First-Year Applicants

Photo by Pete Mauney '93 MFA '00

What Do We Look for in an Applicant?

Typically, Bard students have prepared for college by taking honors or advanced placement courses in a curriculum that includes four years of English, social studies, mathematics, laboratory science, and a foreign language. Yet admission to Bard takes into account your whole story. We welcome ambitious, independent thinkers and look closely at each part of your application. Bard presents extraordinary opportunities for students to thrive and achieve, and seeks students who will take full advantage of all that the Bard community has to offer.

Applying Through the Common Application or the Bard Entrance Exam

Through the Common App you can choose to apply by Early Action, Early Decision, Immediate Decision Plan, or Regular Decision.

If you are applying through the Bard Entrance Exam, please go here.

Dates and Deadlines

Early Applications Due Early Action, Early Decision, Immediate Decision Plan, Bard Entrance Exam	Nov. 1
Bard College Aid Scholarship Applications Due (optional and if applicable):	Nov. 1
Financial Aid Application Due for Early Applications (FAFSA and CSS Profile) FAFSA and CSS Profile must be filed by all Early Decision applicants by this date.	Dec. 1
Decision Notification for Early Applications	End of December
Deposit Due: Early Decision, Early Decision 2-Immediate Decision Plan	Within a month after receipt of decision and/or financial aid package
Deposit Due: Early Action, Early Action 2-Immediate Decision Plan, Bard Entrance Exam	May 1
Regular Decision Application Due:	Jan. 1
Bard College Aid Scholarship Applications Due (optional and if applicable):	Jan. 1
Financial Aid Application Due: (FAFSA and CSS Profile)	Feb. 1
Decision Notification:	End of March
Deposit Due:	May 1

Please note that if you are 24 years or older, or will be turning 24 during your first year at Bard, you are not eligible to apply to the College as a first-year applicant. You may apply as a transfer candidate through our Returning to College Program; this requires that students have 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.

NOTE: 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.

Application Checklist

Required materials:

Apply using the Common Application.
Teacher recommendations: We prefer that one recommendation come from an English or humanities instructor and one from a math or science instructor.
Guidance counselor recommendation and school report
High School transcript (Include mid-year senior grades if available at the time you apply.)

Optional materials

Standardized Testing We do not require SAT/ACT scores, but if you submit your scores we will consider them in making our admission decision. (Bard's CEEB code is 2037.)
Portfolios and Awards Artistic supplements are not required for admission to Bard. Copies of awards or certificates for extracurricular achievements are not required for admission.

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

Please do not mail or email any application materials directly to the Admissions office unless instructed to do so. Use your Bard Portal and go to your Application Tab to upload and view submitted materials.

Virtual Interviews

Interviews are optional at Bard

If you decide to interview, we have scheduled virtual interviews beginning in September.

Please take note of the interview deadlines:
First-Year Early Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded
First-Year Regular Decision Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded

Applying for Financial Aid?

Financial Aid Required Forms for Bard

Financial aid and scholarships based on need are available. Both the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE forms are required by Bard for domestic students and are found online. For international students, the 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.

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

Financial Aid Website

Any Questions?

Please click the questions below for answers to the most common questions asked about applying to Bard.

Can I apply to Bard before I've completed high school?

Can I apply to Bard before I've completed high school?

Yes. Candidates seeking admission before completing secondary school may be accepted if they have a strong high school record and the recommendation of a guidance counselor or principal. They must interview with an admission counselor and follow the Regular Admission process. Please contact us for more information.
What is Bard's policy on advanced standing and college AP credits?

What is Bard's policy on advanced standing and college AP credits?

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, French Baccalaureate, Swiss Maturity, and German Abitur. A student may be allowed to accelerate for up to 32 credits (a normal full year) at the time of Moderation if the Moderation Board so recommends. Students who have earned A-level passes may enter with advanced standing. To be eligible for credit, IB students must score 5 or above in individual subjects. A-level students must have an A or A* to receive credit.

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 (gadsby@bard.edu).
If I'm currently in a dual-enrollment program, how do I apply?

If I'm currently in a dual-enrollment program, how do I apply?

Credits from college classes taken during high school will transfer to Bard if the college/university provides a transcript and if the student earns a grade of C or higher in classes similar to ones offered at Bard. Students participating in dual enrollment programs who expect to complete their associate’s degrees at the time of high school graduation should apply to Bard as transfer candidates. However, some colleges and universities do not accept these college credits and expect these students to apply as first-years. Since students can only submit one Common Application (either first-year or transfer), if they choose to apply to Bard as first-years, we will shift their applications to transfer status.
Equity and Inclusion Website

What are the Equity and Inclusion Programs?

