How to Apply to Physics at Bates College: No Application Fee, No Supplemental Essay, Test-Optional Since 1984, a Physics Major in the Department of Physics and Astronomy That Ends with a Senior Thesis, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine, is a liberal arts college, and its undergraduate physics programme is offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Students apply to the College as a whole, not to the department. Here is what you need to know, based on the College’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, computer science and other majors are not covered here.

1. Degrees and areas

• Programmes: the academic program page says the department offers a major and minor in physics, as well as a physics-related concentration. The department website also has an astronomy courses page, which was not read; the pages read do not list a separate astrophysics major or degree. The required courses for the physics major, the minor requirements and whether the degree is a B.A. or B.S. are in the College catalog (catalog.bates.edu). The catalog returned status 202 in the scan and was not accessed under the access rules, so this article does not cover them; check the catalog and the department website.
• Courses (listed by the department; not guaranteed to run every year): introductory courses are PHYS 106 Energy and Environment (nothing beyond algebra assumed), PHYS 107/108 Introductory Physics of Living Systems I/II (for life science and pre-health students, with lab) and PHYS 109 Energy, Matter, and Motion (calculus-based, for students interested in the physical sciences). Further courses include PHYS 210 Spacetime, Waves, and Photons; PHYS 211 Newtonian Mechanics; PHYS 216 Computational Physics; PHYS 222 Electricity and Magnetism; PHYS 230 Electronics; PHYS 231/331 Laboratory Physics; PHYS 301 Mathematical Methods of Physics; PHYS 308 Introductory Quantum Mechanics; PHYS 309 Quantum Computing; PHYS 341 Physics of Materials and Devices; PHYS 361 Thermal Physics; PHYS 409 Quantum Theory; PHYS 412 Advanced Classical Mechanics; PHYS 422 Electromagnetic Theory; and Short Term courses such as PHYS S11 Modeling & Data Analysis in the Physical Sciences and PHYS S34 Elementary Particle Physics.
• Lab work and research: the programme overview describes a hands-on major in which students work in the laboratory with their professors; the campus has a machine shop and a 25-seat planetarium. The department’s educational goals say majors should be able to design and build experiments, understand error and uncertainty in measurement, and complete an independent project through the senior thesis.
• Senior thesis: the department’s guidelines say the senior thesis is the culminating experience of the physics major, registered as PHYS 457 (fall) and/or PHYS 458 (winter), as a one-semester, full-year or honors thesis. Students should talk with faculty about projects early in the winter semester of junior year, and juniors (including those abroad) must give the department chair at least two potential advisors by a date to be announced (usually late March). Each thesis semester has two talks, a 10 to 15 minute mid-semester progress report and a public final presentation of about 20 minutes. The finished thesis is due at 4 p.m. on the Monday of exam week as a paper copy and a PDF, and is read by the advisor and a second reader.
• Honors thesis: it takes a full year (PHYS 457 and 458). The department says honors thesis students usually have at least a 3.5 GPA at Bates; interest is indicated on the one-page thesis description due 1 March of junior year, the department must approve before registration, and the thesis is examined orally by an honors panel.
• Department awards: the department lists a Physics and Astronomy Prize, a Thesis Prize, an Experimental Physics Prize and a Distinguished Junior Prize for graduating seniors and rising seniors. The pages read do not mention a scholarship for incoming students; ask the department or the admissions office.
• Engineering combined plan (3-2): Bates offers an Engineering Combined Plan in which students spend three years at Bates and two years at a partner institution, earning one degree from each. Partners are Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Washington University in St. Louis, Case Western Reserve University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; a 4-2 format is also possible, Dartmouth has a 2-1-1-1 programme and the Washington University programme ends in a master’s degree. The FAQ says admission to the engineering school is generally not guaranteed; partners generally require all engineering prerequisites and a GPA of about 3.25 or better, and Bates aid covers only the three years at Bates. Students planning to apply declare the “engineering major” (not a standalone Bates major) by 1 March of sophomore year, and the College strongly encourages starting another major. This is a separate engineering path and is not covered further here.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the College, declare after entry

• At application: the application checklist and FAQ do not ask for a major or say that applicants are admitted by major, and the pages read show no separate admission bar for the physics department; the College describes holistic review. Whether the application asks for an intended major is not stated in the pages read; please ask the admissions office.
• Declaring the major: the registrar’s FAQ says students start the declaration in Garnet Gateway and must meet both the department chair and an advisor, who both approve it. The College-wide deadline is that a major plus one more (minor or concentration) must be declared by 1 March of sophomore year, and students who miss it cannot register for Short Term or the following fall. Whether physics has a grade requirement or cap on places is not stated in the pages read; please ask the department.
• Switching into physics: the pages read do not state separate conditions for moving into the physics major; not published, please ask the department.

