Bard College, Annandale On Hudson, NY
Visited Bard College, located in the northern Hudson Valley on the Hudson River.
With 1,000+ acres I was only able to visit a small portion of the campus. I could have stayed and explored all day.
• Quaint, country setting
• 1000+ acres
• Sandwiched between Tivoli and Red Hook, quaint towns, each a short 5 minutes away
• Near Rhinebeck – Shuttle busses into towns
• Bikes are the way to get around campus – Bard rents them
• Students are open and involved in the community, civic engagement important
• Attracts students who take their learning out in the world
• Internships are very prevalent
• Bard Works: Program that helps with resume writing, interview skills, alum active in helping current students
• Interesting study abroad programs
• Bard campus in Berlin and other unexpected places, such as St. Petersburg, Russia as well as others
• Living accommodations for students who intern in NYC as part of the BGIA program
• Freshman come 3 weeks in advance for their Workshop in Language and Thinking, to learn how to write and think
• 1st year seminar for all freshman – A multi-disciplinary perspective
• Senior thesis is required for all students
• 2,023 undergrads
• 32% acceptance rate
• Strongest/Top majors – Social studies, written arts, Lang and lit, biology – Top majors vary each year
• Engineering program is combined with Columbia or Dartmouth
• Type of students that thrive here – Interested in topics that they don’t want to give up, articulate, curious, collaborating vs. competing, respect for each other, community involved, active and busy, innovative
• Interview – Optional, put a face to an application
• Application process – Want to get a sense of the whole person
• Plenty of research and writing projects
• Apply to the school in general, not to a specific major
• “Immediate Decision” plan – 1st 3 Friday’s and Saturday’s in November, post readings on web site, come in as a group (30 prospects) to discuss the reading, application is then read by the admissions counselors and the student can get a decision the following Monday or Tuesday – not binding
• Consider Demonstrated Interest – No, not really
• No one gets lost at Bard – Professors and students have a close and collaborative relationship
• Avg. Class size 15-25 the most
• Weekend life – Plenty going on on campus and surrounding smaller towns
• 66% of students are from out of state
• 85% return for their sophomore year
• Conservatory on campus
• Cross over schools – NYU, Wesleyan, Vassar, Oberlin, Marist
• Financial aid forms: FAFSA and CSS Profile
• SAT mid 50% – 570-690
• $16,000 – Average merit aid given to families with no financial need
• Meet 81% of financial need
• Bard entrance exam – Complete this vs. the Common App – Essay based – 4 essays at 2,500 words per essay
• Unique and/or specialty majors – Environmental Policy, Human Rights, Studio Arts, Sciences, Film, Theatre, Dance, Art