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Applying
The deadline to apply for summer 2009 is January 15, 2009.
Applications for admission are accepted once per year. Applications and portfolios are reviewed and evaluated by a committee of faculty within the applicant's field. Candidates are selected from this pool and invited to interview in mid-March. Initial admission offers are made by early April; admitted students must pay a $500 enrollment deposit in order to secure their position in the program.
Students must commence the program with the upcoming summer session, which runs from June 8 to July 31, 2009. Deferment of admission is not permitted. Admitted candidates who cannot attend the upcoming summer session must reapply to the program for consideration in a future year.
To Apply
For 2009 we have changed to an online application format. Please note that it will not be possible to apply using a paper application from a previous year. If it is impossible for you to submit an online application, please contact our office directly at mfa@bard.edu or call 845-758-7481.
We do not require the GRE, and we do not have any grade point average requirements. An undergraduate degree in the arts is not required for admission; an applicant's life experience may take the place of an undergraduate degree.
Application Requirements
1. Completed online application form, available here:
https://apply.embark.com/grad/bard. Please start your application before sending any other materials.
2. Application fee of $75 (payable online by credit card or electronic debit of checking account, or by mail via cashier's check or money order). We do not offer application fee waivers or accept personal checks.
3. Personal statement: 1–2 pages written by the applicant discussing his or her work and artistic goals in a personal as well as critical context; submitted online with application.
4. History of activity in the arts/C.V.: 1- to 2-page biography listing publications, shows, performances and other artistic involvement (resumé format is acceptable); submitted online with application.
5. Two letters of recommendation, either submitted through the online application system (preferred) or by mail to the address below.
6. Transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended for at least one academic year, regardless of whether credits were transferred to another institution or a degree was received. Transcripts must be mailed directly from the institution to the address below.
7. Portfolio representing a broad spectrum of work from the past three years. Work submitted may span more than one discipline, but the applicant must choose one primary discipline for the application. Portfolio requirements and submission formats vary for each discipline.
Portfolio Requirements
Film/Video A single DVD (region 1 compatible). The submission should include several short works or excerpts from longer pieces, up to a 30-minute maximum length.
Music/Sound A single CD or DVD with accompanying scores (if applicable).The CD or DVD should include several short works or excerpts from longer pieces, up to a 30-minute maximum length.
Writing Samples of writing, 15-20 pages total, with title(s) and date(s) of composition noted. Please include your name on each page. Writing samples are to be submitted online, with the application form at https://apply.embark.com/grad/bard, as Word or PDF files.
Painting, Photography, and Sculpture 20-25 images and/or short video files, submitted online at
http://bard.slideroom.com. Images will not be accepted on slide or CD/DVD.
Upload Guidelines for http://bard.slideroom.com:
Images: For good image quality and fast upload, images should be sized no larger than 1280 x 1280 px @ 72 dpi. Acceptable image formats are jpg, gif, or png up to 2MB each.
Videos: flv, mov, or wmv files up to 20MB each.
Documents: pdf files up to 10MB each
Mailing address
For any materials not submitted online, please use this address:
Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts
Bard College
Attn: MFA Admissions
30 Campus Road
Annandale on Hudson, NY 12504-5000
All materials must be submitted online or postmarked by the January 15, 2009 deadline.
Foreign Applicants
Because Bard's M.F.A. program relies heavily on one-to-one conversation and dynamic group discussion, it is critical that our students have an ease and familiarity with spoken English. To show English language competency, a foreign applicant must provide proof of one of the following (as of October 29, 2007):
- Score at least 100 on the internet (iBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Score at least 250 on the computerized (CBT) TOEFL or at least 600 on the paper (PBT) test and show English-speaking proficiency (via a spoken interview in March, if selected)
The test must have been taken in the past two years and a score report is to be submitted directly to Bard from ETS. For more information on the TOEFL exam, go to
www.ets.org/toefl/. Those with scores lower than the above may still apply, but if TOEFL scores are significantly lower than our requirements the application will not be given full consideration.
To enter the U.S. for full-time study, a foreign student applies for an F-1 visa using the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonresident (F-1) Student Status. Bard can issue an I-20 only after receiving financial documents that prove the student has funds to cover all the costs of his or her study for the summer program: an official award letter for a fellowship, scholarship, or government grant; for personal/family support, a bank letter confirming available funds or a Certificate of Finances Form is required. Bard will issue a new I-20 for each full-time summer session. Bard cannot issue an I-20 for the winter independent study sessions; international students must return to their home country during those periods.
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