Am I a Transfer Student?
A transfer student is defined as one who has officially matriculated into a degree program (associate’s or bachelor’s) at an accredited junior college, college, or university, and completed at least one semester (12 or more transferrable credits as determined by the Registrar) at that institution. Candidates who have taken college classes without being admitted into an institution's degree program are considered incoming first-year students, not transfer students. Bard also accepts international transfer students; the application requirements differ from those of domestic transfer students. Transfer students who are 24 years or older should apply directly to Bard's Returning to College Program (RCP). If you have any questions, please reach out to Josh Tyler, Director of Transfer Admission, at jtyler@bard.edu.Photo by Pete Mauney ’93 MFA ’00
Transfer Orientation
Transfer students enrolling at Bard must complete an orientation program:
- Fall transfer students complete the Language and Thinking Program, a two-week orientation and workshop in August, and Citizen Science in January.
- Spring transfer students complete the Language and Thinking Program in January, and Citizen Science the following January.
All transfer students (fall or spring) with fewer than 28 transferable credits must also complete one semester of First-Year Seminar during their first semester enrolled at the College.
Housing Requirements and Eligibility
Students with first- or second-year status must live on campus. Students with third- or fourth-year status are not required to live on campus. Return to College (RCP) students and Bard Baccalaureate (BardBac) students are not guaranteed on-campus housing.
Transfer Credit
A student transferring from an accredited institution usually receives full credit for work completed with a grade of C or better in courses appropriate to the Bard curriculum. Specifically, no transfer credit will be given for courses that are dissimilar from those offered at Bard. For example, “fashion design” per se is not offered at Bard, therefore the Registrar's Office would not grant transfer credit for a fashion-design class. Also, credits will not transfer from online or distance learning classes, nor will they transfer from college algebra or lower level math courses. Regardless of course credit eligibility, a maximum of 64 transfer credits can be granted. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 64 credits at Bard, for a total of 128, in order to receive a Bard degree. Transfer credits for online classes are not accepted at Bard College.
Dates and Deadlines
| SPRING TRANSFER: | FALL TRANSFER: | |
| Regular Admission Due | November 1 | March 1 |
| Bard College Aid Scholarship Applications Due (optional and if applicable) | November 1 | March 1 |
| Financial Aid Due | November 1 | March 1 |
| Decision Notification | December 1 | Late March |
| Deposit Due | December 10 | May 1 |
Application Options
Attention, Simon’s Rock Students:
Students applying from Bard College at Simon's Rock are required to complete the Common Application as a transfer student.
Bard College at Simon's Rock's policy is that students must be at Simon's Rock for at least two years before applying to Bard College in Annandale.
U.S. Citizens
Application Checklist for U.S. Citizens
Transfer Students
Required materials:
- Apply using the Common Application.
- The College Report and college transcript are also required. A high school transcript is required unless the candidate will have completed an associate’s degree by the time of matriculation at Bard.
- Both academic recommendations should come from college faculty. However, for those who have completed only one or two college semesters in circumstances where the classes have been large and contact with professors minimal, we will accept high school faculty recommendations.
- Artistic supplements are required for all transfer candidates seeking admission to the Photography Program. (Please click on the link below for artistic supplement details for this program.)
Non-U.S. Citizens
Application Checklist for Non-U.S. Citizens
Transfer Students
Application Checklist:
Required materials:
- Apply using the Common Application.
- High School transcript (Include mid-year senior grades if available at the time you apply.)
- School Report (Form is generally completed by a high school counselor and includes a school profile.)
- Teacher recommendations (Two are required: We prefer that one recommendation come from an English or humanities instructor and one from a math or science instructor.)
- In addition to the two letters of recommendation from teachers, a third letter of recommendation is required. This recommendation must come from a higher education counselor for students who have access to a college counseling office. For those without a higher education counselor, this letter of recommendation can come from another teacher or an advisor, administrator, coach or employer.
- TOEFL exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test are acceptable English proficiency tests. All international applicants for whom English is not their primary language must submit one of the accepted English proficiency tests. English proficiency test waivers are available for eligible students. Waiver requirements are listed below.
- Students who have attended a secondary school with full English instruction, for at least the 3 most recent years of their education, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their Common Application. Once students submit their Common Application they will gain access to their Bard portal where an English proficiency test waiver form is available.
- Students who have grown up in a country where English is the primary language, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their Common Application. Once students submit their Common Application they will gain access to their Bard portal where an English proficiency test waiver form is available.
Optional materials:
- In addition to the TOEFL or IELTS or Duolingo requirement, we recommend participating in the optional English Proficiency supplements with one of our two service partners: IntialView or Vericant. (See below for more information.)
- Completed Bard International Financial Aid application. (Required, if applying for financial aid. This form can be found on the Applying for Financial Aid as an International Student page.)
- 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.)
- Bard College has been test-optional for nearly 50 years. You do not need to take the SAT or ACT to apply to Bard. SAT and ACT scores should only be submitted if a student feels that their scores are an accurate reflection of their academic abilities. Submitted SAT and ACT scores are only used to inform our review process in a very small fraction of applications that include SAT or ACT scores. Students who do not submit their SAT or ACT scores are not penalized in any way during the application review process. For more information about our test optional policy, please reach out to the Office of Admission at admission@bard.edu or 845- 758-7472.
- 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. If you decide to submit artistic supplements, you can upload the files on your Bard portal. Instructions on accessing your Bard portal will be e-mailed to you once you apply to Bard. To submit awards or certificates for extracurricular achievements include them in a resume along with your application.
What are the English proficiency requirements (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo)?
Because we do not have a full-scale English as a Second Language program at Bard, it is critical that all students, domestic and international, have the appropriate level of English fluency before they arrive on campus. We read every application in full, placing particular stock in the writing, and recommendations and grades from English teachers.
TOEFL exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test are acceptable English proficiency tests. All international applicants for whom English is not their primary language must submit one of the accepted English proficiency tests. English proficiency test waivers are available for eligible students. Waiver requirements are listed below.
- Students who have attended a secondary school with full English instruction, for at least the 3 most recent years of their education, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their Common Application. Once students submit their Common Application they will gain access to their Bard portal where an English proficiency test waiver form is available.
- Students who have grown up in a country where English is the primary language, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their Common Application. Once students submit their Common Application they will gain access to their Bard portal where an English proficiency test waiver form is available.
Our test score guidelines are:
- TOEFL score of at least 100
- IELTS score of at least 7
- Duolingo English Test score of at least 120
English Language Test Waiver Information
If you are an international student and believe you are eligible for an English Language Test Waiver, you will have access to a waiver form on your Bard portal after you submit your application to Bard College. The Admission Office will review your waiver form and, if you meet the criteria, the Admission Committee will waive the English Language Test requirement, and will notify you of their decision.
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.
Interviews (Virtual)
Interviews are recommended for transfer applicants.
Applying for Financial Aid?
Required Financial Aid Forms for Bard College
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 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
Domestic and international students for the spring semester: November 1
Domestic and international students for the fall semester: March 1
Any Questions?
Please click the questions below for answers to the most common questions asked about applying to Bard as a transfer student.