3. Prerequisites and course selection

• High school courses: the admissions pages read do not state a high school physics or math requirement; not published, please ask the admissions office.
• Prerequisites stated on the course page: PHYS 106 assumes only algebra; PHYS 107 is not open to students with credit for PHYS 109; PHYS 108 requires PHYS 107 or 109; PHYS 210 requires MATH 106 (may be concurrent) and PHYS 107 or 109; PHYS 211 requires MATH 106 and PHYS 107 or 109; PHYS 222 requires MATH 106 and PHYS 108 (may be concurrent) or PHYS 109, with MATH 206 as recommended background; PHYS 301 requires MATH 205 and PHYS 211; PHYS 308 requires MATH 205, PHYS 211 and PHYS 210. Which introductory course a physics major should start with, and whether there is a placement exam, is not stated in the pages read.
• AP credit (registrar chart): Physics 1, Physics 2, Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: E&M each earn one “unspecified” credit with a 4 or 5 (no credit for a 3); a 4 or 5 on both C exams earns PHYS 107 plus one unspecified credit. Unspecified credit counts toward the 32 credits needed to graduate but does not satisfy any major, minor or general education requirement unless the catalog says so. Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns credit for MATH 105; Calculus BC 4 or 5 earns MATH 105 and 106; a 4 or 5 AB subscore on the BC exam earns MATH 105; credit may not be earned for both the AB and BC tests. At most four non-Bates credits, including AP, can be awarded. Whether AP credit can replace a required physics major course is not stated in the pages read (the catalog was not accessed); please check with the department.
• IB credit: the registrar chart gives Physics HL 5 = PHYS 107, HL 6 or 7 = PHYS 107 plus one unspecified credit, and 6 or 7 in the column headed “Subsidiary Level” = PHYS 107 (the page also notes some departments do not accept that level). For math, Mathematics HL 5 earns MATH 105 and 6 or 7 earns 105 and 106; Analysis & Approaches HL follows the same pattern, with no credit at the lower level; Applications & Interpretation HL 5, 6 or 7 earns MATH 105. IB credit counts toward the same four-credit cap, and the IBO must send the official results to Bates.
• A-Level: Physics C earns one unspecified credit, and A or B earns PHYS 107 plus one unspecified credit; Mathematics C earns MATH 105 and A or B earns 105 and 106; no credit for AS-Level or O-Level.
• Honors sequence and competitions: the pages read do not describe an honors course sequence in physics (honors theses are covered in section 1), and the admissions pages do not say how physics competitions such as USAPhO are viewed; not published.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Deadlines (rounds and timeline page): Early Decision I (binding) 15 November, with notification by 20 December and a reply date of 8 January; Early Decision II 10 January, notification by 15 February, reply 19 February; Regular Decision 10 January, notification by 1 April, reply 1 May. The QuestBridge Match deadline is 1 October. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Bates does not offer mid-year or rolling admission.
• How to apply and fee: the Common Application or the Coalition Application powered by Scoir, or QuestBridge; there is no application fee and no supplemental essay.
• Recommendations and transcripts: official school transcript, school report or profile, one counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation (up to two; the pages read do not require a science teacher), plus one optional additional recommendation from a non-academic experience (only one is accepted). Grade reports: ED I first-quarter grades by 1 December, ED II mid-year transcript by 1 February, RD mid-year transcript by 15 February.
• Interviews: not required; alumni conversations are optional and informational, not evaluative interviews.
• Testing: the SAT and ACT are optional for all applicants and have been since 1984. Scores can be self-reported, official scores are required on enrolling, and scores are superscored. For the Class of 2029, the middle 50% of those who submitted: SAT evidence-based reading and writing 710–760, SAT math 720–750, ACT composite 32–34.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27): Bates charges a single fee, with no in-state or out-of-state difference: $94,560, made up of $73,760 for tuition and $20,800 for food and housing; there is also a one-time first-year fee of $475. Estimated indirect costs: books $900, personal expenses $1,000 and transportation $250–$1,150. The Bates student health insurance plan costs $2,352 for the full year, and can be waived with qualifying coverage. Any extra lab or materials fees for physics are not stated in the pages read. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: all aid is need-based; there are no merit scholarships. The College says it meets 100% of demonstrated need; the FAQ says more than $47 million in grant aid is provided each year, the average need-based grant for enrolling students in the Class of 2029 was $58,518, and average federal student loan debt for 2025 graduates was $13,279. The aid page lists the 2027-28 forms: U.S. citizens and permanent residents submit the 2027-28 CSS Profile (code 3076), 2025 tax documents and the 2027-28 FAFSA (code 002036). The aid package is the same whether you are admitted through Early Decision or Regular Decision. Financial aid deadlines are in a table on the aid page that was not read.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: a non-U.S. citizen whose immigration status requires a visa to be in the United States. A U.S. citizen living abroad is reviewed by the International Admission Committee but is treated as domestic for financial aid. Over 70 countries are represented among students.
• English requirements: if English is neither your native language nor the primary language of your secondary school instruction, you must submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test results (all versions of the TOEFL and IELTS are accepted, the best score is accepted, and self-reported English scores are not). Minimum scores are not stated in the pages read; please ask the admissions office.
• Interviews: a recorded InitialView or Vericant interview (with writing sample) is optional, and the College says applicants who submit one tend to be more competitive; the interview that is part of the Duolingo test does not replace it.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional, as for all applicants.
• Aid: the College meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted students regardless of citizenship, but says it is not need-blind and is need-aware for international students: financial need can affect the admission decision. You must indicate your intent to apply for aid on the admission application before admission; requests after admission are not considered, and no appeals are accepted. Non-U.S. citizens submit the Bates International Student Application for Financial Aid (BISAFA) in the application portal; the CSS Profile is not needed (except for Canadian citizens). Students not seeking aid must submit the International Student Financial Certification Document and a bank letter to enrol. Aid is a grant plus on-campus work (up to 20 hours a week) for up to eight semesters, with no loans for non-U.S. citizens. There are no merit scholarships for international students. United World Colleges Davis Scholars receive $25,000 a year towards need-based aid. International students are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether Gaokao results are considered or how they are used is not published on the pages read; please contact admission@bates.edu.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published; the general international requirements are in section 6. School transcripts must be official and sent by the school.
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-Level can use the physics and calculus credit rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships: the department pages read do not mention physics-specific scholarships; the department prizes are described in section 1.
• Outcomes (the College’s own wording): the programme overview says 94% of 2020–2024 Bates graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school within six months of graduation (College-wide), and that physics and astronomy majors go on to careers “across a wide range of fields, including science and technology, information technology, and financial services”, with graduate study at institutions such as Princeton, Harvard and Virginia Tech. Employers it lists include MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Bloomberg LP, Applied Materials, Draper Labs, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Epic Systems and Redwire Space. The alumni page also lists recent Ph.D. fields including physics, electrical engineering, astronomy, astrophysics, geophysics and medical physics. These are lists, not percentages.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least one semester completed at an accredited college by the application deadline; no minimum GPA is required, but the College says transfer students generally have a college GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale in a challenging liberal arts and sciences curriculum. Both high school and college transcripts are considered. International students enrolled overseas may apply.
• Rounds and deadlines: winter transfer, 1 November (materials 5 November), notification in late November and reply 25 November; fall transfer, 1 March (materials 5 March), notification by 2 May. The reply date is given as 21 May on the rounds page and 23 May on the transfer page, and the transfer FAQ says the enrollment deposit of $300 is due by 20 May, so the pages differ; check the latest. The pages show no year.
• Materials: the Common Application for Transfer Students (the Coalition application is not accepted for transfer), a transfer personal essay, official transcripts from every college attended, course descriptions, two recommendations (one college professor and one college academic advisor or high school counselor), a College Report from each institution, a mid-term report if currently enrolled and the high school transcript. SAT/ACT is optional. Transfer students are eligible for need-based aid and guaranteed housing.
• Credit transfer: Bates transfers most liberal arts and sciences courses at accredited institutions that are similar in content, rigor and length, with a grade of at least C, under the transfer credit policy and the registrar’s non-Bates credit rules. Prerequisites in the physics or calculus sequence for transfer physics majors are not stated in the pages read; please ask the department and the registrar.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 15 November; ED II and Regular 10 January; no fee and no supplemental essay; one counselor and one teacher recommendation; testing optional
• 2027-28 CSS Profile (code 3076), tax documents and 2027-28 FAFSA (code 002036)

