<p>I’m currently a student at public university in Florida and I was just accepted as a transfer student for the upcoming fall semester at Bard. I was wondering if anyone could give me some insider scoop on how Bard runs, the academic quality (and maybe some insight on how difficult the curriculum really is haha), the social atmosphere etc. I really want to make sure I choose the right college this time around. I’m also waiting to hear back from Wesleyan, Skidmore, and Oberlin, so while I’m waiting to find out about their statuses I might as well get a head start on the decision making process! Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Were you notified by regular mail or e-mail?</p>
<p>Jyoungs, it was by regular mail. I don’t know whether or not they will be sending out online notifications, but if they do I have not received one yet</p>
<p>Ah, good to know; I’m still waiting.</p>
<p>What do you intend to study?</p>
<p>A mother of a Bard student here - From what I understand, the work is challenging but not overwhelming. You will do a lot of reading and writing, but you will get support. Socially, I understand from my daughter that you wander around Friday and Saturday nights between all the things that are happening. If there’s a lively group, you stay, if it’s dead, you go to the next thing. I get the impression there’s lots to do. You’ll hear a lot about the hipster scene. When I visit, I always see a few kids dressed amazing, but most are wear T shirts and jeans like the rest of the world. All my daughter’s friends are very sweet, no attitude, no matter how they’re dressed.</p>
<p>-jyoungs, good luck, hopefully your letter will come in soon. I’m technically an “exploratory” major right now, but if I pursue Bard I’m planning on moderating into the philosophy department.
-danceclass, thanks for the input. The social scene sounds ideal for a person like me (I’m not a big fan of the fraternity/club dominated social life found at my current university) and I’m glad to hear that the coursework is not too overwhelming. I’m definitely looking for a more challenging curriculum, but I’ve become a little intimidated now that transferring is becoming more of a reality. thanks!</p>
<p>Ah, then there’s some chance that we may be classmates this fall.</p>
<p>Judging from the specializations of their faculty, their program appears to be more continental–which is not unexpected given the presuppositions of the culture there.</p>
<p>Is your goal to become a professor of philosophy?</p>
<p>Mom of a math major here, and it is, on occasion, overwhelming. However, there is a <em>ton</em> of support, study groups, extra help office hours, etc.</p>
<p>No frats or sorrorities, and that’s one of the reasons Bard students like it.</p>
<p>You’re going to probably have some trouble developing a friend group initially; Bard forms friend groups pretty early, not cliques per se, but people get pretty settled in their friends. A lot of transfers start out pretty lonely.</p>
<p>Barrington, I would disagree to that statement (to an extent). My brother made friends pretty quickly as a transfer student to Bard, and he transferred in the spring semester. I will say that at first, most of his friends were other transfer students, but the majority of friends he made post-transfer were the ones on his floor who already had an established friend group. I think the transition is a lot easier if a transfer lives in a freshman dorm because freshmen don’t have friend groups quite yet and are looking to find friends, which isn’t so much the case in the later years of school, but I don’t think it ends up making that much of a difference.</p>