can i get into bard college?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>what are my chances of getting into bard college? i took a year off after i graduated from high school, moved to new york city where i explored and worked, moved back home, worked, spent spring semester '09 at a local community college, and was an intern for the barack obama campaign where i worked 9am-8pm everyday for 3 months.</p>

<p>my high school gpa is nothing i'm proud of...i never "fit in" because i was almost two years young for my grade and had the whole "eff you" attitude. however, i was highly involved in clubs in and outside of school, played drums, played rugby, and did a good bit of volunteer work.</p>

<p>high school gpa: 2.7
community college gpa: 3.8</p>

<p>i was accepted to prescott college (a small, private school in arizona) in the spring and up until this month i was planning on going there this fall. it suddenly hit me that i wasn't doing what i wanted to do. i wanted to go to bard college. i have ever since i visited my cousin who was a student there 2 years ago. it just seemed like perfect fit for me.</p>

<p>so i'm enrolled at another local community college this fall, where i plan to take a full course load and hopefully strengthen my college gpa further. also, i am looking into studying abroad in thailand, cambodia, vietnam, and laos for spring semester because i am a cultural studies major, with an emphasis on asian studies. this means i'd be applying to bard for fall 2010.</p>

<p>what chance do you think i have of being accepted to bard college? i can write a mean essay, interview very well, and have exceptional letters of recommendation. i feel as though i would be a unique addition to bard college, and am hoping they will feel similarly. after taking close to two years off from high school, i've truly realized how incredible being in school is. being in class, studying, and learning is where i've found happiness.</p>

<p>what do you all think? do i have a chance?</p>

2

<p>Well, that high school GPA isn’t the best, just to be frank. Your community college GPA is better, but Bard College is not that easy to get into. You need an above-average SAT score, and its only 25% admission, so you really need to get onto your extracurriculars. But you seem to have the problem many have. Focusing out EC’s more than on academics as opposed to focusing on academics more than EC’s. You have to have a balance. Even though going to Asia would be really good, it’s by no means going to be the one thing that lets you in. You have to get really good grades for your next year(s) to come. </p>

<p>Good luck!
Chance me? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/753494-my-last-what-my-chances-lol-ive-given-up.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/753494-my-last-what-my-chances-lol-ive-given-up.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>thank you for your response, i appreciate it!</p>

<p>any one else care to comment?</p>

4

<p>also, i was just curious (because i was considering nyu as an option as well) to know how much bard really does look at numbers…as opposed to schools like nyu who won’t even look at your application if you don’t have above a 3.8 grade point average.</p>

<p>it seems to me like bard really does take into account extracurriculars. to the point where they could look past an average (or even less-than) gpa if you’re strong in another area. in fact, i’m pretty sure i read somewhere that submitting your sat scores isn’t even required by bard college…and 31% of accepted students chose not to.</p>

<p>anyone have an opinion?</p>

5

<p>bump! anyone…please? i could really use your input.</p>

6

<p>I visited Bard with my son a few months ago (he’s not applying… another story).
Bard strikes me as the sort of school that you can “write/talk your way into.”
(and I don’t mean this in a bad way).</p>

<p>Here’s the hook for you: they have a program (not sure what they call it exactly) that’s required of any student applying ED. You basically spend a few days at Bard to see if it’s “right” for you, etc.</p>

<p>I think you should get all over this program, sign up and prove what a great Bard student you would be.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

7

<p>thanks! that’s a great suggestion. i will certainly look into it.</p>

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<p>oh, i just checked their website and realized that transfer students may not apply early decision or immediate action. bummer…</p>

9

<p>what about oberlin…i’ve heard it’s similar to bard. do i have a chance of being accepted?</p>

<p>and can anyone suggest some safety schools for me?</p>

10

<p>hellllllllllo?</p>

11

<p>I’m glad I stumbled upon this. I was going through the same nonsense you are right now about four years ago. I am currently a senior at Bard (or will be in a month). Let me outline my process for admission and my perceptions about the overall admissions process.</p>

<p>First, let me state that I think the current 25% admission rate is not representative of how difficult it is to get into Bard. When I applied, I believe this figure was around 29% and has dropped significantly and steadily over the years. When looking at these figures it is important to realize that there are self selection effects; admission at Bard cannot be compared to admission at any other school because of incongruence in the applicant pool. That being said, I think it is more important to assess whether or not you would be a good fit for the school (for yourself AND the administration) than looking at hard statistics that are easily misconstrued. View this advice as encouragement for applying.</p>

<p>I applied to Bard in 2006. I also applied to places like Oberlin and McGill in Montreal. Rejected from both McGill and Oberlin (even though they had higher acceptance rates at the time). I received my acceptance letter from Bard and never looked back (well, after freshman year that is). My high school performance was pretty weak. We didn’t calculate GPAs so I can’t really compare myself to you in this respect, although I would say I was a steady B to A- student. I believe I had a few Cs sprinkled on my transcript. This didn’t seem to matter. I did not have an interview, I did not visit, hell, I applied for the fun of it and didn’t take it seriously. I got in, though.</p>

<p>Your personal background seems pretty appealing to a place like Bard. Our president continually gives addresses on the deception of on-paper figures and I believe these are used less every year in the admission process. In this respect, I urge you to WRITE A FANTASTIC ESSAY on your personal experiences. Writing is at the core of a Bard education (even in my major, economics), and if you can write coherently this will help you immensely. Also, I urge you to have an interview conducted. This will give you a chance to explain your poor performance in high school and why you want to go to Bard. </p>

<p>In short, I think you should apply, because you have a shot of admission. I absolutely love it here; I have flourished academically and plan to attend graduate school in 2010. Because of my interest in the course of study and general pedagogical philosophy of Bard, I am leaving here with a significantly high GPA that will allow me to swing it into some top universities out there. Achieving this GPA was painless, because Bard inspires academic/intellectual curiosity and desire for excellence (at least it did for me). Keep your head up, apply, and email me if you have any other questions (<a href=“mailto:ak433@bard.edu”>ak433@bard.edu</a>). You already sound like a Bardian.</p>