Hey everyone! I was recently admitted to Bard, and have heard wonderful things about the profs, students and campus. I loved the campus when I went to visit and find the program very engaging (some of the classes that are offered sound incredible!)
However, I have a few worries.
- Though Bard is surely very intellectually stimulating, I worry that this can quickly turn into arrogance and people saying things for the sake of sound intelligent, or liking obscure things because it sounds good. How true is this? Does this make the atmosphere unpleasant or uncomfortable?
- I hear that Bard has a culture which glorifies mental health issues and certain self destructive behaviors, maybe because there is this stereotype that the artist must be suffering etc etc. Again, I really dont know how much of this to believe, and surely it depends on the people, but I would worry if this were very apparent or wide spread
- Bard allows for a lot of freedom, which is great to explore and I would really look forward to this. However, I also think its easy to become lost and confused and not really find a clear path, how is the academic advising and who is there to help in these situations? Does the faculty sort of point you in the direction where they would think youd be most successful or are you totally left to your own devices?
- Finally, despite the freedom at Bard, I do worry that some of the events that go on there sound a lot like my highschool. Eg. being forced to take the language and thinking program (I actually love this idea and find it so interesting) or having to engage in some science project after the winter break (I literally had to do the exact same thing in high school). I guess what I’m asking is, are these programs truly beneficial? Is there sort of this aspect of being “forced” to do something unpleasant or are they just so enjoyable that this isnt really a factor?
I understand this may sound slightly negative, and I really don’t mean to be, I’m just trying to better understand the place and get another view which is not as perfect as the one which admissions staff or current faculty may tell you. I really do want to go to Bard but also don’t want to be disappointed or surprised by these things when/if I go. I’d be super grateful if someone had any insight to these things!!
Yo! I’m going to Bard next year and just got home from visiting campus, and my sister goes to Vassar, where I’ve spent a lot of time and there’s a lot of similarities.
- I think this is true at times, and can sometimes be suffocating. I think a sort of "weird contest" sometimes happens in environments like Bard and Vassar but this is fairly easy to avoid and balance. I think it's important to surround yourself with the right people.
- It's definitely a thing at Bard moreso than other schools. I've heard a campuswide culture of depression is something to be knowledgeable of, but it is, again, avoidable.
- From my understanding, advising seems really personal and awesome, especially within programs. Students are given an adviser when they arrive on campus.
- Personally, I think Bard's requirements are largely beneficial and are demonstrative of Bard's true dedication to a liberal arts education. The math, etc requirements are fairly flexible and you can fulfill multiple course requirements in one class. L&T and citizen science are supposed to be great, although going to school 3 weeks early is definitely a pain.
I really went through the exact same doubts and concerns, and nearly didn’t apply to Bard for the same reasons you’ve listed, but being on campus erased any doubts and fears I held. I’m really stoked to be a Bardian next year and I hope I see you there 
I can give you my FB info if you’d like me to answer more questions!
@walkbanx - Happy to hear you had a good visit, which allayed most of your concerns and you’re now excited about Bard. Here’s wishing you a great experience!
As for @fehlban - those are all thoughtful questions and well worth considering. Bard is not monolithic, however, and there is a much wider group of people there than the stereotype. I highly recommend that you, like @walkbanx, go visit and see for yourself. Talk to current students. Talk to the professors. Join the current Facebook group where accepted students are asking questions.
And I can pretty much guarantee that L&T won’t be like high school! Unless you went to an amazing high school - which was pretty darned great. (And, in which case, finding a college as good was going to be a challenge!)
I shared these questions with my son, who graduated a few years ago. His reply:
- Sure, this is probably the most common way that people are annoying at Bard. But there are annoying people everywhere, they're just annoying in different ways. Is the Bard way any worse?
- This is part of some broader ideology that's really a complaint about modern culture, certainly not about Bard. And no, I wouldn't say that there's any issue at Bard of mental health issues being "glorified."
- I don't think that academically there's actually a particular amount of "freedom" at Bard. I'm not really sure where you'd "get lost" in the academic system at the college. So I don't think what they're writing here is a concern, really. If they're worried that they'll "get lost" in that they'll stop showing up for classes, then perhaps their concern is valid — there's no assurance that someone will come and give them a talking-to and make them start caring about their academic work.
- I never did CitSci, but certainly L&T is incredible and they have nothing to worry about. I think that people generally enjoy CitSci these days as well.