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is the administrative home to the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and the Bard Opportunity Program (BOP), among others, and offers scholarships to high-achieving, low-income scholars from all 50 states. These scholarships provide support to students who have experienced educational and financial inequalities and who possess the desire, potential, and work ethic necessary to succeed in a liberal arts college environment.

The HEOP Scholarship is for New York State residents only while the BOP Scholarship is a nationwide initiative—students from all 50 states are encouraged to apply.

To be considered for any of these scholarships, you must apply to Bard College and also submit the Equity and Inclusion supplemental form.

Equity and Inclusion Website
What is the Bard Entrance Examination?
What is the Bard Entrance Examination?

The Bard Entrance Examination is an online essay test open to high school juniors and seniors. Completion of the test is equivalent to an application for admission.

Application Checklist
Required materials once you have completed and passed the Bard Entrance Examination (B+ or higher):
- An official high school transcript (Homeschooled students may submit documentation of their curriculum in lieu of a transcript.)
- A general reference letter from a high school counselor or another appropriate school official.
Bard Entrance Exam Information
How do I apply if I was homeschooled?
How do I apply if I was homeschooled?

Bard regularly receives applications from students who have been homeschooled for some or all of their education. Since their experiences and curriculum vary tremendously, our requirements for homeschooled applicants differ somewhat from our requirements for more traditional high school students.

It is hard to standardize these requirements, and we are willing to work with you to tailor the admission process. We recommend homeschooled students provide the following:
- The full curriculum and documentation as to how the curriculum was met.
- Names of textbooks or other books used and the content covered.
- Indication of other experiences used to cover the curriculum and how the student was evaluated.
- Results of any educational testing.
- Grades from any courses taken.
- Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT, optional SAT II).
- An analytic paper.
- Academic recommendations from non-parent adults who have worked with you: two required; English, science, or mathematics preferred.
- An essay explaining why you chose homeschooling and your experience with your choice.
- We strongly recommend a personal interview. Skype interviews available.
What does it mean to be deferred to Regular Decision or waitlisted?

What does it mean to be deferred to Regular Decision or waitlisted?

Deferred to Regular Admission?

If you have applied through one of the Early Application Options: Early Action, Early Decision, or through Bard's Immediate Decision Plan (IDP), the Admission Committee has three options: accept, deny, or defer to Regular Decision. If you are deferred to Regular Decision, your early application has been shifted to our Regular Decision pool of candidates (i.e., those who apply by January 1) and you will receive an admission decision at the end of March. In most cases, applicants are deferred to Regular Admission because the Admission Committee wants to see midyear senior grades (first semester, or first and/or second trimester) before making a 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.

Waitlisted?

It means that you are in a holding pattern in terms of an admission decision. Because the final outcome of your waitlisted status cannot be predicted, you should ensure that you have a place for yourself in the fall by meeting the deposit deadline at another institution. If you are offered admission, you will be notified by e-mail to check your Applicant Portal. You should be prepared to accept or decline our offer within two weeks. If you applied for financial aid, you will receive a financial aid package within 10 days after notification.

Typically, admission from Bard’s active waitlist is offered beginning early May through mid-July. We do not rank our waitlist and the number of students admitted varies from year to year. By August 1, however, admission from the waitlist will be concluded and we will notify all remaining students.
Do I have to resubmit an application if I've already applied in the past?

Do I have to resubmit an application if I've already applied in the past?

All applicants must submit an application for the current application year, including students who have previously applied to the College. Students who have applied within the past 2 years may request to have previously submitted recommendations, transcripts, or supplemental materials transferred to their new application by submitting this request form to the Office of Admission when they re-apply. Email admission@bard.edu if you no longer have your applicant portal login information; this is what you will use to submit your request form.

Note: If you already have a Common Application account, you may want to use account rollover to re-submit your application. See Common Application Rollover

Discover More

Language and Thinking

All first-year students participate in a common curriculum: the Language and Thinking Program, First-Year Seminar, and Citizen Science. The first year at Bard begins with Language and Thinking, a three-week intensive introduction to the liberal arts and sciences with a particular focus on writing.

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Academics at Bard

Campus Life

First-Year Applicants

What Do We Look for in an Applicant?

Applying Through the Common Application or the Bard Entrance Exam

Dates and Deadlines

Application Checklist

Optional materials

Optional materials

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

Virtual Interviews

Applying for Financial Aid?

Any Questions?

Can I apply to Bard before I've completed high school?

What is Bard's policy on advanced standing and college AP credits?

If I'm currently in a dual-enrollment program, how do I apply?

What are the Equity and Inclusion Programs?

What is the Bard Entrance Examination?

How do I apply if I was homeschooled?

What does it mean to be deferred to Regular Decision or waitlisted?

Do I have to resubmit an application if I've already applied in the past?

Discover More

Language and Thinking