Regular Admission
Candidates apply by January 1. Notification by early April. Candidates who are placed on the wait list are invited to submit supplemental information. Those who are not offered admission are usually required to wait a full academic year before reapplying.
Early Action
Highly qualified candidates who are certain that Bard is their top choice are encouraged to apply by November 1. Applicants will be notified by January 1. Please clearly indicate your intent to apply Early Action on the application.
Immediate Decision Plan
The Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) accelerates the admission process during a daylong session on campus in which students participate in a seminar with Bard faculty and meet with an admission counselor. The admission committee mails decisions the following workday.
Bard Educational Opportunity Programs
Bard College offers substantial academic support services and scholarship/financial aid awards to select individuals with Opportunity Programs Scholarships. BEOP offers HEOP and BOP scholarships that provide support to students who have experienced educational and financial inequalities and who possess the desire, potential, and work ethic necessary to succeed in a liberal arts college environment. VIEW MORE >>
The HEOP Scholarship is for New York State residents only while the BOP Scholarship is a nationwide initiative—students from all 50 states are encouraged to apply. To be considered for a BEOP Scholarship, you must
apply to Bard College and submit the
BEOP supplemental form.
Homeschooled Students
Bard regularly receives applications from students who have been homeschooled for some or all of their education. Since their experiences and curriculum vary tremendously, our requirements for homeschooled applicants differ somewhat from our requirements from more traditional high school students.
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It is hard to standardize these requirements, and we are willing to work with you to tailor the admission process. Generally, homeschooled students are required to provide the following:
- The full curriculum and documentation as to how the curriculum was met.
- Names of textbooks or other books used and the content covered.
- Indication of other experiences used to cover the curriculum and how the student was evaluated.
- Results of any educational testing.
- Grades from any courses taken.
- Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT, optional SAT II).
- An analytic paper.
- Academic recommendations from non-parent adults who have worked with you: two required; English, science, or mathematics preferred.
- An essay explaining why you chose homeschooling and your experience with your choice.
- We strongly recommend a personal interview. Skype interviews available.
- Common Application Home School Supplement: We don’t require this form, but we encourage you to submit it to share more information about your home school education. This form can be downloaded at the Common Application website.
Bard Conservatory of Music
Conservatory applicants must apply both to Bard College and to the conservatory. Admission to the conservatory is highly selective. Conservatory
application instructions are available online.
Early Admission
Candidates seeking admission before completing secondary school may be accepted if they have a strong high school record and the recommendation of a guidance counselor or principal. They must interview with an admission counselor and follow the regular application process. Please
contact us for more information.
Advanced Standing
Advanced standing or college credit for College Board Advanced Placement courses will be given for the grade of 5. Students who wish to request credit or advanced standing must submit the appropriate record of their grade to the Office of the Registrar.
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The following international diplomas may be accepted for advanced standing: International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, Swiss Maturity, and German
Abitur. A student may be allowed to accelerate for up to 32 credits (a normal full year) at the time of
Moderation if the Moderation board so recommends. Students who have earned A-level passes may enter with advanced standing.
Interviews
Interviews are not required for admission but are available to applicants. All interviews are conducted by admission counselors either on campus* or via Skype and should be completed by the date listed for the chosen application plan. (Click here for interview deadlines.) Phone and alumni/ae interviews are not available.
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If you have not submitted the Common Application online by your interview date, you may
print, and bring to the interview the first part of the Common Application (pages one through five, not the essays). Candidates should submit the complete application and fee or appropriate waiver online by the chosen application deadline.
*Counselors may offer off-campus interviews in your area, if time permits. Please refer to
Bard on the Road for details and contact the counselor directly with your request.
Notification and Response
Bard does not release admission decisions over the phone. The College notifies students via mail; international students also receive an e-mail. All of our application plans are nonbinding; accepted candidates have until the standard reply date of May 1 to respond to an admission offer.
