Using the Common Application, candidates may apply to Bard through: Regular Decision Early Action Early Decision The Immediate Decision Plan* An alternative method of application is the Bard Entrance Examination, an online essay application.
*Interviews are optional, except for the Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) where interviews are part of the IDP process and day.
See below for more details on each of these ways to apply to Bard!
Did You Know?
Bard College has been test optional for over 40 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!
Early Application Options
Apply by November 1
Early application options: Apply using the Common Application, except for the Bard Entrance Exam, which is an online essay application. Decisions will be posted by the end of December, and earlier for IDP candidates, on your Bard applicant portal. In addition to receiving an admission decision of either accept or deny, a candidate can also receive the decision: defer to Regular Decision. Being deferred to Regular Decision is not an acceptance or denial decision; the Committee is postponing making a decision until it receives senior year data. Those who are not offered admission are usually required to wait a full academic year before reapplying. The following are Bard's Early Application Options (choose only one):
IDP accelerates the admission process during a daylong session which will be virtual this year. In order to accommodate students from different timezones, there are Eastern Time (ET) Morning Start IDP Sessions and Eastern Time (ET) Afternoon Start IDP Sessions. Registration is Required for an IDP Session.
Immediate Decision Plan
IDP accelerates the admission process during a daylong session which will be virtual this year. In order to accommodate students from different timezones, there are Eastern Time (ET) Morning Start IDP Sessions and Eastern Time (ET) Afternoon Start IDP Sessions. Registration is Required for an IDP Session.
The Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) is recommended for the accomplished student for whom Bard is the top choice. Applicants may choose for this process to be binding or non-binding. IDP candidates participate in a seminar with Bard faculty and then interview with admission counselors. Decisions are posted to applicant portals the next business-day evening (notification sent via email). For domestic students, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and The College Board's College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) must be filed by December 1. For International students, the International Student Financial Aid application, which can be found here, must be submitted by November 1.
Highly-qualified candidates for whom Bard is the top choice may opt to use the binding Early Decision process.
Early Decision
Highly-qualified candidates for whom Bard is the top choice may opt to use the binding Early Decision process.
Please complete the Early Decision Agreement form, available on the Common Application website. Decisions will be posted to your Bard Applicant Portal by the end of December. For domestic students, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and The College Board's College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) must be filed by December 1. For international students, the International Student Financial Aid application, which can be found here, must be submitted by November 1.
Early Action
Highly-qualified candidates for whom Bard is a top choice may opt to use the non-binding Early Action process.
Early Action
Highly-qualified candidates for whom Bard is a top choice may opt to use the non-binding Early Action process.
Please clearly indicate your intent to apply Early Action on the application. Decisions will be posted to your Bard Applicant Portal by the end of December. For domestic students, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and The College Board's College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) must be filed by December 1. For International students, the International Student Financial Aid application, which can be found here, must be submitted by November 1.
The Bard Entrance Examination
The Bard Entrance Examination is an online essay exam open only to high school juniors and seniors. The exam must be finished and submitted by November 1. Completion of the exam is equivalent to an application for admission. Applicants receive pass/fail notification of exam results by the end of December.
Workshops Offered Giving Insight into the Entrance Exam We are offering Bard Entrance Exam applicants for Fall 2021 the opportunity to participate in a series of online workshops led by Bard faculty. These workshops are for BEE Applicants only!
Click on "Learn More" for information on and registration for the workshops, and for more about the BEE process.
We know it's been a challenging year, so we want to give your students a little more time to submit their applications. We are moving our regular decision application deadline from Friday, January 1, 2021 to Monday, January 4, 2021.
Regular decision option: Apply using the Common Application. Decisions will be posted to your Bard applicant portal by the end of March. 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.
Deadline for submitting financial aid forms for international students for early application options: November 1 Deadline for submitting financial aid forms for domestic students for early application options: December 1
Deadline for submitting financial aid forms for international students for regular decision option: January 1 Deadline for submitting financial aid forms for domestic students for regular decision option: February 1
If you decide to interview, we have scheduled virtual interviews beginning in September.
