<p>My son recently got into Bard, and though he loved it during his visit, he is a little concerned about whether or not the “hipster” scene is overwhelming there?</p>
<p>Are there any students or alumni who can comment on this?</p>
<p>Only a parent, but I can assure you that my “non-hipster” (and non-smoker) D has found many good friends at Bard, both male & female, who seem to be welcoming and accepting of each other no matter their backgrounds.</p>
<p>That’s very assuring to hear!
Especially the non-smoker part :)</p>
<p>There’s a really cute video made by some Bard students asking “What is a hipster?” I’d say based on the answers you have nothing to worry about.
[YouTube</a> - Bard and Jono Learn About Hipsters](<a href=“Bard and Jono Learn About Hipsters - YouTube”>Bard and Jono Learn About Hipsters - YouTube)</p>
<p>As a non-hipster (not said ironically, haha) and non-smoker, neither scene is overwhelming. Irvinemom said it all. Also, it’s not like in some high schools if you dress a different way you’re automatically shunned. There are different kinds of hipsters who roam the campus and different kinds of non-hipsters who do as well. If you’re not a hipster, you just stand out a bit more, and let’s be serious, at Bard that’s not exactly a bad thing. People here enjoy being different from the rest.</p>
<p>I graduated from Bard in 2002 and I don’t think I’m much of a “hipster” at all. I was very academically inclined (just finishing up my Ph.D.) and studied the social sciences. The academics were excellent and I had a good number of friends none of whom could be described as such (more intellectuals who were a bit hippie-ish, I’d say). I’m not a big drinker and I don’t do drugs - and I never felt ostracized for that. Maybe it’s changed since then. It is probably more true in the arts.</p>
<p>What I will say is that Bard’s requirement of having something like one-third of your courses outside your division and having distributional requirements did lead me to take one very “hipsterish” course in the arts - I have to say I enjoyed it very much and I probably wouldn’t have had that opportunity elsewhere.</p>