Who Should Apply for IDP?
We expect applicants to have pursued a rigorous course of study including honors and/or advanced classes if offered at their secondary school. In addition, a well-balanced program of study is considered the best preparation for succeeding at Bard. Such a program should include, if possible, a full four-year sequence in English, social sciences, and mathematics; study of at least one foreign language for three, preferably four years; and three to four years of study in the laboratory sciences. The Admission Committee is interested in the entire high school record, with junior and senior year courses being especially important.
Things to Consider
The committee also considers achievement, motivation, and intellectual ambition outside of school; appraises the standards of the secondary school curriculum; and carefully reads application essays and recommendations. We suggest that recommendations be from both an English teacher and a math or science teacher from the junior or senior years. Students are advised to contact the Admission Office, or have their college counselor call to speak with an admission counselor if they have any questions about whether the IDP is appropriate for them. Please note that transfer students are not eligible to participate in the IDP.
The Process
Candidates participate in a seminar conducted by a Bard faculty member and meet with an admission counselor. Most recently the IDP seminars have focused on the study of mathematics and science in the liberal arts context. The Admission Committee will mail decisions the following workday.
Note: Only the College makes an immediate decision; accepted candidates may wait until
May 1 to notify the College of their enrollment plans.
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1. Choose a date and an alternate, complete the reservation form, and mail it to the Admission Office with a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Make checks payable to Bard College. For your records, note the date of the IDP you've selected.
2. If you find it necessary to change or cancel your reservation date, notify the Admission Office as soon as possible at 845-758-7472 or admission@bard.edu. The Admission Office will confirm your IDP date reservation by mail.
3. Submit your complete application using the online Common Application. The Common Application does not list IDP as an option because IDP is unique to Bard. As such, you can either select Early Action or Regular Decision. The Admission Office already has your one-page IDP reservation form on file, so we know you are an IDP candidate. Your application must be submitted to the Admission Office one week before your IDP date. The materials required for a complete application are the school report; the high school transcript, including senior courses; two academic references; and the essays specified on the application form.
4. Read the texts for the seminar. Careful study of the readings is essential for participation in the seminar.
5. On the morning of the IDP day, registration is at the Admission Office from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., after which you will participate in the seminar.
6. Sometime during the afternoon, you will have an appointment with an admission counselor. The Admission Committee will meet and decisions will be mailed the following business day.
7. The College does not require early commitment from accepted IDP participants. If you are offered admission, you have until the standard candidate's reply date, May 1, to inform the College of your enrollment decision. We strongly discourage IDP applicants from applying Early Decision to another institution.
