Why Bard? for the non-hipster

<p>lilygraces,</p>

<p>thank you so much!!</p>

<p>i really feel better about bard after speaking with you.
it seems like it really does have a lot of the opportunities im interested in
i had to get over the initial… “i don wanna” haha</p>

<p>oh class on hinduism sounds great!
i guess now my other concern is something someone mentioned earlier about work preparation, but as i dont know what im doing yet i cant really ask about internships…</p>

<p>your input is really helpful! especially since you’re a current student.
if it’s alright do you mind if i ask you more questions later as they come?</p>

<p>Not at all! Ask away. I love helping people figure out if Bard’s the right place for them or not. I’m also in a unique position because both my brother and I go to Bard and are having different experiences.</p>

<p>Actually, oddly enough I applied on a whim also and got accepted, and am now attending. I figured that it would be a good choice, since the school seemed supportive of individuals and it sported a good academic program. </p>

<p>Ultimately though, I’m transferring out for a number of reasons that you might want to consider before committing:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Size/Ethnic Diversity - Bard is small. That can be both a good and bad thing, but for me, it mostly turned out to be bad. I decided to pursue pre-med and econ, and since the number of courses offered are limited by the size of the school, I’ve found it difficult to accommodate required courses into my schedule. I’ve also found the ethnic diversity to be a bit lacking here, though that might really be a matter of personal preferences and interpretations. </p></li>
<li><p>Rural locale - Yes, you can take a train to New York City, but the trip one way (bus+train) will take you at least 2 hours, and I personally can’t find that much time off. I’ve been raised in Southern California, so I can’t quite understand the purported beauty of the mid-Hudson river valley. Granted, Stone Row can look kind of cool, but the architectural cacophony of the surroundings tends to ruin the vibe a bit. </p></li>
<li><p>Homogeneity of the student body - Bardians can be (roughly/crudely) split into five types of students: the East Asian international students, the European international students, the other international students, a small sprinkling of non-international minorities, and the Caucasian middle class students. By far, this last category is the largest and most prevalent on campus. lilygraces is right in saying that there are a variety of interests here, but that’s just a few steps away from stating that “everyone is unique”. Though some (or many) will deny it, there’s definitely a Bard stereotype, and you should try to form an idea of how well you’ll be able to fit in here. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Overall, I would say that Bard is a great place for studying literature, art, or something along those lines. However, I feel that the sciences, though growing, are still vastly underrepresented in the student body. Bard’s CP report is generally pretty accurate, and you should give that a quick read if you get the chance. The social scene is a bit cliquish, the people can be dressed rather oddly, the food at Kline is subpar, and despite the denials by others, I can tell you that yes, hipsters tend to be drawn to Bard.</p>

<p>BrotherBugbear - I think it’s an important thing for others to know that you’re considering transferring from Bard to Pepperdine. I think if Pepperdine suits you better, you are right - you were ill-suited in choosing Bard in the first place and, as you said, ended up going on a whim. I cannot imagine two more different places.</p>

<p>Duly noted, SpiritManager. However, I feel that my desire to transfer should help provide this thread with a bit of counterpoint - though Bard has as relatively high freshman retention rate of 87%, the opinions of the 13% should be presented also to.</p>

<p>I absolutely agree that it’s important for applicants to have a sense of what kind of student would not feel they’d made the right choice in picking Bard. A student who prefers a conservative, religious, pre-professional atmosphere - preferably on the West Coast, is going to have a much harder time adjusting to a place like Bard. I do not doubt you’re right to want to transfer - I’m only sorry you weren’t able to make a more informed decision in the first place. Which is the reason we’re all willing to offer our advice and knowledge on this forum - to help others avoid the mistake you made.</p>

<p>But does that mean a religious conservative student hoping to become a lawyer or Ibanker could not have a good experience at Bard? No, I don’t think so - for the right student. They would need to be willing to be in an atmosphere that was not predominantly made up of students just like them, and that would be something they would need to want.</p>

<p>How good is the political science/history program at Bard?</p>

<p>I got accepted to Bard as well, and am torn for several different reasons- do they have any validity? Between Bard and Wellesley, I feel that at Bard I would be sacrificing a ceratin science “legitimacy”, and am worried about how Bard would help me later… I’m not looking to neccessarily use college as a stepping stone, but I’d rather go to Wellesley and get a stimulating job than to go to Bard and be over qualified to flip burgers- does that make sense? Wellesley seems more academic, while Bard seems more intellectual. Argh! Any thoughts?</p>