Study Abroad is not intended to provide a means of obtaining a Bates degree without attending the college and benefiting from on-campus guidance and course work during sophomore year. Participants must have a 2.500 grade point average at the time of application. Study Abroad typically requires greater independence, maturity, and academic motivation to be successful. Students with weaker academic records are less likely to succeed without the support network provided on campus. Abroad programs are intended for the junior year.
Sophomore year is ideally a time when the major is defined and additional coursework completed.
Senior year is demanding with senior thesis and other capstone courses, GRE and other professional tests, completing graduation requirements, and planning for the future. Study abroad in the senior year compromises it by foreshortening the time on campus and complicating this time with re-entry shock and the other adjustments that typically follow study abroad. Study abroad should be available to students without regard to financial circumstances. Financial aid is available for participants on the College's programs up to the amount the student would have received had she or he remained on campus. Students may petition for exceptions to these principles on academic grounds or on the basis of exceptional extenuating circumstances.