Welcome, Admitted Students!
Photo by Karl Rabe

Welcome, Admitted Students!

A Letter from the President
Bard College President Leon Botstein. Photo by Matt Dine

A Letter from the President

“Please accept my congratulations on your acceptance to Bard College,” writes Bard President Leon Botstein. “I want to welcome you into a college community that cherishes the life of the mind but also seeks to link the spirit of inquiry to public service and engagement with life in society.”

Admitted Students Events

Congratulations on your admission to Bard! Our admitted student events are designed to help you explore life at Bard more deeply—academically, socially, and personally. Join us for virtual and in-person conversations with current students, faculty, and staff, experience what learning at Bard is really like, and get your questions answered as you imagine your next chapter.

Admitted Students Events

How Do I Enroll?

Congratulations! You did it. You are now a Bardian—let’s make it official.
Step 1: Log in to your portal.
Step 2: Reply to your offer of admission. 
Step 3: Submit your enrollment deposit* by May 1.
Step 4: One to three business days after you make your deposit, you will receive your enrollment letter via email, which includes your Bard account and new Bardian email. 

Need help? There are videos just below that will walk you through it. 

Notes: Financial Aid awards need to be accepted online and required documents must be received so that awards can be processed and credited to your tuition billing statement in a timely manner. Need help? See the instructional videos How to Accept Your Offer of Financial Aid and How to Access and Pay Your Tuition Bill.

*The enrollment deposit is put towards first-year tuition.

How-To Videos

Accepted to Bard? Welcome!
Here are some helpful videos for navigating everything from accepting your offer of admission to accessing the Bard Portal.
View Full Playlist on YouTube →

Enrollment Deposit Due Dates

  • First-Year Applicants
    • Early Action (Including IDP registrants via this method), Bard Entrance Exam, and Regular Decision: May 1
    • Early Decision I (Including IDP registrants via this method), Early Decision II: Within a month after receipt of decision and/or financial aid package
  • Transfer Applicants
    Spring Semester: December 8 
    Fall Semester: May 1

Enrollment Deposits

How to Make Your Payment
  • Domestic Students
    Payments to Bard College can be made by check, money order, or credit card. Payments may be made at the time you reply to your offer of admission through your Bard Portal (students log in to their Bard Portal). If paying by check, please include the applicant's name on the check (or money order). The enrollment deposit is $515. (Note: The enrollment deposit is nonrefundable if the student does not attend Bard; it will be applied to tuition for matriculating students.)
  • International Students 
    International payments toward student account balances can be made by a check, or wire transfer in U.S. dollars, or credit card. Payments may be made at the time you reply to your offer of admission through your Bard Portal (students log in to their Bard Portal). The enrollment deposit is $515. (Note: The enrollment deposit is nonrefundable if the student does not attend Bard; it will be applied to tuition for matriculating students.)
  • Paying by Check
    Checks are accepted only if they (1) are drawn in U.S. dollars; (2) are drawn on U.S. banks; and (3) have U.S. bank routing numbers on the face of the check. If paying by check, please include the applicant's name on the check (or money order). Checks that do not meet the above criteria will be returned to the sender. Please make checks payable to Bard College. 

    Mailing Address
    When using regular mail, send to:
    Bard College Office of Student Accounts
    P.O. Box 5000
    Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000

    When using overnight services, send to:
    Bard College Office of Student Accounts
    30 Campus Road
    Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000

    Paying by foreign check
    Banks process foreign checks via the foreign collections mode, which requires an extensive processing time and frequently creates clearance problems. Please contact our office in advance of the payment due date if you would like to pay by check.
  • Wire Transfers
    Please contact the Office of Student Accounts at 845-758-7520 for detailed wire transfer information.
On the Horizon

On the Horizon

New dormitories coming Fall 2025
The North Campus Residences is a ground-up development consisting of five buildings, four of which provide new student housing on campus in the form of apartment style units.

Why Choose Bard?

Our Students Tell Their Stories
Why choose Bard College? The unique and rigorous curriculum, stunning campus, and close relationships with faculty are a few of the reasons our students decided to make Bard their home.
About Bard Students →

More Information

  • Deferring Matriculation
    Accepted students may defer matriculation for one year. Please go to your Bard Applicant Portal and select the option to defer and submit your deposit of $515 to hold your place.

    Please note that spring admission is not allowed for incoming first-year students, due to Bard's comprehensive first-year program (Language and Thinking, Citizen Science, and First-Year Seminar).

    Deferred students may enroll in college classes as nonmatriculants and still retain their first-year status at Bard. Credits accrued may be transferable for work completed with a grade of C or better in courses appropriate to the Bard academic program. A student who matriculates at another college must reapply to Bard as a transfer candidate.
  • International Student Visa
    After you have accepted your offer of admission and deposited to attend Bard College, the Office of International Student & Scholar Services (OISSS) will reach out to you to collect the information needed to prepare the immigration documents required for your program of study.  Degree-seeking international students are required to enter the U.S. with an F1 student visa for undergraduate study at Bard College.  The document you will need to apply for an F1 visa is an I-20 and a Certificate of F1 Sponsorship.

    The original email sent by [email protected] will request the documents required to prepare your I-20 Certificate of F1 Sponsorship.  These documents will include: a valid passport, admissions offer, financial aid, and other financial documents to demonstrate your ability to cover the total cost (tuition & fees, room & board, medical insurance, books, misc.) of the first year of study at Bard College.  A cost estimate will be provided to you.  After all of your supporting documents are received, the International Advisors in OISSS will prepare and send the I-20 document to you.  Once developed, the I-20 documents will be sent electronically to your Bard email.
     
    If you have questions or concerns about these documents or the F1 visa process please contact the Office of International Student & Scholar Services, at [email protected] or 845.758.7200.  For additional Bard-specific information please visit the Office of International Student and Scholar Services website.  For additional information about the F1 visa process and being an F1 student in the U.S. you can visit: Study in the States and Travel.state.gov.
  • Advanced Standing or College AP Credit
    Advanced Standing
    Advanced standing or college credit for College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be given for a 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.

    The following international diplomas may be accepted for advanced standing: International Baccalaureate (IB), French Baccalaureate, Swiss Maturity, and German Abitur. Students who have earned A-level passes may enter with advanced standing. 

    AP Credit
    The College offers four credits for each AP test score of 5, up to a maximum of 32 credits (one year's worth). For Standard Level IB classes, four credits are given for test scores of 5 or higher, and eight credits for Higher Level classes, up to a maximum of 32 credits. Eight credits are given for each A or A* earned in an A-level class, again, up to a maximum of 32 credits. It's important to note that while these credits count toward the 128 needed to graduate, the classes from which these credits originate do not satisfy distribution requirements. 

    Any questions regarding exact transfer of advanced credit should be made after you have received an admission decision and directed to Peter Gadsby, the registrar ([email protected]).
  • First-Year Student Experience in Berlin
    Bard College deposited first-year students may apply to spend their first year at Bard College Berlin, joining a close-knit, international community in the heart of the intellectual and artistic hub of Europe. Deposited students interesting in beginning in Berlin would need to submit a short application form which will be posted at a later date for the incoming class. You will need your Bard portal login credentials to access the form. Decision notifications will be sent out in early June.

We can’t wait to meet you!

What should you pack? When should you arrive? What does the orientation program look like? Visit the New Students Website to learn what to expect from your first semester at Bard.
New Students Site →

Discover More

Explore the offices below or visit our Campus Life pages to learn about the system of academic and extracurricular support at Bard.
Campus Services + Resources