Bard College Admission
Bard College Undergraduate Program
Bard College Application

The Facts

Bard College is a small, nontraditional liberal arts college located in the town of Annandale-On-Hudson, New York . The school is home to approximately 1,310 undergraduate students, and about 202 graduate and part-time students. Students at Bard are free to create their own academic program, and are often encouraged to dabble in subjects with which they may be unfamiliar. During the process of creating their own academic experience, they are closely monitored and guided by faculty members so they don't fall off track. The school is comprised of two divisions; the Lower College (for freshmen and sophomores) and the Upper College (for juniors and seniors.) At the end of their two years at the Lower College, students assess their ultimate goals and see if their path so far has been conducive to those goals. At the end of their four years, all students are required to complete a Senior project, which can be anything from a paper to a performance.

Admission to Bard is quite competitive, and most of the applicants are highly self-motivated and driven students who have been very academically successful in the past. Last year, over 3,120 students applied for admission, and about 1,100 students were accepted; of those, about 343 enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1240 to an impressive 1440, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 28-33. Furthermore, over 90% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.5.

Bard College has an impressive student to faculty ratio of 8:1, and most classes are comprised of around 10 students. The faculty are really dedicated to their students, and make sure the students know they are available for assistance whenever they need it. In fact, many faculty work in close conjunction with the students to help them establish their eventual career paths.

The Social Scene

The town of Annandale-on-Hudson is quite quaint, and while the presence of Bard rather overwhelms the town, the students love the gorgeous, heavily wooded campus. Bard College draws a lot of creative people, and the diversity is a great asset for many students. The school has a large endowment that keeps the buildings up-to-date and the campus nicely manicured. For those who crave the urban life, New York City is pretty accessible by train, and many students also have cars to get them from point to point.

There are no fraternities or sororities on campus, but this goes along with the unconventional nature of the school, and students could care less about their absence. Apparently, smoking pot is big at the school, as is drinking. Students have no problem finding their own ways to have fun. Outdoor activities are also really popular, and many students go rock climbing, camping, and boating on the weekends.

The dating scene is quite vibrant; expect lots of liberal vegans to sweep you off your feet with lines of Kerouac and Ginsberg.

What’s Good

“There is a real sense of community here. Everyone really looks out for each other here.”

“You have the freedom to make your time here whatever you want it to be. It's nice to have that flexibility.”

“The campus is absolutely beautiful. It's nice to be able to sit in the gorgeous woods and do your work.”

What’s Bad

“Some people here are liberal to the point of being ridiculous. They just don't let any other opinions in.”

“The party scene here isn't really anything to get excited about. People just don't like hanging out in big groups.”

“There are no sports here. There's no real sense of school spirit.”

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