Click on how you will be entering Bard by choosing one of the links below. There is more information, including deadlines. Or scroll down for an overview of application methods.
The Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) is designed to help students develop a more informed opinion of the College and to accelerate the admission process during a daylong session. Students applying through IDP participate in a seminar-style workshop followed by an interview with a member of the Admission Committee; parents/families can participate in a Q&A session with a senior administrator.
Choose only one!
Using the Common Application, candidates may apply to Bard through:
Regular Decision · Early Action · Early Decision · The Immediate Decision Plan*
*Interviews are optional, except for the Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) where interviews are part of the IDP process and day.
An alternative method of application is the Bard Entrance Examination, an online essay application.
See below for more details on each of these ways to apply to Bard!
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.
Financial aid and scholarships based on need are available. (For some financial aid scholarships, students will need to fill out a form and submit that form at the same time their application to the College is submitted.) Both the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE forms are required by Bard for domestic students and are found online. For international students, the Bard International Student Application for Financial Aid is required and is to be completed and uploaded to their Bard portal with their application. All students receive access to their Bard Portal via email after submitting their Common Application to Bard College.
Deadlines for Submitting Financial Aid Forms
Once your student submits their Common Application, it may take 24-48 hours for us to confirm receipt of their application. Once we receive their application, they will be emailed a confirmation which includes the credentials to access their Bard portal. Students should login to their Bard portals regularly to view their application and, if applicable, financial aid checklists to make sure we have received all of their required materials and to see important messages we post there.
If your student submits their Common Application on the deadline date but still has required materials to submit, please note that they will have time to upload those application materials after that deadline date as long as their Common Application has been submitted. It is important, however, that they submit those final materials as soon as possible after the deadline has passed as the admission committee cannot read incomplete applications.
If your student applied via the Bard Entrance Exam (BEE) they will also receive a confirmation email from us noting receipt of their BEE application within 48 hours of submitting their application essays. That email will also provide them with access to their Bard portal, which they should view regularly.
We ask students not to mail or email any materials directly to the Admission Office unless instructed to do so. Your student is to use their Bard portal and go to their Application Tab to upload and view submitted materials.
Your student should make a habit of visiting their Bard portal frequently to view their application and financial aid checklists and confirm that we have received all of the materials required to complete their application. We will also be posting information on their portal throughout the admission cycle so it is important for them to check their portal regularly.
Bard College is a partner of Golden Door Scholars, an organization supporting access to college for undocumented students. Golden Door Scholars selects their student scholars through a rigorous selection process that takes place before students apply to college. Golden Door Scholars who apply and are admitted to Bard receive financial and wrap-around support from both Golden Door Scholars and Bard College. Students who have not already been selected as Golden Door Scholars before applying to Bard are not eligible for this scholarship. To learn more about Golden Door Scholars please visit their website.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, colleges and universities enter into a voluntary agreement with the Veterans Administration to cover the cost of tuition and fees in excess of the amounts payable under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. The Yellow Ribbon Program financially aids veterans, and those eligible for veterans benefits, to make a Bard education more accessible regardless of a student's socio-economic circumstances.
For more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, please contact Josh Tyler at [email protected].
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