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Main Image for First-Year Students

First-Year Students

Welcome, Class of 2026!
Striking a pose after Matriculation. Photo by Karl Rabe
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We are so excited to welcome each of you in person to our Annandale campus. Over the first few weeks at Bard you will connect with new people and places. You will engage in new literature, participate in robust discussions within and outside of your Language & Thinking (L&T) groups, laugh with new friends, and cry because you miss your “old” ones (and your dog)! Don't worry, we have lots of dogs on campus and you will have the opportunity to meet them. Orientation at Bard is designed to ensure that you get to know the people who are here to support you. We don't expect you to remember everything—that's what your peer counselor (PC) is for! Your PC is a great resource, and you will meet your PC on arrival day. Visit this website regularly to find the latest information about orientation. And please follow us on Instagram, too, at @bardcollegefirstyear. We look forward to seeing you! 

Join the Conversation on Instagram!

Language and Thinking

Your first year at Bard begins with the Language and Thinking Program—a three-week intensive introduction to the liberal arts and sciences with a focus on writing. It is attended by all incoming students and is required for matriculation into the College. Watch this video to discover how new students typically spend their first three weeks on campus.

Required Reading
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: The 1818 Edition (Penguin) (ISBN-13‏: ‎978-0143131847). Students should purchase and read Frankenstein before arriving in Annandale.

Learn more about L&T

Associate Dean of Studies

  • Molly Freitas, Associate Dean of Studies
    She/Her/Hers
    [email protected]
    845-758-7454

Information for Your First Year

See what's ahead for fall 2022.
  • Bard Admission Portal
    Set up Bard Email, Upload Photo ID, Complete Housing Profile, Complete Health Forms, and more!
  • What to Bring to Campus
    What to bring. What's not allowed. Shipping packages before you arrive. Your campus address. Register your car.
  • Residence Life & Housing
    MyAnnandale. Move-In Day Info! Log into your housing portal. Meet your new roommate! Rent a microfridge. 
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    Meet your House Professor. Learn about your house affiliation.
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  • How to Get to Campus
    Information on getting to and traveling around Bard campus.
First-Year Seminar

First-Year Seminar

First-Year Seminar is a two-semester course taken by all first-years at Bard. Its goal is to create a basis for shared conversation among the first-year class and build foundational skills for success in college: attentive close reading of challenging texts; respectful and inclusive dialogue with others; the ability to ask profound and interesting questions about what you read; and developing your academic voice through writing.

FYSem Website

Citizen Science

Citizen Science is an innovative program for all first year students. Through two weeks of intensive study during the January intersession, students develop a core understanding of both the conduct and the content of science. This foundation allows them as citizens to grapple with the ever-increasing number of national and global issues influenced by science.

CitSci Website

Becoming a Sophomore

Sophomores at Bard College establish a major program and transition from the Lower College to the Upper College through a process called Moderation. In Moderation, students write papers identifying their academic progress and goals and submit a sample of work done in the program. Each student meets with a board of three faculty members who evaluate and advise the student as he or she moves forward into the Upper College.

About Moderation

Bard College
30 Campus Road
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
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