I had a great visit to Bates last week! Here are some fun facts: Bates was the first coed college in New England. It's in Lewiston, Maine, which is the second largest city in Maine. Bates has a 4-4-1 schedule, which means 2 full semesters and a short term which is a 3 1/2 week small course in April. They call it the dessert course! This short class is not required and those who don't take it get out early to get a start on summer internships. They're very proud of their sense of community and the fact that there is only one dining hall on campus where students congregate. 40% of students are varsity athletes and 70% of students participate in athletics of some kind. I The brand new Bonny Science Center is beautiful and was designed in collaboration with science faculty who felt wanted science on display. Therefore there are walls of glass so everyone can see into the classrooms. There's a beautiful lake on campus called Lake Andrew, and it's so small the kids call it a puddle. Every February, they, cut a hole in the ice, don costumes and jump in! Who doesn't want to go to Bates?