Transfer Applicants

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 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).

Contact a Transfer Counselor

International Transfer Students

Bard's Curriculum

Dates and Deadlines

	SPRING TRANSFER:	FALL TRANSFER:
Regular Admission Due	Nov. 1	March 1
Certification of Finances Form (Non-U.S. Citizens)	Nov. 1	March 1
Financial Aid Due	Nov. 1	March 1 (U.S. citizens) March 1 (Non-U.S. citizens)
Decision Notification	Dec. 1	Mid-April
Deposit Due	Dec. 16	May 15

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

Photography Portfolio

Common Application

This application method is for transfer students.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

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 transfer candidates seeking admission to the Photography program. (Please click on the link on the right for artistic supplement details for this program.)

NOTE: If you decide to submit artistic supplements, you can upload the files on your Applicant Portal. Instructions on accessing your applicant portal will be e-mailed to you once you apply to Bard.

Interviews:

Interviews for transfer students are recommended. Please click on the "Interview" link below for deadlines and for a link to reserve your interview time.

Transfer Application Options

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).

Return to College Program

If you are 24 years or older and have completed at least one year's worth of college credits (28–32) prior to matriculation at Bard, you may apply as a transfer candidate through our Return to College Program (RCP).

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.

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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."

Any Questions?

What if I have completed less than one year of college?
Students who will have completed less than one year of college at the time of enrollment at Bard must apply for fall term and, as determined by the Registrar of the College, complete our first-year program (i.e., three-week Language and Thinking workshop in August, three-week Citizen Science in January, and First-Year Seminar).

Due to the comprehensive nature of our first-year program, we do not accept applications from mid-year (spring term) first-year transfer candidates.

Students who have withdrawn from college in the first semester or quarter and earned no credits can apply as first-year candidates for the following fall term if they do not enroll elsewhere in the interim.
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 kind of housing is available for transfer students?
Housing is guaranteed for transfer students.
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?
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