Should I choose Bard

sports coach really wants me and I could commit. But Bard’s sports program isn’t that good and I can get into a better school academically than bard. Is bard worth going to just to play d3 sports when I can get into a better school academically? I love playing but it is not like I am going to a D1 school and have future in the pros.
Will there be a difference for careers, grad school, alum network, etc.

What type of school culture are you seeking?

Liberal arts schools mainly. Im looking at top libera arts schools like vassar, wesleyan, washington and lee
I would love to play at Bard but I dont want to go there just to play sports and not put education as a priority.

The education at Bard is comparable to Vassar and Wesleyan. (I don’t know enough about Washington & Lee to say.) Many of the same students apply to all three. But, yes, Bard is an easier admit so there will be students who had less impressive grades and test scores at Bard. But don’t let that fool you - you won’t find better professors anywhere, Ivies included, and all the students I’ve known at Bard are passionate about learning - they read for fun but they’re not necessarily as concerned about the grades - more concerned about the material and the ideas. If that’s you - then Bard would fit. If you’re not looking for an intense intellectual experience, you might be happier at another place. Also, in terms of committing for athletics - Div III can’t require you to commit for admission. Why not just apply to all the schools and decide in the spring?

@SpiritManager im not saying im going to be bound my the commitment like D1 players. Im just explaining my scenario. I am just wondering if bard is a realistic option.

Bard is definitely a realistic option - but I don’t understand why you feel a need to make a decision among all these schools now. Why not apply to all of them, get your offers, visit, think about it more, and decide on May 1. Besides athletics. what is it you’re looking for in a school? What do you want to study? And what is it that makes you think Bard’s education would not be as good as some of these other schools to which you’re planning to apply? Is it just the admit rate? I would recommend that you visit Bard and sit in on some classes in areas of interest to you. And do the same at the other schools. That will give you a clearer sense of the similarities and the differences between them. Also, take a look at the courses offered - both by reading the catalog - but also by looking at the actual courses offered each semester. Look at what the requirements would be for graduation in your prospective major and, again, see what is different and what is similar among them. And, if you know already that you’re interested in a particular major, you might email the heads of the department at the different schools with questions about their program and what sort of experience you can expect to have.

@SpiritManager besides athletics my main other priorities are academics and social life. Bard’s academic standards aren’t up to par with top liberal arts schools. and i heard that bard is kind of hipster land and there is a lot of drug use.
If i am applying for a job, will it make a difference if the school i went to is vassar or bard? I think schools like vassar, middlebury, etc are more prestigious and highly ranked so I think there is a difference in standards between bard and these schools

@olliegt it does sound like Bard may not be the right fit for you, because students who choose it don’t usually have prestige and ranking as a main criteria for choice of school. In terms of the academic standards, however, Bard is at the top level. My son, who graduated from Bard, is now at one of the elite Ivies for grad school and is actually quite disappointed in the classes offered there in the general college (he loves the separate grad school, however.) They’re not half as interesting either in subject matter, or professors, as was his experience at Bard. He had no trouble getting into his top choice for graduate work, and he was fully as prepared for graduate level seminars as his fellow students from Oxford. (Btw. my son was a top student, National Merit, etc. and had his choice of anywhere - truly - and chose Bard. He was not disappointed either in the academics or the academic level of his peers.)

As for drug use - you’ll find that everywhere. And can easily be avoided if you have no interest. There tends to be less drinking at Bard than at some schools, however.

Now, if you’re looking for a job in iBanking, you may be right that there may be more recruiters at schools more known for a pre-professional focus, rather than an intellectual one. How much easier to get a job if your diploma says Bard instead of Vassar? No idea. A bigger difference would be if it said Harvard.

Social life - again, Bard may not be the right fit for you. It sounds like you might prefer a more mainstream student body - although Vassar and Wesleyan have their fair share of hipsters, too!

My daughter visited Bard for two days before deciding on Bard. She emailed professors – all of whom emailed her back within the hour – and went to classes in physics, history, and german studies (her interests). Classes were great, she liked the students, professors were wonderful, too. So that decided her. Much, much better than the open house to get a real feel for the school. The ideal would be to take the time to arrange to visit classes after you get admitted - per the other poster - and then decide.

Not too many hipsters in comparison with Vassar, Wesleyan, (about the same) but not as preppy as say Bowdoin or Williams. probably LESS drugs and booze than some LACs. Probably more ‘crunchy,’ ‘arty’ and ‘creative’ types than those schools, however, and definitely students are not status-focused. (Daughter is a freshman, and neither hipster nor ‘arty’ in her dress. Maybe a tiny bit crunchy.) Really at Bard it seems like it is pretty much up to you to be how you want to be.

@FizzyIzzy - Happy to hear your daughter is enjoying her freshman year so far!