I think there’s some confusion regarding Bard. The school is set well up the Hudson from New York City.
@merc81 I was thinking area and always confuse with Barnard anyway. How long to get into the city from there?
Is this your daughter, @kotsubo ?
The trip from Bard to NYC takes a little over two hours by car (without much traffic), @privatebanker.
@merc81 thanks! I guess a train would make the most sense from there. It only takes three hours from Providence. It must be insane driving around the city.
I would guess its a bit longer than 2 hours from Bard to NYC by car. I think its close to 2 hrs from Vassar to NYC and Bard is further, about 45 min from Bard to Vassar.
I think of them having NYC access as a benefit. Good to know. And thanks.
Jeez, in 2 hours I can drive from Boston to Smith or Amherst. And I don’t think of those as a Boston area schools in any way.
The traffic isn’t really the thing with these estimated times though. The trip from Bard to Manhattan covers 110 miles, and the parkway speed limits tend to be set at 55 MPH, so that’s about two hours based on mileage.
You forget how big NY state is in reality. Especially if you live in Massachusetts or RI.
I did want to comment that BMC tends to look at applicants very holistically, so while doing everything possible to pull up the math score (and I agree that a great tutor might unlock something ) is worthwhile, she still has a shot there. They will understand that she needs to submit test scores because of her situation, not because she feels they present her in the best light.
Have you driven it, @merc81? Even back when I did, eons ago, 84, 684, the sawmill, the taconic, 87 , the Merritt pkwy, the hutch, whatever. you take, all has a lot of traffic and not a lot of lanes. Plan for extra time.
I wouldn’t choose Bard based on proximity to NYC. The train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central takes 2 hours. Driving from Poughkeepsie to the northern tip of Manhattan also takes about 2 hours. Bard is 25 miles north of Poughkeepsie so it’s going to take another 35-40 minutes just to get to Poughkeepsie. That’s a ~5 hour round trip if traffic is good, more when it’s not.
Absolutely right, @austinmshauri. The time just to get from campus to the highway or the train station also needs to be considered.
The only aspect I disagree with is that it’s not necessary to travel through Poughkeepsie in order to drive to or from Bard. The time difference from Vassar vs. Bard to Manhattan by car lands at only ~23 minutes. The train might serve as a better option for either trip, of course.
Many test optional schools require SAT or ACT scores for predominately home schooled students, including Bard and Brandeis.
It seems like OP’s D is just having test anxiety with math? Not CR or regular tests in DE classes, for example? I agree with the posters who suggested using a tutor and taking the test again.
Also, perhaps address the test anxiety from the aspect that just like any other ‘event’ (sporting, theater production, or a test) one practices for many hours to ensure the best outcome. An actor would never perform live without having spent many hours practicing lines, a gymnast would never perform in a meet without spending many hours practicing routines. And then make the connection that practicing math problems, and taking a practice test, is just part of the process that one does prior to the ‘real’ test. Hopefully all of the practice would increase her confidence level and reduce test anxiety. Good luck.
@Mwfan1921 Love the analogy and promptly shared it with DD who could really relate because they just got started on their spring musical and it’s a lot of work.
We have really appreciated you all. Thank you. And the rabbit trail about proximity to New York was great too. I confess I had confused Bard and Barnard because of their names.
No one said that traveling from Bard required a Poughkeepsie stop, unless the OP planned to look at Vassar (or detoured to New Paltz or Marist).
Re: the Bard/Barnard mix up, a few years ago an international student confused Colby and Colgate. Thought he was going to the latter but enrolled in the former.
Bard has a couple of alternate application paths that might suit your D.
Would she be interested in studying in Japan? American University has the Sakura Scholars, a joint degree program in DC and Kyoto. American is test optional, is a yellow ribbon school and is on the cusp of the city in a self contained campus. All students get metro passes for access to inner city activities. AU values demonstrated interest highly, so if she thinks it could be a good fit, she should start contacting them in meaningful ways.