<p>"4. I know other people have had different reactions, but my subjective impression has been that Bard and Hampshire students give out almost identical vibes. But I'm still skeptical that the OP views the two schools as so different in terms of personality."</p>
<p>I strongly agree with this. OP, if you were madly in love with Syracuse and had to go to Hampshire for financial reasons, I'd be pretty worried. But you really liked Bard, so I'm not worried. I just can't imagine the student who'd be happy at Bard but miserable at Hampshire. The kids at those schools have so much in common with one another. I hope you have a fantastic time.</p>