<p>I have been accepted to both (with a significant academic scholarship from Hampshire,) waiting on bard’s finical info but not expecting much money. </p>
<p>I am interested in global studies/third world/international relations/human rights. </p>
<p>I have visited both and they both seemed like a perfect fit for me. </p>
<p>Just wondering what people’s opinions are on the differences.</p>
<p>I’m just surmising here, because I don’t know much about the professors at Hampshire - but sheerly from proximity - I would guess that Bard has much more connection to the intelligentsia and movers & shakers in New York City. They also have the special BGIA global studies program in NYC. [BGIA</a> I Bard Globalization & International Affairs Program in New York City](<a href=“Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program (BGIA)”>Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program (BGIA)) I don’t know if Hampshire has something comparable… Also, personally, I think the concentration in Human Rights at Bard offers phenomenal sounding courses, and I know has terrific professors.</p>
<p>The major difference I saw when my daughter was looking at colleges was that Bard is a very tight knit community while Hampshire’s classes are spread over the entire five college network. That could be a positive or a negative for Hampshire depending on how you look at it. For us, it was a negative. There was no “there” there. Plus, Bard has a beautiful campus, and Hampshire, well…</p>
<p>Hampshire is much looser in terms of the required classes and the major. I believe many majors at Hampshire are “design your own”. Also, classes aren’t graded.</p>
<p>At Bard, you get “regular” grades (A, B, C, etc.), and there are definite distribution requirements that you must take to graduate.</p>
<p>glitter - we visited both and found that Bard is much more of a pressure cooker than Hampshire. This was confirmed by two students - one who graduated last year and one who is currently a junior; they love their school but it is a stressful environment. Hampshire is the exact opposite and, from our accepted student information, much more creative and exciting. My feeling is that at Bard you’ll become a very intelligent and knowledgeable scholar, at Hampshire you’ll become a creative, independent achiever. In the end my daughter crossed Bard off her list and Hampshire is third but her friend chose Hampshire over Bard. The schools definitely have two different personalities, look carefully, I can’t believe both would be perfect fits for you.</p>
<p>Oh, and go with the money, why go into debt if you don’t need to?</p>
<p>@amtc - I appreciate you posting on this thread - but I don’t think your summary of the differences between Bard and Hampshire is accurate. I agree that Hampshire is much less structured. I don’t agree that graduates of Bard will not become creative independent achievers. I would say instead that graduates of Bard will become intelligent knowledgeable scholars who are independent & creative thinkers. Are students of Bard more ambitious than those at Hampshire - no way to say - I’m sure that’s up to the individual student. And there are bound to be some of each at both schools.</p>
<p>As for calling Bard a pressure cooker - I guess that’s only in relative terms to Hampshire! Certainly not compared to some other schools I can think of.</p>