<p>What kind of reputation does Bard have? It's not on the "top LAC" forums, does that mean it's any less selective?</p>
<p>Thanks! :)</p>
<p>I wouldn’t go by the Top LAC fora on CC – they’re exclusive, and some very good colleges are excluded from the list for odd reasons. In any case, assuming you are speaking of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY (and not Bard College at Simon’s Rock in MA), it has a good reputation – rock-solid. It’s not in the top 10 like Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, etc., but it is in the top 50 – it’s currently ranked in the U.S. News at #37, tied with Furman University, Occidental College, and Whitman College; just below Lafayette College and Holy Cross; and ranked above Connecticut College, Franklin & Marshall, and Union (just to give you an idea of it’s position.)</p>
<p>Short form: yes, it’s a good solid school. Not at the top, but good reputation.</p>
<p>As far as selectivity – which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with a school’s quality, by the way – Bard accepts 25% of its students (compared to Amherst’s 15%, Williams’ 17%, and Swarthmore’s 16%). Liberal arts colleges typically have higher acceptance rates than their university counterparts (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc.) because they have less name recognition and less students apply to them.</p>
<p>Thanks for that! Yeah don’t worry I know selectivity doesn’t mean a school is necessarily better, but I know a lot of people here when I mention that I’m applying to a place like Amherst think I’ll have no problem getting in, because nobody’s heard of it so it must be easy to get in… ha!</p>
<p>Wherever I apply is going to be more difficult for me as I’m an international student so I’m trying to find places where I may have a slightly higher chance of actually being accepted. Although any that aren’t need blind are going to be even more selective, so who knows.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that Bard is quite similar to Brown and Vassar, which is interesting to me because I like both of those.</p>
<p>yeah Bard is definitely an underrated school in my opinion. from my experience, the students there are significantly smarter (or at least more intellectual) than many LACs with better name recognition. I think it does have a good reputation within the academic community and I remember them boasting their grad school acceptance rates when I visited.</p>