and supplies $900, personal expenses $1,000, transportation $250–$1,150. College surcharges: no extra economics fee appears on the pages I read.
• Internships and careers: the department points students to the Center for Purposeful Work and Handshake for jobs, internships and fellowships. The pages I read do not list department-run internships or places.
• Research and thesis: every major completes a thesis course; the department calls the senior thesis the culmination of a Bates education, where students form their own research question and write an academic paper. The thesis seminar requires two completed 300-level economics electives, and by March of junior year you choose whether to take it in the senior fall or winter.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Choose ED I (November 15), ED II (January 10) or Regular Decision (January 10) on the Common App or Coalition; no application fee, no supplemental essay; testing optional
• After enrolling, finish MATH 105/106/206, ECON 250 and the core courses, declare around sophomore year, and write the senior thesis

International applicants (including those from China):

• Official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results; optional InitialView/Vericant interview; say you want aid before you are admitted
• Whether the Gaokao is used, and any China-specific rules: not published; ask admissions

Transfer applicants:

• Fall Transfer March 1, Winter Transfer November 1; at least one semester completed; college GPA generally 3.3 or higher
• Only one core economics course may be taken off campus; confirm credit with the department

Sources: Bates College, Economics home; Economics: the major; Economics: academic program and major requirements; Economics: declaring a major; Economics: transfer credit and off-campus study; Economics: thesis; Economics: honors thesis; Economics: internships and jobs; Admission: application checklist; Admission: rounds and timeline; Admission: international applicants; Admission: transfer applicants; Admission: testing policy; Admission: FAQ; Student Financial Services: 2026-27 costs; Student Financial Services: international undergraduates. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures; dates on pages that carry no year should be checked against your entry year). Check Bates College for the latest details.