"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."
When you arrive at Bard, the Language and Thinking Program and First-Year Seminar in particular will encourage you to take your place in an outstanding student body working with a fine faculty whose commitment to teaching and scholarship is remarkable.
Bard regards learning as a joy. As the Roman philosopher Seneca put it, true joy is a serious thing. But we also believe that institutions of higher education have a duty to address problems that affect our country and the world, particularly in the realm of education. That belief is manifest in programs such as the Bard Prison Initiative, which restores opportunities for higher education for inmates, and our nine Bard High School Early Colleges, public schools that rethink the traditional model of high school education.
In the next couple of weeks, you will probably be visiting several campuses, including Bard. Some of you may have already decided to come to Bard, and some may have decided to attend other institutions. In the end, each of you should feel excited about as well as comfortable in the place you pursue your undergraduate education. We hope each of you will choose Bard. Of course every institution thinks of itself as special, but few campuses possess a truly distinctive character and spirit. Bard is particularly proud of the atmosphere of seriousness and enthusiasm that is generated at the College with respect to the experience in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community at large.
I am sure each of you will flourish in your college years. The purpose of a college education is to reframe your ambitions, heighten your expectations, and place yourself on the path to realizing your highest aspirations. What you accomplish in college is far more important than where you go. I again congratulate you on being admitted to Bard. And I assure you that should you choose Bard, I and my colleagues will do everything in our power to make sure that you have the most challenging and constructive experience we can provide.
With best wishes, I am,
Cordially, Leon Botstein
“How To” Instructional Videos
If you are wondering how to access your Bard portal, how to reply to your offer of admission; how to set up your Bard account and email; how to navigate your enrollment checklist; how to accept your financial aid offer; or how to access and pay your tuition bill, then please take a look at these instructional videos!
How to Access Your Bard Portal
How to Reply to Your Offer of Admission
How to Set Up Your Bard Account and Email
How to Complete Your Enrollment Checklist
How to Accept Your Offer of Financial Aid
How to Access and Pay Your Tuition Bill
How Do I Enroll?
In order to officially enroll in the College, you will need to reply to your offer of admission through your Bard Portal. See the instructional video below: How to Access Your Bard Portal. Submit your deposit by May 1 (which is the deadline for entering first-year students). You have the option for online payment using your Bard portal or you can indicate that you are paying by check in the portal. If paying by check, the checked must be postmarked no later than May 1. See the instructional video below: How to Reply to Our Offer of Admission.
After submitting your enrollment deposit, you will receive instructions in your portal on how to activate your bard account and email. Once you activate your account, about 2-4 business days later, an Enrollment Tab will appear on your portal. In that tab, you will see your Enrollment Checklist. See the instructional videos below: How to Set Up Your Bard Account and Email; and How to Navigate Your Enrollment Checklist.
NOTE: 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. See the instructional video below: How to Accept Your Financial Aid Offer; and How to Access and Pay Your Tuition Bill
Enrollment Deposit Due Dates
First-Year Applicants Early Action II/Immediate Decision, Early Action, Bard Entrance Exam, and Regular Decision: May 1 Early Decision, Early Decision II/Immediate Decision: Within a month after receipt of decision and/or financial aid package
Transfer Applicants Spring Semester: December 10 Fall Semester: May 1
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.
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 Applicant Portal (students log in to their Applicant 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 Applicant Portal (students log in to their Applicant 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.
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.
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.
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.
More Information
Deferring Matriculation
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
International Student Visa
The international student advisor will send you the Certificate of Eligibility for nonimmigrant (F-1) student status (I-20 form) after you accept our offer of admission and show that you have the financial resources to cover all the costs of your first year of study in the United States.
You will present this form to the nearest U.S. Consulate in order to apply for the F-1 student visa and all other required documentation. Check the consulate website for procedures. If you have questions or concerns about visas, please contact Manishka Kalupahana, the international student advisor at [email protected] or by calling 845-758-7328.
Advanced Standing or College AP Credit
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]).
Get Ready for Your First Semester at Bard
We can’t wait to meet you when you arrive on campus!
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.
In this time of travel restrictions, we are relying on public health officials both in the United States and around the world to determine whether or not it will be appropriate to send students to Bard College Berlin in August. We are optimistic, but will keep you posted about COVID and travel protocols. In the meantime, we are building a cohort of interested, deposited students who would like to Begin 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.
Moderation is undertaken in the second semester of the sophomore year. Through this process students make the transition from the Lower College to the Upper College and establish their major in a program. Transfer students entering with the equivalent of two full years of credit (64 credits maximum) have two semesters in which to complete Moderation.
CDO assists Bard students with career planning. Bardians may schedule individual appointments or attend any of the workshops and programs offered throughout the year.
