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Applying to Bard
Schedule a Visit
You love to learn. You've always asked the difficult questions.
Now you wonder where college can take you. If you're ready to refine your talents and find what inspires you, then you've come to the right place. Explore Bard's rich academic tradition and vibrant campus life. Think beyond what is known to seek what is possible.
Schedule Your Visit to Bard

Schedule Your Visit to Bard

January 19th through May 21st

Live Virtual Tours
Join our student tour guides who will take you on an academic walking tour of campus, while adhering to safety protocols as outlined by state and local health officials. An admission counselor will provide tour guests with an information session at the start of each tour and a Question & Answer session at the end. The virtual tour will last about 75 minutes. You can ask your questions in the chat feature or unmute your video and audio to ask your tour guides and the counselor questions directly. 
Click to Register for a Live Virtual Tour
 

Did You Know?

  • Bard College has been test optional for nearly 50 years.
    You do not need to take the SAT or ACT to apply to Bard.

    THERE IS NO APPLICATION FEE TO APPLY TO BARD COLLEGE.

Why We Don't Give “Merit Aid”

The College is a need-based aid only institution and prioritizes its financial aid for students who could not afford to enroll without the College’s support.

Bard College is devoted to expanding access to high calibre liberal arts education and has made significant efforts to develop innovative programs with this goal in mind. Historically, Bard has stood up to inequities in the traditional college application process that perpetuate inequality, and is a leader in reimagining college access. 

Notably, the College has maintained its test optional policy for almost 50 years and does not require applicants to take or submit SAT or ACT test scores in order to apply. Bard understands the inequity built into the standardized testing industry, and has for decades been able to identify successful candidates without them. Applications are read in their entirety by multiple staff members before being reviewed by committee. Bard also does not participate in the widespread purchasing of names, most often based on standardized test scores, which many institutions use to boost their selectivity figures. Each application to Bard is given a thorough, personal review, adhering to the College’s belief that a student's achievements and potential cannot be summarized by a test score.

Why We Don't Give “Merit Aid”

This year, with the support of donors who believe strongly in expanding access, Bard launched a new initiative that removes our application fee. Students may now apply to Bard College free of charge using the Common Application or the Bard Entrance Exam. More information about Bard’s application methods can be found here. 

The College is a need-based aid only institution and prioritizes its financial aid for students who could not afford to enroll without the College’s support. Merit-based aid often leads to higher discount rates for students of means who can afford the full cost of high quality education on their own at the expense of those with the least means. Using “merit aid” as a euphemism for funding to high-income applicants runs counter to our institutional ideals. Bard College believes in the benefit of bringing the best students together in the classroom, regardless of ability to pay. As such, Bard will not participate in the unfair distribution of resources encouraged by merit aid scholarships. 

President Botstein Congratulates the Posse Foundation

In this video, President Botstein congratulates the Posse Foundation in celebration of the Foundation's 10,000th Posse Scholar this year with Bard's Posse 13 cohort. Under the umbrella of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) is the administrative home to the Posse Scholars program,  the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the Bard Opportunity Program (BOP) and the Bard Early College Opportunity (ECO) program. OEI supports scholars from a variety of backgrounds who seek to attain a rigorous liberal arts education.  Please visit here for more information on the Office of Equity and Inclusion programs. 

A Brief Introduction to Bard College

Director of Admission Mackie Siebens ’12 will take you through some important facts about Bard. A fact: Bard's 1000-acre campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York is the hub of a wider, global network. Learn more about Bard and see if you can find yourself here! Click here to join our mailing list, or here to contact your regional admission counselor! 

Discover Bard

  • How to Apply
    Common Application? Early Decision? International Admission?
    Get Started Now
  • Student Stories
    Bard students break the boundary between the classroom and public life.
    Meet Our Students
  • Our Faculty
    Bard’s extraordinary faculty are dedicated to the philosophy of teaching.
    Learn More
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    We embrace plurality, divergent viewpoints, and the rich spectrum of our community.
    Inclusion at Bard
  • Testing image caption
    Ask a Student
    Get a current student's take on campus life, from first-year seminar to Bard clubs.
    Get in Touch
  • Academics
    The College seeks to engender in every student a wide curiosity and love of learning.
    Our Curriculum

When It Comes to Future Earnings,
Liberal Arts Grads Might Get the Last Laugh

Students from liberal arts colleges don’t merely recoup their tuition dollars in the long run.
They eventually earn more than those who attended trade or business schools, a new report shows.

—The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bennett Leckrone, January 14, 2020

Read the Article (PDF)
Bard by the Numbers

Bard by the Numbers

Read about Bard's student profile, campus stats, tuition, and financial aid.

Learn More

  • 1,900
    undergraduates
  • 10:1
    student-faculty ratio
  • 17%
    international students/
    dual citizens
     
  • $57+m
    distributed
    in Bard aid
     
Bard College Is a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars
Stevenson Library at Bard College. Photo by Chris Kendall '82

Bard College Is a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students and Scholars

Bard College is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2019–20 Fulbright U.S. Students and Fulbright U.S. Scholars. Five students and two scholars from Bard were awarded Fulbright awards for the year.

Read the Story

Bard Connects Through Photos

Bard Connects Through Photos

Bard community members from across the network, the globe, and from right here in Annandale-on-Hudson shared photos of a peek at their view of spring! 
 

View More > >

  • Bard's Waterfall 
    This is a favorite place on campus especially during a hot, summer day, and it's a lovely walk from anywhere at Bard. 
  • View of Annandale North Campus
    This tall, stainless steel, tilted wonder is called Stargon. 
  • View Across the Bard Network
    This is the beautiful Richard Wagner Opera House in Bayreuth, Germany. Bard also has a college in Berlin, Germany (Bard College Berlin). 

Virtual Event Recordings 

  • Watch Any Time

    Below are recordings of our virtual events. Watch Bard's president in conversation with faculty members; enjoy the faculty reading series; and hear from students, parents, and alumni/ae!
    • Prospective Students Series
    • Alumni/ae Voices Series
    • Faculty Perspectives Series 
    • Faculty Reading Series
    • Parent Voices Series 
    • Student Life Series
    • Student Voices Series

Podcast Series

Learn more about Bard College’s academic life, student life, and admission process directly from students, faculty, and staff. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts!

  • The Bard Admission Process
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Transfer Student Application Process
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Transfer Student Experience
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Bard's Location
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Center for Civic Engagement
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • The Bard TLS Program
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Citizen Science
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • First Year Seminar 
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Student Life 
    Audio Transcription PDF
  • Athletics at Bard
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Residence Life
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Safety and Security 
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Bard Architecture Program
    Audio Transcription PDF
  • Classical Studies Program
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Bard Conservatory of Music
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Bard's Performing Arts Center
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Music Program
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Musical Theater
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Voting at Bard
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • BRAVE
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • The Bard Farm
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Montgomery Place at Bard
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • Ghost Stories 
    Audio Transcript PDF
  • About the Bard Library
    Audio Transcription PDF
Discover More

Discover More

Whether working in Annandale or Berlin, in sustainable agriculture or in a tech startup, Bardians make a difference. Learn about Bard alumni/ae in the world, and how Bard supports graduates.

Life after Bard

Bard College
Campus Road, PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 800-BARDCOL
Admission Phone: 845-758-7472
Admission E-mail: admission@bard.edu
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