First-Year Applicants

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.

Dates and Deadlines

(Please scroll down to see full list.)

Early Applications Due Early Action, Early Decision, Immediate Decision Plan, Bard Entrance Exam	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
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 25 years or older, or will be turning 25 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 you complete at least one year's worth of college credits (28–32) prior to matriculation at Bard.

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.

If you are currently on your Gap Year, please note that your updated financial aid documents must be submitted by February 1, 2019.

Common Application

Through the Common App you can choose to apply by Early Action, Early Decision, Immediate Decision Plan, or Regular Decision. Apply using the Common App, except for the Bard Entrance Exam, which is an online essay application.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

November 1: deadline for Early Action, Early Decision and the Immediate Decision Plan application options. The Bard Entrance Exam must be completed by November 1.
January 1: deadline for the Regular Decision application option.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews for first-year students are optional at Bard. If you decide to interview, please click on "Interview Information" below for deadlines and for a link to reserve your interview time.

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. However, you may submit a resume of these along with your application.
NOTE: If you decide to submit artistic supplements, you can upload the files on your Applicant Portal Page. Instructions on accessing your portal page will be e-mailed to you once you apply to Bard.

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.

Deadline for submitting FAFSA and the CSS Profile forms for early application options is: December 1
Deadline for submitting FAFSA and the CSS Profile forms for regular decision option is: February 1

MUST READ: Applicant Portal Information

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

Here's how to submit your application materials to Bard College:

As an applicant, you will receive a login for your Bard Applicant Portal. That portal gives you access to your Application Checklist. Check your Application Checklist periodically to see if there are missing application materials. Upload all materials, including any supplemental materials you wish to share with us, to your Bard Applicant Portal. To submit documents through your Applicant Portal, please upload a Word document, PDF or scanned image file.
- Transcripts and recommendations submitted by your counselors and teachers will eventually appear with a green checkmark on your Application Checklist as they are received. If your transcripts and recommendations do not appear in your Application Checklist after you've requested them to be sent to Bard, please follow-up with your counselor, teachers and/or your school office. We will also notify you, via email, if there are any missing materials.

Here's how to view Admission decisions and notifications:

You will receive an email from Admission stating that there has been an update to your Applicant Portal. You will login and click on "View Update" on your portal. Offers of Admission can be accepted, declined, or deferred, within the portal. Enrollment deposits can be made using a credit card, or you can indicate that your payment is forthcoming via a check or money order.
You will also receive notifications from time-to-time and those notifications can also be read in "View Update."

Frequently Asked Questions:

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?
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).
How do I apply if I'm currently in a dual-enrollment program?
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.
What are the Bard Educational Opportunity Programs?
Bard College offers substantial academic support services and scholarship/financial aid awards to select individuals with Opportunity Programs Scholarships. BEOP offers Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and Bard Opportunity Program (BOP) scholarships that 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 a BEOP Scholarship, you must apply to Bard College and also submit the BEOP supplemental form.

BEOP Website
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
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 and would like to be considered for another application year?
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

First-Year Applicants

Dates and Deadlines

Common Application

Applying for Financial Aid?

MUST READ: Applicant Portal Information

Homeschooled Students: Application Checklist

Interview Information

Financial Aid for First-Year Students

Frequently Asked Questions: