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 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).
Transfer Orientation Programs
Starting Fall 2021
All transfer students are required to complete an orientation program. The orientation programs are designed to help students connect with each other and Bard faculty, become familiar with Bard's Annandale campus, and work on their writing and critical thinking skills, building upon the college experiences they bring with them from other institutions of higher education.
Transfer students enrolling in the fall complete an orientation program in August and transfer students enrolling in the spring complete an orientation program in January. Exact dates and details are shared with students well in advance of their arrival.
Transfer Orientation Programs
Transfer students enrolling with fewer than 28 transferable credits (to be confirmed by the registrar during the enrollment process) must complete the first year arc, which includes the following programs: Language and Thinking, First Year Seminar (at least one semester) and Citizen Science.
Students in this category enrolling in the fall begin with Language and Thinking in August, complete at least one semester of First Year Seminar (a class taken during the regular semester calendar) and complete Citizen Science in January.
Students in this category enrolling in the spring, complete Language and Thinking in January, at least one semester of First Year Seminar during the regular semester calendar and complete Citizen Science the following January.
Transfer students with more than 28 transferable credits complete an August orientation if enrolling in the fall and a January orientation if enrolling in the spring.
Students enrolling in thefall complete an orientation program that combines themes from Language and Thinking and Citizen Science into a two week program.
Students enrolling in the spring complete Language and Thinking in January and Citizen Science during the following January.
Students with more than 28 transferable credits are not required to take a semester of First Year Seminar, though it is an option.
Housing Transfer students with first-year or second-year standing upon enrollment must live on campus. Transfer students with third-year or fourth-year year standing upon enrollment are allowed to live off campus if they so choose.
Synopsis of the Orientation Program
Language and Thinking Program (L&T): During L&T, students read extensively, work on a variety of projects in writing and other formats, and meet throughout the day in small groups and in one-on-one conferences with faculty. The work aims to cultivate habits of thoughtful reading and discussion, clear articulation, accurate self-critique, and productive collaboration.
Citizen Science Program: During Citizen Science, students learn by doing. Students are fully engaged in problem solving and must learn to identify, obtain, and digest the types of scientific evidence needed to make informed decisions. Citizen Science mirrors what it is to be a scientist. First-Year Seminar: During First-Year Seminar, students develop a clearer sense of their own intellectual goals and priorities, which will inform their work during the rest of their time at Bard.
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.
Transfer students may not apply to Bard through Early Action, Early Decision, Immediate Decision Plan, or the Bard Entrance Exam, but must apply Regular Admission. Application due dates also differ for transfer students (see "Dates and Deadlines" above).
If you are 24 years or older and have at least one semester's worth of college credits (12-16 credits) from a previous higher education program that can be transferred to Bard College, then you can apply through Bard's Return to College Program (RCP).
Bard High School Early College graduates who choose to apply to Bard College's main campus now have the opportunity to apply to the Preferred Admission and Early College Opportunity scholarship (ECO) programs.
Bard Early College Opportunity and Preferred Admission Programs
Bard High School Early College graduates who choose to apply to Bard College's main campus now have the opportunity to apply to the Preferred Admission and Early College Opportunity scholarship (ECO) programs.
Preferred Admission students enjoy expanded orientation and preregistration, and can apply for ECO scholarships, which may cover up to full tuition. Transferring to Bard College offers BHSEC graduates the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree within four to six semesters. While some universities do not accept the college credits earned during the final two years at BHSEC, Bard accepts all credits. As a result, BHSEC graduates who transfer to Bard enter as juniors. They then have two semesters in which to complete the Moderation process and an additional two to four semesters to finish their Senior Projects. BHSEC transfers enjoy other benefits as well:
1) The option to apply for fall or spring term 2) Advanced notice of Regular Admission decisions (announced March 1) 3) Guaranteed on-campus housing 4) The option to participate in both the Language and Thinking and Citizen Science workshops
Applying as first-year candidates with the Common Application gives BHSEC applicants the choice to have a four-year college experience at institutions that do not accept the earned college credits, or fast-track to graduation in four to six semesters at Bard.
Of course, the greatest benefit in transferring to Bard is the continuation of the academic environment BHSEC students have come to appreciate: small class size, seminar/discussion style of learning, close association and mentoring with faculty, and a depth and breath of knowledge that prepares Bardians for life after college.
NOTE: Bard shifts all BHSEC first-year applications into transfer applications. As transfer candidates, BHSEC students cannot apply Early Action, Immediate Decision Plan, or via the Bard Entrance Exam. BHSEC candidates can apply Early Decision, but we encourage applicants not to limit their admission choices.
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.)
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.)
TOEFL exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test (For English proficiency requirements, see below.) All international applicants who speak a foreign language other than English as their primary language must submit a completed TOEFL exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test.
Students who attend High Schools with full English instruction may request to be considered for a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waiver by emailing admission@bard.edu, Subject: International Applicant - TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waiver
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.)
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.)
It is recommended that, in addition to the required TOEFL or IELTS or Duolingo exam, international applicants for whom English is a second language, participate in an optional English Proficiency supplement with one of these service providers:
Vericant(There is one link for mainland Chinese applicants and another link for other international applicants.)
InitialView(If you live in mainland China, you can use this service to speak personally with an interviewer. If you live outside of mainland China, you can use InitialView to speak with an interviewer via a video platform.)
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.
Our test score guidelines are: -TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper-based) or 100 (Internet-based test - IBT). -IELTS in place of the TOEFL, with a band score of no less than seven. -Duolingo English Test in place of the TOEFL or IELTS, with a test score of no less than 120.
MUST READ: Bard PortalInformation
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.
MUST READ: Bard PortalInformation
Submit your application materials to Bard College:
As an applicant, 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. To submit documents through your Bard 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.
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.
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.
Virtual Interviews
Please take note that interview deadlines are based upon whether you are a transfer student applying for either the spring or fall semester:
Transfer Spring Applicants Interview Deadline: Concluded Transfer Fall Applicants Interview Deadline: February 26, 2021
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 domestic andinternational students for the spring semester: November 1 Deadline for submitting financial aid forms for domestic andinternational 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.
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.
What kind of housing is available for transfer students?
What kind of housing is available for transfer students?
Housing is guaranteed for transfer students.
What does it mean to be waitlisted?
What does it mean to be 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?
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