International applicants (including China):

• Official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results if English is neither the native language nor the language of instruction (minimum scores not published); optional InitialView or Vericant interview
• Aid must be requested on the application with the BISAFA; students not seeking aid submit a financial certification document and a bank letter

After entry:

• Use AP/IB/A-Level credit and the stated prerequisites to pick PHYS 107 or 109 and MATH 105/106; declare a major plus one by 1 March of sophomore year; complete the senior thesis (PHYS 457/458), and indicate honors interest by 1 March of junior year

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 March, winter 1 November; at least one semester completed; GPA generally 3.3 or higher; check physics credit with the department and the registrar

Sources: Bates College, Physics and Astronomy at Bates; Physics and Astronomy: academic program; Physics and Astronomy: physics courses; Physics and Astronomy: senior thesis guidelines; Physics and Astronomy: educational goals; Physics and Astronomy: department awards; Physics and Astronomy: alumni and careers; Engineering combined plan; Engineering combined plan: requirements; Engineering combined plan: FAQ; Registrar: AP credit; Registrar: IB credit; Registrar: A-Level credit; Registrar: declaring a major; Admission: application checklist; Admission: rounds and timeline; Admission: FAQ; Admission: testing; Admission: international applicants; Admission: transfer applicants; Tuition, fees and other costs; Financial aid: first-year and transfer applicants. The admissions pages show no year on their dates, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.