Please take note that interview deadlines are based upon when you decide to apply to Bard and if you are a first year or transfer student:
First-Year Early Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded First-Year Regular Decision Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded Transfer Spring Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded Transfer Fall Applicants Interview Deadline: February 26, 2021
All transfer students are required to complete an orientation program. The orientation programs are designed to help students connect with each other and Bard faculty, become familiar with Bard's Annandale campus, and work on their writing and critical thinking skills, building upon the college experiences they bring with them from other institutions of higher education.
Transfer students enrolling in the fall complete an orientation program in August and transfer students enrolling in the spring complete an orientation program in January. Exact dates and details are shared with students well in advance of their arrival.
Details are in "More Information" and also on the Transfer Students and Return to College Students webpages.
Transfer Orientation Programs
Transfer students enrolling with fewer than 28 transferable credits (to be confirmed by the registrar during the enrollment process) must complete the first year arc, which includes the following programs: Language and Thinking, First Year Seminar (at least one semester) and Citizen Science.
Students in this category enrolling in the fall begin with Language and Thinking in August, complete at least one semester of First Year Seminar (a class taken during the regular semester calendar) and complete Citizen Science in January.
Students in this category enrolling in the spring, complete Language and Thinking in January, at least one semester of First Year Seminar during the regular semester calendar and complete Citizen Science the following January.
Transfer students with more than 28 transferable credits complete an August orientation if enrolling in the fall and a January orientation if enrolling in the spring.
Students enrolling in thefall complete an orientation program that combines themes from Language and Thinking and Citizen Science into a two week program.
Students enrolling in the spring complete Language and Thinking in January and Citizen Science during the following January.
Students with more than 28 transferable credits are not required to take a semester of First Year Seminar, though it is an option.
Return to College (RCP) students––students who are 24 years of age or older and have earned at least one semester's worth of college credits (12 or more credits from a previous higher education program that can be transferred to Bard College.)
RCP students enrolling in the fall complete an orientation program that combines themes from Language and Thinking and Citizen Science (pieces of the first year orientation program) into one two-week program. These students are not required to take a semester of First Year Seminar, though it is an option.
RCP students enrolling in the spring complete Language and Thinking in January and Citizen Science the following January. Students may petition to opt-out of Citizen Science if they have sufficient experience in science, mathematics and computing at a college level. Appeals of this nature must be directed to a student’s faculty advisor and the registrar. These students are not required to take a semester of First Year Seminar, though it is an option.
Housing Transfer students with first-year or second-year standing upon enrollment must live on campus. Transfer students with third-year or fourth-year year standing upon enrollment are allowed to live off campus if they so choose. Return to College students are not offered on-campus housing.
Synopsis of the Orientation Programs Language and Thinking Program (L&T): During L&T, students read extensively, work on a variety of projects in writing and other formats, and meet throughout the day in small groups and in one-on-one conferences with faculty. The work aims to cultivate habits of thoughtful reading and discussion, clear articulation, accurate self-critique, and productive collaboration. Citizen Science Program: During Citizen Science, students learn by doing. Students are fully engaged in problem solving and must learn to identify, obtain, and digest the types of scientific evidence needed to make informed decisions. Citizen Science mirrors what it is to be a scientist. First-Year Seminar: During First-Year Seminar, students develop a clearer sense of their own intellectual goals and priorities, which will inform their work during the rest of their time at Bard.
How Will You Apply?
Photo by Karl Rabe
There is important information that is particular to you.
To apply to the Bard Conservatory, you must first apply to Bard College.
Click on how you will be entering Bard by choosing one of the links below. There is more information, including deadlines:
Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
Bard College is committed to assisting all members of the community in providing for their own safety and security. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available on the Office of Safety and Security website.
If you would like to receive a hard copy of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains this information, you can stop by the Office of Safety and Security Office at the Old Gym, 30 Campus Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504, or you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 845-758-7460.
The report contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as: crime prevention, public safety authority, crime reporting policies, fire safety, disciplinary procedures and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about fire statistics in Bard residential facilities and crime statistics for the three previous calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the College; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.
This information is required by law and is provided by the Office of Safety and Security.