<p>I was accepted to Bard and don’t really know much about it besides for what’s on the website. I was wondering if a current student would be willing to talk to me about the social scene, academics, extracurriculars and all that. I’m considering attending Bard, but I’ve heard some not-so-great things about it.</p>
<p>Have you visited? I'd go quick. You should see it as part of your consideraton. Where are you from?</p>
<p>Go to an open house. April 15 and/or 22.</p>
<p>Mhalp, what are the not-so-great things you've heard? I was also accepted and am interested to know.</p>
<p>I was accepted to Bard back in jaonuary and just today i found out that I got a presedential scholar award a 4 yer award but they dont say how much it is... doe anyone know , anyone ever receive this award.</p>
<p>I was also named a presidential scholar. Apparently 100 out of 1500 accepted students receive this award. The fiscal amount was really disappointing though. Each person's award is individually evaluated, but I only received $5,000 a year. In fact, my entire financial aid package was really disappointing...a little over $12K a year. and reed is giving me $42K...all of my colleges have given at least $15K in grant/scholarships. except bard that is. what packages has everyone else received? am i the only one who has had a bad experience with them?</p>
<p>i still have not recieved theletter from brd telling me how much they gave me, but ater reding your letter, i am not very hopeful. 42K from Reed is great, you may want to tell Bard that and see if they can/will match any of that. It sounds like you have a free ride at Reed. where re you going? is Bard your really first choice?</p>
<p>yeah. actually thats the sad part. bard is my first choice because contemporary art is my calling, and bard has one of the best programs in the country. but reed would be paying full tuition, books, and travel w/grant money, which is hard to say no to. smith is also really tempting, but i need to negotiate my package so its 5K greater...and i haven't gotten a package from u of chicago. what about you? is bard your first choice?</p>
<p>I guess Bard is not my first choice, i really dont know what my first choice is--maybe Hampshire, but I am waiting to see if they up my scholarship there (they ar reconsidering it). the thing is i got a full 120,000 scholarship to go to Green mountain College in Vermont, no one has heard of it, but it is a cool place, but small, anyway GMC is probbly my third choice but it is so hard to pass up a full scholarship -- all other of my schools will cost about 15-20K a year. I applied to Ithaca, hampshire, Bard, Univ of Miami and FSU. I am leaning toward taking the full scholarshp at GMC and coming out ahead in terms of not having any college debt and having money for grad school. I can probably play tennis and be in the honors program at GMC, and go to school for a year at Antioch College to get some film courses in, GMC doesnt have much in vidoe and film, but I can spend a yer on my schlarship at Antioch if i want to. but if hampshire gave me lots of money i would go there. I know that Reed is a great school, it is really difficult to get into Reed, what are your stats that you got a full ride there?</p>
<p>ndd, if you go to hampshire and i go to smith we could take classes together!</p>
<p>Here are my stats:</p>
<p>SAT: 2040 (640CR 700M 700W)
SAT IIs: US History 750
ACT: Math 33, English 33, Reading 27, Science 31
APs: AP US History (5) AP Calculus, BC AP Studio Art, AP English Lit
GPA: 4.0 UW
Rank: 8/297
State or Country: OH
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
ECs: founded an ACLU Club at my high school and have been president of it for 3 years, started a military recruitment opt-out program, helped found and run a Gay Straight Alliance, member of Environmental Club, Vice President of Art club, wrote the syllabus for a Women's Studies course to be offered at my high school in 2006, Leadership Retreat Planning Committee, volunteer for the John Kerry campaign, League of Women Voter's Leadership Workshop, NHS officer; I have also taken 6 college classes through the PSEOP program, and three of them have been reserved for college seniors...earned all "A's" (Feminist Theory, Film and Photography in Western Art and Ideas, Constitutional Law, Intro to Philosophy, Drawing I, Contemporary Art in NYC)</p>
<p>have you visited hampshire?</p>
<p>My son just got into Bard and we are both conflicted about the school.
