Bates College Paper Format & Writing Requirements
A liberal-arts college famous for its thesis (all seniors complete one), debate tradition and Short Term intensive courses. This page documents what the campus actually requires: citation styles (MLA 9, APA 7), the composition sequence, the writing quirks that catch new students, and the assignment genres its programs grade most.
James Parker, MLS
Citation & Formatting Reviewer · Master of Library Science; 9 years as a reference librarian coaching APA, MLA and Chicago styles
Quick answer
Bates College requires MLA 9 or APA 7 across most courses. The First-Year Seminar plus the Senior Thesis — Bates is one of few colleges requiring a thesis of ALL graduates. Top programs: Economics, Biology, Political Science. The three quirks that surprise new students are listed below — all checkable before your first deadline.
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Bates College at a glance
A liberal-arts college famous for its thesis (all seniors complete one), debate tradition and Short Term intensive courses.
The campus sits in Lewiston, Maine, operates as a private (liberal arts) institution, and enrolls about 1,900 students — a scale that directly shapes how writing support works. Founded in 1855 with an acceptance rate around 14%, Bates College pairs selective admissions with the large-course writing loads typical of its category.
Citation styles Bates College actually requires
Bates College courses predominantly require MLA 9 or APA 7. That is not a trivial preference: it decides your title page, heading levels, in-text punctuation and reference format on every graded document.
- MLA 9: used across humanities and writing-sequence courses
- APA 7: used across social science, nursing and business courses
Verify against the specific course syllabus anyway — instructors can override departmental defaults, and the first paper is where they enforce it.
The writing requirement, decoded
The First-Year Seminar plus the Senior Thesis — Bates is one of few colleges requiring a thesis of ALL graduates.
Plan the sequence early: composition requirements compound, and students who defer them discover the advanced seminars — where the writing-intensity lives — conflict with major courses later. The registrar's degree audit shows exactly which flags remain; check it each semester.
Three things about Bates College papers that surprise new students
- Every Bates senior writes a thesis — building a 60–100 page project is a communal rite.
- Short Term's 5-week format produces single-topic deep-dive papers.
- The writing center hires tutors from every major and trains them in genre pedagogy.
None of these appear in the course description. All of them appear in the rubric. Students who learn them in week one report smoother first-semesters than students who meet them at the deadline.
Assignments Bates College students face most
- Essay — most frequently assigned across Bates College's programs
- Thesis (Senior/Honors) — most frequently assigned across Bates College's programs
- Research Paper — most frequently assigned across Bates College's programs
- Literature Review — most frequently assigned across Bates College's programs
Popular programs at Bates College include economics, biology, political science — each pairs the assignment list above with its own capstone or practicum expectations, detailed on our subject pages.
What's your next step?
Two taps to the exact page that unblocks this paper.
Citation Generator
BIBLIOGRAPHYSmith, Jane (2024). The effect of spaced practice on essay quality. Journal of Writing Research, 16(2), 245–268. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2024.16.02.03
Verify before submitting (APA 7):
- Author names inverted (Surname, Initials.) with an ampersand before the last author
- Article titles in sentence case; journal names in Title Case italics
- DOI shown as a live https://doi.org/ link (no 'DOI:' prefix)
- Edition and publisher location rules: editions in parentheses, no city since APA 7
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GPA Calculator
Semester GPA
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Bates College essentials
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Bates College format check
1 / 3Which citation style is safest as a default at Bates College?
Frequently asked questions
4 answered1What citation style does Bates College use?
MLA 9 and APA 7 — the mix depends on the course's department. Social science and health courses lean MLA 9; check the specific syllabus before formatting, and use the citation generator on this page to switch styles without re-learning punctuation rules.
2Does Bates College have a first-year writing requirement?
Yes — The First-Year Seminar plus the Senior Thesis — Bates is one of few colleges requiring a thesis of ALL graduates. Plan it in your first year: the requirement chains into writing-intensive courses later, and deferring it creates scheduling conflicts with major requirements in junior year.
3What assignments are most common at Bates College?
Essay, Thesis (Senior/Honors), Research Paper, Literature Review. Each has a full format guide on EssayAtlas — the links below adapt them to your specific courses and programs.
4How competitive is Bates College?
Around 14% acceptance, enrolling about 1,900 students since 1855. Admissions selectivity matters for writing because graded curves and writing-center capacity scale with class size — use the GPA calculator below to see what your current grades project.
James Parker, MLS
Citation & Formatting Reviewer · Master of Library Science; 9 years as a reference librarian coaching APA, MLA and Chicago styles
Formats for Bates College assignments
Nearby campuses with format guides
Same-state and same-region schools whose writing requirements differ more than you would expect — transfer students and cross-registration students get caught by these every term.