Soon you will join a collaborative community of passionate students from all over the world whose perspectives expand every aspect of campus life.
Important Dates
Arrival Day: August 9, 2024
*International First-Year Student Arrival Day: August 5, 2024
(International Students may direct questions to the Office of
International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) by emailing [email protected])
Language and Thinking Program: August 12–28, 2024
Transfer Students
Arrival Day: August 23, 2024
Transfer Student Language and Thinking Program: August 26–28, 2024
Language and Thinking Program
All first-year students at Bard take part in the Language and Thinking Program (L&T), a three-week intensive introduction to the liberal arts and sciences. Outside of class, a series of events help L&T students get to know each other, become familiar with the campus and College resources, and settle into life at Bard.
Sakinah Bennett Talks About the First-Year Experience at Bard College
Sakinah Bennett is a Bard College student majoring in dance and historical studies. She is also a Posse Scholar. Sakinah talks to incoming students about the first-year experience at Bard, including the Language and Thinking Program, student advising, and getting involved on campus.
Understanding Where Someone Is Coming From
“Just look at our student clubs—we have so many for a small school,” observes Jonian Rafti. “The challenge is learning how to agree or disagree with all your peers since there are so many different beliefs on this campus. That’s an essential life skill: to understand where someone’s coming from and to be able to express your views in a meaningful way.”