How prevasive is pot and other drug use? What do students do for recreation besides this? How isolated do they feel? Relationships with professors? Does anyone have a feel for any of these questions?</p>
<p>Where are the Bard students to respond to questions - is anyone out there?
I would love to chat with a Bard parent.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>hi i am a parent using my sons post... my son got accepted to Bard. we went there this summer and loved it. we loved it for its liberalness and its smallness. it was his first choice for a while. then sticker shock came, it is 44K a year,my son got a pres. schol from them for 5K, we got no other aid, too middle class,,, anyway if you want a classical educ Bard is great. i know some have complained that it is isolated, but it is only 2 hours from NYC. i think you are going to get sex, drugs and rock and roll wherever you go, it is up to the kid to make the right choices. we did not like Bard because my son may want to go into teacher educ. (oi vey, a life of poverty... i am a teacher) and Bard does not offer that in 4 years; you must go for their 5th year master program. i think my kid would be happy at Bard and would be really stimulated by great minds, but not at 44k a year and added expense if he goes on to teacher educ. my son got a full ride schlarship at an unkown school, worth 120,000 --i think it is a good school with good profs, but does not have a name, yet we are thinking of sending him there, casue he will get his basic college educ for free and we hope have a good nurturing experince at a small LAC--and do well cause he enters as a star--very few people get this schoalrship--only 3 in the country--it is based on community seervice. i hope we are making the right choice, my son feels OK about going to this school , it was not his first chioce but he can live with going to this school . Bard would have been great , but it is outrageously priced and i have heard some negative things about it, in terms of isolation and kids being bored and stuck on campus, and being tooo liberal, but that is not a problem with us. I think Bard would be a great educ albeit an expensive one. good luck and i would not worry too much aobut the party scene at Bard--i think the academic scene is very good there. i think it is a good school and if they offerd us a better fin. deal we would be there in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>My D got accepted to Bard, but we also were priced out when the aid came in at about 5K. But before the money dictated a decision, I was frustrated, too, trying to get some feel for the social aspects of being in a small school in Annandale. I was also concerned that the drug scene might actually be a drug culture on campus (but I don't think that is the case). I did buy the college p<em>r</em>o<em>w</em>l<em>e</em>r* guide and found it very helpful, and I feel I got a real sense of the school and the students. The voices of the student really came out in the guide and it was very entertaining read as well. Oh, to be 18 again!</p>
<p>We too got the Presidential award of $5,000- still dealing with sticker shock.</p>
<p>Giddey_up , you are right I understand sex, drugs and rock and roll are on most every campus in America- I too am more concerned with whether it is a culture at Bard. We can't get College ******* books in time to leave Thursday for accepted students open house. Can you share your over all impressions from looking at the ******* book- anything stand out? Specifically how are the academics really and how happy do students seem? What enhanced their experience there?My son also was admitted to Uni. of Chicago , Middlebury, Emerson and some other west coast schools here in California. Waitlisted at Amherst and Wesleyan. What to do what to do. he wants to be academically challenged but doesn't want his experience to be all work ( I understand this) he is liberal ,creative but a bit on the quiet side.</p>
<p>Thanx for your input.</p>
<p>I'm sure there is no substitute for a visit - I was ready to go before I understood the financial piece. Impressions from CP: CP gave Bard high ratings (B+) on academics; small classes, top profs, a high level of interaction with profs and an emphasis on discussion in class. Drugs seem to be tolerated on campus (mostly herbal), with campus police turning a blind eye and keeping local police off campus. The town is very New England and might be a little more sedate than expected; Bard kids seem to hang out at one main local bar. Best: Eclectic student body, small classes, beautuful campus, eminent professors... Worst: cliquey social scene, repetitive party scene, dorms...</p>
<p>Bard gave very poor financial aid compared to Vassar and Sarah Lawrence, placing it out of the running in what would otherwise have been a 3-way tie going into the final decision.</p>