Homeschooled Applicants

Photo by Karl Rabe

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 traditional high school students.

Application Checklist

While it is challenging to standardize these requirements, and we are willing to work with you to tailor the admission process, we ask that homeschooled students provide the following:

Transcripts for any classes taken at an accredited high school or college
The full syllabus of any class not taken at an accredited high school or college, including: name of class and instructor; goal of class; list of books read and indication of other experiences used to cover the curriculum; method of assessment
Results of any educational testing
Standardized test scores (not required) (Bard does not require students to send official reports of their SAT or ACT scores. Students may self-report scores by including their scores in the Testing section of their Common Application or by uploading a copy of their score report to their Bard portal.)
An analytic paper
Academic recommendations from non-parent adults who have worked with you: two required; we prefer that one recommendation come from an English or humanities instructor and one from a math or science instructor
An essay explaining why you chose homeschooling and your experience with your choice (unless this is already covered in your application)
We strongly recommend a personal interview. In-person and online interviews are available—see below
Portfolios and Awards: Supplemental materials are not required for admission to Bard; however, if a portfolio is included in an application, students who submit their application by the application deadline have a grace period of 5 days from the deadline to submit supplemental materials such as portfolio materials or to encourage teachers and counselors to submit their recommendation letters.

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

Once you submit your Common Application, it may take 24-48 hours for us to confirm receipt of your application. Once we receive your application, you will be emailed a confirmation which includes the credentials to access your Bard Portal.

If you submit your Common Application on the deadline date but still have required materials to submit, please note that you will have time to upload those application materials after that deadline date as long as your Common Application has been submitted. It is important, however, that you submit those final materials as soon as possible after the deadline has passed as the admission committee cannot read incomplete applications.

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

Please make a habit of visiting your Bard portal frequently to view your application and financial aid checklists and confirm that we have received all of the materials required to complete your application. We will also be posting information on your portal throughout the admission cycle so it is important to check your portal regularly.

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

Submit your application materials to Bard College:

As an applicant, you will receive a login and a link to your Bard Portal. (Note: It may take 24-48 hours for us to confirm receipt of your application, after which you will receive a login and a link to your Bard Portal.) That portal gives you access to many tabs, one of which is your Application Tab where you will see your Application Checklist. Review 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 Portal. File formats we accept are listed on your Bard portal.
- 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. Please note that applicants must not upload any recommendation letters themselves as these must remain confidential and should be sent to Bard by the recommenders directly. We will also notify you, via email, if there are any missing materials.

Check your financial aid materials:

If you are applying for financial aid, once you've submitted all the required materials, go to the Financial Aid Tab in your portal to confirm that they have been received and to see if there are any missing materials. (Note: It can take from 48 hours to 3-5 days, depending on the form being submitted, before a green check mark appears next to each of the respective forms.)

View admission decisions and notifications:

You will receive an email from Admission stating that there has been an update to your Bard Portal. Log in to your portal and click on your Dashboard Tab where all decision letters and correspondences from the College are displayed.
Offers of Admission can be accepted, declined, or deferred, within the Bard 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.

View events:

Any events hosted by the Office of Admission will be displayed in an Event Tab on your portal.

Here's what displays on your portal after you enroll at Bard:

Once your enrollment deposit is processed, within a week, your Bard Portal will display new tabs. The Enrollment Tab will display your personalized enrollment checklist. There will also be a Special Admitted Events Tab.

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
Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) Applicants: Financial aid forms for all IDP applicants to receive early notification of the financial aid estimate are due by this date.	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	Mid 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:	Late 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.

Bard allows students admitted via the Early Decision binding process to take one gap year. Students may make this selection by responding to their offer of admission on their Bard portal. Students must still withdraw their applications from other institutions should they be admitted to Bard via the ED application.

NOTE: Candidates who are placed on the waitlist are invited to submit supplemental information. Those who are not offered admission are usually required to wait a full academic year before reapplying.

Applying for Financial Aid?

Required Financial Aid Forms for Bard College

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

Non-U.S citizens who are applying through early application options: November 1
- NOTE for Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) Applicants: November 1 is the deadline for financial aid forms for all IDP applicants (U.S. and Non-U.S. citizens) to receive early notification of the financial aid estimate.

U.S. citizens applying through all other early application options (Bard Entrance Exam, Early Action, Early Decision): December 1

Non-U.S. citizens who are applying through the regular decision option: January 1

U.S. citizens who are applying through the regular decision option: February 1

Financial Aid Website

Interviews (in-person and virtual)

Interviews for homeschooled students are recommended

Interview Options and Requirements

Interview Deadlines and Options
Only students applying in the current admission cycle are eligible for an interview.

Interview Deadlines:
- Early Action, Early Decision, and Bard Entrance Exam interviews: weekdays from September 5 through October 21, 2022
- Regular Decision interviews: weekdays from September 5 through October 21, 2022
Interview Options:
Both in-person and virtual interviews are options. We encourage students who live within driving or a train-ride distance to campus to take advantage of the in-person options and leave the virtual slots for students who can't travel due to distance from campus, among other reasons.
REGISTER HERE
In-Person Interview Requirements
All COVID-19 requirements MUST be adhered to:
- Please bring a mask with you to this event. You do not need to wear your mask to enter the admission building when you arrive, but you might be asked to wear it at specific points during your visit.
- In advance of your interview at Bard College, we ask that you kindly monitor your current health. In the event you are not feeling well, we ask that you remain at home and reschedule your visit for another time.
- If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been in close contact with a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the past 5-10 days, please also remain home.

Homeschooled Applicants

Application Checklist

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

MUST READ: Bard Portal Information

Dates and Deadlines

Applying for Financial Aid?

Required Financial Aid Forms for Bard College

Interviews (in-person and virtual)

Interview Options and Requirements

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