<p>Bard seems like a great school, and it has a cool campus. In terms of isolation though, even though it is not too far from NYC (under 2 hrs I think) I have heard from people who go there that you REALLY need a car.</p>
<p>Briansteffy--I just stumbled on this old thread and wondered whether your son had ended up applying to Bennington. The longer my daughter is there, the more impressed I am with the school, so I am always interested in the kids (and parents) who fall in love with it too. Would love to hear where he ends up going, he sounds like an interesting kid.</p>
<p>Son applied to Bennington; visited it in Oct. He loved it; sort of like meeting a 'soul mate'. Admittedly, he got there in the PM; full moon coming up behind the mountain and deer roaming in the mist. I think that he thought he was in the scene of some phantasy movie. The facilities were a bit beat, but after an interesting interview and upon meeting a few students, his mind was made up. The vegan dining was 'icing on the cake'.</p>
<p>Good luck to him. It sounds like a good fit.</p>
<p>i visited bennington, and while the school was not right for me and i will not be applying, i LOVED the town of bennington. (it was kind of far from campus though, and i heard it was not the town that students usually hang out in.) all the cute shops, the bookstore, candy place, little sandwich places- SO CUTE! looooved bennington the town. it reminded me of northampton except more quaint, if possible.</p>
<p>Oh, many students hang out in Bennington, go to the coffee shops, the restaurants, etc., the Blue Benn, in particular, is a favorite. It is a great town/area. A little quiet, but you get used to, and come to love, that. Northampton is a great town too. I go there sometimes on weekends to visit friends at Smith and Hampshire.
Briansteffy, good luck to your son. I felt the same way about the Bennington campus when I visited, so I can really relate!</p>
<p>I am currently in Slovakia for the year but I have been looking up different colleges in my spare time-and I have to say, I have fallen in love with Bennington. I have been attacking the webpage and trying to find out everything about it. It is funny-I was originally looking at NYU but Bennington has caught me with its field work, amazing campus, and the plan process. I have always loved the idea of planning my own courses. What more can I say...I'm in love!</p>
<p>Son has applied to Bennington, but is different from most who are looking at these types of schools. He is a big jocky (but smart) type of kid who just seemed to like these types of schools when we visited many colleges last summer (also liked Skidmore and Wells a lot). My question is, do main-stream type kids fit in at Bennington too? I am impressed that he didn't just go for the "regular" schools, but rather liked a variety of colleges (Bennington, Skidmore, Wells, Ithaca College, Hamilton, Colgate and UVM). What are some thoughts about Bennington and non-artsy kids? Any feedback or advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of kids at Bennington, many of whom have played sports in High School, and are not all that artsy. That said, I do think that to be happy there you probably have to have a certain sensibility. One has to be open to, and like, things that are different, unusual, or that overused phrase, outside the box. Being self motivated, and confident about one's own choices is also essential.
What did your son find interested about the more alternative schools on his list? Was it the people? The academics? I think that if he is smart, driven, and wants something other than the usual social scene of big beer parties, etc., he will fit in just fine, and hey, the Bennington soccer team could really use him!</p>
<p>I am not really sure. He is captain of two sports (basketball and golf) and really loves sports. However, he is not into the drinking party scene in high school. He likes Kanye West, but just wrote a great 10 page research paper on Global Warming and why Al Gore is right. He is a very good student, but not a bookworm so to speak. I must mention he is a child of two teachers, so that plays a huge factor in things. I think these schools just seemed more welcoming when we visited. He seems to be conservative, but open to new ideas. He just seemed to like the smaller, closed campus type of school rather than the huge ones we visited. I am just making sure that this type of kid can fit in at Bennington. I must also add that Bennington was my mom's favorite college and I made a promise to her that my kids would at least look at it.</p>
<p>Anyone else have anything interesting to say or post about Bennington? I think it is a great college.</p>
<p>For me, and for many others, the most important and interesting part of a Bennington education is the Field Work Term. We are all away from campus right now engaging in internships, travel, independent study, etc. Every year it is 7 weeks long, from early January to mid February, and it is mandatory. The FWT teaches one how to apply for jobs, interview, and gives us a resume when we graduate. It is also invaluable in learning what interests one (or really doesn't!) in terms of jobs. I have learned as much, or more, from my experiences in the "field" than I have in the classroom or from books. It makes the school, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for the reply and explaination about the work program. I think it sounds great and would prepare a student for the "real world". When do classes start up again? We did not see the college when there were students there. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think the kids go back around February 18th this year.</p>
<p>Ok thank you, I can't wait to visit with a campus full of kids and the dining room open. It was a gorgeous campus though!</p>
<p>jollymom: my S was a very serious athlete - nationally ranked fencer and started at noseguard since sophomore year, when they lost the state championship. To be frank, part of the appeal of Bennington was its seeming rejection of competitive sports. My S went thru this weird transition his junior year in which he announced (he was being recruited by small/mid-sized colleges for football), no more football; I want to get into theatre. What he liked was being in an environment in which he could be what he wanted to be. Would he turn down an offer to act a role on Friday Night Lights? He'd love it, and he would not need a stunt substitute.</p>
<p>Thanks that is very interesting. Your son sounds like a great kid who has his head on straight! My sister told me yesterday that it is one of her favorite colleges. She stops there all the time just to see the beautiful campus. Thanks again for giving my son and I something to think about.</p>