<p>I was accepted to Bard. My stats were low (3.2 GPA, 32/177 at a catholic school). When I was choosing where to go, I asked admissions why I was accepted. Here’s why I was accepted, it may help if your looking into Bard.</p>
<p>Dear Mike,
Greg Armbruster forwarded you letter to me and since I am the Bard New
England Admission rep and was the one who read you file, I shall
answer.</p>
<p>You were accepted for a few reasons: You took a challenging courseload
across the curriculum all four years, including Honors and AP classes
and
your grades improved each year. You also had stellar recommendations
from
your teachers and guidance counselor and finally your essays reflected
a
desire to pursue a course of study (psychology) and we are encouraged
by
your passion and ambition for the subject.</p>
<p>Should have other qustions, please contact me.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptance.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Shelley Morgan
New England Coordinator, Admission</p>
<p>What did this tell you? Work hard on the essay and make sure your recs are amazing. Also, I’m pretty sure they recalulate GPA by dropping +s and -s. I had a 3.0, 3.2, 3.1, 3.7. Recalculated its 3.0, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6. That makes more sense as an upward trend.</p>
<p>im sure it was higher at the end of high school but she said at the end of her freshman year she had a 1.7, even with improvement, how high can you raise your gpa calculating in a 1.7</p>
<p>i dont know much about her, she just posted her stats and said she got in. it really doesnt matter, I mean props to her for getting in- maybe shes really good at something. Im just surprised thats all</p>
<p>One feeling I have is that Bard chooses students that seem to be passionate enough to complete a goal that they are excited about. They want students to succeed so if this girl wasn't capable, who would benefit from her admission? The course load is rigorous, you can't slide by in a class of 14, without having done the reading and work, and the intellectual community doesn't seem to be a fit for an unmotivated student. Maybe freshman year was an anomaly and they took it out of their calculations because of specific circumstances she overcame.....</p>
<p>1% of Bard Students were in the bottom half of their HS class. Since most halfway points is about a 2.3-2.5 GPA, I can't imagine many 1.3 GPAs being admitted</p>
<p>My grades this year look like all As and Bs with possibly 1 C. All my courses high honors and honors, the only C is in an AP. Last year and the year before are similar.</p>
<p>I read someone said to show a strong passion in something, which for me is music. I’m in the acapella group in my high school and have been in band for 4 years. Im doing a music pre-college at MSM and i have tons of supplements of my own compositions, and albums from my own bands.
Because Bard has such a strong music department, I’m hoping this will really help my getting into Bard, am i wrong?</p>
<p>Do i have a chance? It is definitely my first pick and i will apply early.
I would really really appreciate the help.
Thanks.</p>
<p>I know of a case where the applicant was otherwise qualified, but was waitlisted. He really wanted to attend Bard, and assumed he just didn’t measure up. Instead of waiting it out and hoping for the best, which, statistically, was a long-shot, he called Admissions and said, “I was accepted at other schools, but will drop them like a bad habit and commit to Bard right now if you’d only reconsider.” He then listed, in detail, why he was passionate about Bard and said he’d fly across country and sleep outside Admissions if they needed proof of sincerity. </p>
<p>He was thanked for his call and that’s all that was said. The next day, though, an email arrived saying he was in. </p>
<p>The lesson: the application isn’t the only input that will be considered. If you really want in, then pursue it like Harrison Ford pursued return of his kidnapped wife in FRANTIC. Figure out everything that can be done, then do it.</p>
<p>My sense is that Bard does not base it on GPA per se, but on passion and intellectual vitality. My S had a very mixed transcript, but was accepted in IDP. He pursued certain academic interests on his own initiative and I’m sure his teachers raved about his participation in class discussion. I think that Bard really tries to find kids who are really interested in what they’re doing, and not just doing it for the grades. (This is my take, not gospel!)</p>
<p>this is from “a note about the college’s admissions requirements” for Bard from the collegeboard website. Bard is the only school that mentions “love of learning,” which I thought was very cool and I know is a reason that my S got in. </p>
<p>“School transcripts and achievement record, rigor of high school program, essays, academic recommendations, talents and dedication to activities, love of learning, and personal ambition important.”</p>
<p>I take “personal ambition” to be that the student takes initiative in something that’s important to them. I don’t think they mean it in a climbing the career ladder sense.</p>