Thank you for sharing the Bard experience. I’m almost regretting my S didn’t go for the dual degree, but hopefully the environment is welcoming to high caliber hobbyists. I’m curious if the science kids are just as interested in Sartre as they are lab work.
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My daughter was flat out told by a faculty member from another school (vocal performance major so they take lessons with faculty from various colleges during the process) to always ask about aid, specifically increasing it…but I can’t see how it would be bad to ask. As students accept of decline admittance, I would expect that the amount of aid available changes. It can’t hurt to ask!
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It is always worth discussing/negotiating aid if you have offers from comparable schools, and an increase in aid would sway your decision. Note that merit aid for the dual degree conservatory students is a separate fund. And all aid at Bard, at least in past years, has always been need informed. But merit aid once awarded is not reduced if the financial status of the family improves in subsequent years.
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The music program in the college is terrific. One needn’t be a dual degree student to get a great musical education- either through a BA, double major, or just taking individual courses. Check out the course listing to get a sense of the breadth of the offerings.
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Has anyone’s C commit to Bard yet? My S has. He tells me there’s a robust group on IG of accepted students. They’ve taken it to Zoom getting together making connections, roommates, friends. S says everyone is great.
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My S just joined the FB group tonight, waiting for confirmation. I hope he finds someone there. 
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We live 2 hours from Bard closer to NYC. Bard is not too isolated at all. It may feel a little bit that way when you’re there but it’s very easy to get to . And it’s easy to hop on a train to NYC. There is train service on Metro North and Amtrak. If you have a car, even better.
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Thanks for that reminder. My D is seriously considering Bard (conservatory) but we haven’t been able to visit yet. She’s a little concerned that it seems isolated. After a year of Covid lockdown, I think she’s really looking forward to a vibrant social setting as well as a rigorous, quality education.
I read somewhere that it is an isolated campus, Can you confirm/deny? One of her other considerations is LSU, so I’m pretty partial to Bard and as a parent, not at all upset about a more isolated, rural setting lol
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There is a shuttle bus that takes you into Red Hook, which is a small town near campus. Bard is a 15-20 minute drive from Rhinebeck, which is a lovely and very upscale Hudson Valley community. Plenty of nice shops and restaurants. The next closest small city is Kingston which is across the Hudson River. It is pretty dumpy in my opinion. But overall, the Hudson Valley is lovely. A few Today Show hosts have homes in that area, by the way. LSU is a completely different animal from Bard. Bard did very good job managing through the COVID crisis and was open the entire academic year for the most part. Watch Leon Botstein’s recent interview for accepted students and their parents. President Botstein Answers Questions about Bard College from Admitted Students and Their Families - YouTube
Go on to the Instagram page for the Bard class of 2025 to see some of the accepted students.
Also, here is info on how to get there: https://snts.bard.edu/lib/db_travel.php
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We are weighing Bard vs Skidmore or UVM Does anyone have insight into these schools or care to share what else they are considering? One thing I sense about Bard is that people choose it over an other college that might be more competitive. There is reason for that.
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Thank you for the thoughtful response. Yes, we’ve discussed how different the schools are. It’s part of what makes the decision difficult bc they really are on two ends of the spectrum in terms of size and campus life. Being a music major, the focus comes down to faculty, connections etc, but happiness is also important!
We are going to try and make a drive in the next week or two to check it out and you’ve given me some good info to go on! Appreciate it!
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That was a great Q&A. It was like listening to my father who was an academic. We hope to get out to the campus soon.
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I just listened to it and now I want to attend! All joking aside, he seems like a wonderful President and mentor. It seems like a wonderful environment.
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Good evening! Our son was accepted RD to Bard Conservatory and College for classical piano and physics. He was offered a good scholarship package. He hasn’t committed, but it’s his top choice. We’re waiting on three more decisions. We visited Bard’s campus last week during spring “respite” and were able to explore the beautiful grounds. Our son fell in love with the place!
As educators ourselves, we’ve done a tremendous amount of research on Bard College, comparables, our son’s other choices, the area, etc. Weeding through complaints and bias, we’ve decided that Bard is likely the best fit. Our son has attended a small fine arts school for the last six years where he has flourished and really grown into himself. He’s accustomed to a high level of individual attention, small class size, a privileging of the arts, and a symbiotic relationship between arts and science. Bard seems to offer all these things.
Botstein’s recent Q&A, referenced elsewhere in this topic, was enlightening and cinched the deal in my mind. His balance between “old school” (e.g. referencing the importance of canonical literature) and contemporary adaptability reflect what we admire about Bard–from its mixture of architecture and technology to nature and the rough-hewn.
On the c/o '25 IG, there are posts from a girl in Birmingham. If her parents happen to read this, please message me; we’re also in Birmingham and would like to connect!
I look forward to this journey, and hopefully some of us will meet along the way.
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Would you be able to elaborate on that? Ds wants a rigorous environment and that makes me think he may not find it there. We’re weighing a number of options and Bard is one of them, double degree program.
Bard was the school DH wanted to attend after revisits when DS was making choices. There is a real commitment to life of the mind, and they seem really thoughtful about ensuring that students are intentional and engaged in their studies. I felt like this would be a hard place to simply go through the motions (even in a competitive way.) We picked up several of the theses that are bound and in the library-- every student has to do one – and didn’t get the feeling that anyone took this lightly.
Congratulations all.
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Summary
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By this I mean Bard has to be a good fit. If you get in to a more competitive school you might still choose Bard if its a better fit or if the aid is better. I think Bard offers something very unique in terms of fit. But I want to hear what others think.
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I, too, was extremely impressed by Leon Botstein’s speech, his candor, willingness to answer any question, and most of all his educational world view. Beginning with his commentary on how peculiar he found the US emphasis on the college itself as the be-all and end-all rather than what one brings to it. And later commenting on how incredibly difficult, stressful, soul-sucking (my word) a process it is for the Seniors and one “as educators we should all apologize for”.
We’re still on the fence until we hear back more clearly about their math offerings but in terms of an educational vision and atmosphere I’m sold!
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Updating to share for others who are on the fence. I’m very impressed by Bard’s involvement. I reached out by email to the president sharing my concerns about the math department and within a few hours I had a reply from both the head of the conservatory and the chair of the math department. They connected my son up with two students who are currently doing the con/math track. In addition both of these heads encouraged my son/us to meet with them via zoom/phone etc to discuss any concerns, address questions and so forth. They seem genuinely interested in learning more about my son and his interests and vision wrt his college choice. That is some serious faculty-student involvement.
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