Completing the Application
There is no application fee to apply to Bard College.
There are no standardized tests required to apply to Bard College.
Yes. If you’ve ever been to college before, even if you ended up withdrawing before you earned any credits, you have loans in default, your transcript is tied up in another school’s bureaucracy, you went to college in another country, or you can’t get your transcript right now for any other reason, you should apply to the BardBac using the Transfer Student option on the Common Application. You can report your previous college experience on the application now and submit the application by March 1, even without transcripts. We recommend beginning the process of trying to get your transcripts as soon as possible, though, because if you’re accepted, you’ll need to get the transcripts sent to Bard before you enroll.
You can get letters from any person who knows you well, can speak to your ambitions and interests, and isn’t a member of your immediate family. Colleagues, mentors, current or former employers, or collaborators on community projects can all make good recommenders for BardBac applicants. But you should be sure to include your recommenders’ information in the “Academic References” section of the Common Application even if they’re not academics — otherwise, the form won’t allow you to submit.
Some adult applicants feel like the Common App includes questions that don’t apply to them — questions about parents and teachers, in particular. If you feel like a question doesn’t apply to you, you can reach out to [email protected] to talk it over, or just skip it; you’ll have a chance to explain your decision to skip a question later.
If you have questions as you’re filling out one of the two financial aid forms, please reach out to financial aid counselor Rupali Rifenburg at [email protected]. She can talk through your specific questions with you.
The Admissions Process
March 1, 2025.
Decision letters will be released through your Bard applicant portal by April 1. If you’re accepted, you’ll have until May 1 to decide whether to accept the offer of admission, decline the offer of admission, or defer your acceptance for one year.
BardBac students, like all incoming Bard College students, begin by taking an intensive introductory course called Language and Thinking, or L&T. That class will begin in mid-August. The Fall semester begins in early September.
Of course. The BardBac admits new students every spring for fall enrollment. Remember that if you’re not accepted to the BardBac this year, you may still be offered admission to Bard College as part of the Return to College Program, or RCP. RCP students are not guaranteed a full scholarship, but they’re offered financial aid packages like all other Bard College students.
Please do! The Bard College Admissions Office offers a number of virtual and in-person ways for prospective students to visit the campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. Take a look at their website here.
No, the BardBac is not the only pathway to a degree Bard offers to adult students. Adult applicants who have earned at least one semester’s worth of transferable college credits (12 or more transferable credits from a previous higher education program) may apply to the Bard Return to College Program (RCP) as transfer students. Entering the college that way, they are not required to take BardBac seminar, nor do they benefit from the larger BardBac community support. RCP students are eligible for financial aid, but it is not guaranteed. If you apply but are not offered admission to the BardBac, you may be offered admission to Bard College through RCP.
Attending the BardBac
Yes. BardBac students can transfer up to 64 credits earned at other colleges and universities. The Bard registrar assesses transfer credits on a case-by-case basis and determines which credits can be transferred towards a Bard degree. BardBac applicants are encouraged to have official transcripts from previous institutions sent to the Bard College registrar as soon as possible, but official transcripts are not required in order to complete the application.
We can work with that. BardBac applicants must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form and the CSS Profile, even if they know these forms will show that they’re ineligible for financial aid because of loans in default.
The BardBac was originally designed for adult students living within commuting distance of the Bard campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, and housing is not guaranteed. Almost all BardBac students live off-campus. However, there are a very limited number of BardBac housing scholarships that cover room-and-board costs for BardBac students to live in student housing. If you’re interested in applying for one of these scholarships, you can indicate this on your Bard Baccalaureate Scholarship Form.
No, the BardBac is a full-time, in-person BA program. BardBac students enroll in at least three courses each semester on the Annandale campus.
What if I have a question not covered in this FAQ?
Feel free to reach out to [email protected] with any questions.