<p>Hi! I'm interested in Bard College, and I was wondering what anyone's thoughts on it were. How does it compare to other liberal arts schools like Amherst, Wesleyan, Swarthmore, etc.</p>
<p>WillemS, you might want to ask more specific questions. You also might have better luck in the College Search Forum, as opposed to the college admissions forum, unless you are asking about Bard’s different approach to admissions. Bard does offer something called the Immediate Decision Plan that I have not seen at other colleges:
[Bard</a> College | Immediate Decision Plan](<a href=“http://www.bard.edu/admission/applying/idp/]Bard”>Bard Immediate Decision Plan)</p>
<p>Other than that – Bard is very selective, but less so than Wesleyan and much less so than Amherst or Swarthmore. Its campus is more isolated than the other schools you mention. Its students are often very individualistic, many are arts-focused (though plenty are not). Bard does not guarantee to meet need, while the other schools do, though that doesn’t mean you would get the same award from each. Bard requires a senior capstone project. I don’t think the other schools do. </p>
<p>Do you see why a more specific question would be helpful? I am giving you information that a) you could look up yourself without much trouble and b) is a pretty random assortment and may not be what you are looking for. Also keep in mind that each of the three schools you lumped together as “other” is different from the others. Keep researching – use those school websites, use the College Board’s “big future” comparison feature to give you a quick overview, etc.</p>
<p>Parent of Bard alum ('12) here. D considered some of the other schools you mention but ultimately decided Bard was a better fit. Bard classes are very small and in addition to a grade you also get personal commentary from the prof. Bard students are intelligent (as would be students at any of those other schools) but more important, they tend to be intellectual. They are interested in ideas, they are independent thinkers, they are passionate about something. You won’t find anyone at Bard who is studying a particular field because it will make them a lot of money; they’re studying it because they are truly interested in the subject.</p>
<p>Bard is relatively isolated, but a beautiful campus on the bank of the Hudson River. There’s a couple of nice little towns nearby that are served by the campus shuttle, but they’re not really within walking distance. The upside of this is that there are a lot of on-campus activities available. Bard is also within an easy train ride of NY city; D commuted into the city for an internship twice a week during her senior year.</p>
<p>Socially, it’s not a school that emphasizes athletics as much as Williams or Amherst, although there are sports teams. Bard students are often individualistic and that means that they tend to be very accepting of people who are not like them. There are some “insider look at the colleges” guides that overinflate Bard’s reputation for drugs and partying; certainly there are people who party but it’s not nearly as prevalent as those guides would have you believe.</p>