Photo by Karl Rabe

Homeschooled Applicants

Bard regularly receives applications from students who have been homeschooled for some or all of their education. Since their experiences and curriculum vary tremendously our requirements for homeschooled applicants differ somewhat from our requirements for traditional high school students. For dates and deadlines, please refer to our First Year Applicants page.

Application Checklist

While it is challenging to standardize these requirements, and we are willing to work with you to tailor the admission process, we ask that homeschooled students provide the following:

Transcripts for any classes taken at an accredited high school or college
The full syllabus of any class not taken at an accredited high school or college, including: name of class and instructor; goal of class; list of books read and indication of other experiences used to cover the curriculum; method of assessment
Results of any educational testing
Standardized test scores (not required) (Bard does not require students to send official reports of their SAT or ACT scores. Students may self-report scores by including their scores in the Testing section of their Common Application, Coalition with Scoir, or by uploading a copy of their score report to their Bard portal.)
An analytic paper
Academic recommendations from non-parent adults who have worked with you: two required; we prefer that one recommendation come from an language, humanities, or art instructor and one from a math or science instructor
An essay explaining why you chose homeschooling and your experience with your choice (unless this is already covered in your application)
We strongly recommend a personal interview. In-person and online interviews are available—see here
Portfolios and Awards: Supplemental materials are not required for admission to Bard; however, if a portfolio is included in an application, students who submit their application by the application deadline have a grace period of 5 days from the deadline to submit supplemental materials such as portfolio materials or to encourage teachers and counselors to submit their recommendation letters.

Must Read: Bard Portal Information

Once you submit your Common Application or Coalition with Scoir, it may take 24-48 hours for us to confirm receipt of your application. Once we receive your application, you will be emailed a confirmation which includes the credentials to access your Bard Portal.

Must Read: Bard Portal Information

If you submit your application on the deadline date but still have required materials to submit, please note that you will have time to upload those application materials after that deadline date as long as your application has been submitted. It is important, however, that you submit those final materials as soon as possible after the deadline has passed as the admission committee cannot read incomplete applications.

Please do not mail or email any materials directly to the Admission Office unless instructed to do so. Use your Bard Portal and go to your Application Tab to upload and view submitted materials.

Please make a habit of visiting your Bard portal frequently to view your application and financial aid checklists and confirm that we have received all of the materials required to complete your application. We will also be posting information on your portal throughout the admission cycle so it is important to check your portal regularly.

Submit your application materials to Bard College:

As an applicant, you will receive a login and a link to your Bard Portal. (Note: It may take 24-48 hours for us to confirm receipt of your application, after which you will receive a login and a link to your Bard Portal.) That portal gives you access to many tabs, one of which is your Application Tab where you will see your Application Checklist. Review your Application Checklist periodically to see if there are missing application materials. Upload all materials, including any supplemental materials you wish to share with us, to your Bard Portal. File formats we accept are listed on your Bard portal.
- Transcripts and recommendations submitted by your counselors and teachers will eventually appear with a green checkmark on your Application Checklist as they are received. If your transcripts and recommendations do not appear in your Application Checklist after you've requested them to be sent to Bard, please follow-up with your counselor, teachers and/or your school office. Please note that applicants must not upload any recommendation letters themselves as these must remain confidential and should be sent to Bard by the recommenders directly. We will also notify you, via email, if there are any missing materials.

Check your financial aid materials:

If you are applying for financial aid, once you've submitted all the required materials, go to the Financial Aid Tab in your portal to confirm that they have been received and to see if there are any missing materials. (Note: It can take from 48 hours to 3-5 days, depending on the form being submitted, before a green check mark appears next to each of the respective forms.)

View admission decisions and notifications:

You will receive an email from Admission stating that there has been an update to your Bard Portal. Log in to your portal and click on your Dashboard Tab where all decision letters and correspondences from the College are displayed.
Offers of Admission can be accepted, declined, or deferred, within the Bard portal. Enrollment deposits can be made using a credit card, or you can indicate that your payment is forthcoming via a check or money order.

View events:

Any events hosted by the Office of Admission will be displayed in an Event Tab on your portal.

Here's what displays on your portal after you enroll at Bard:

Once your enrollment deposit is processed, within a week, your Bard Portal will display new tabs. The Enrollment Tab will display your personalized enrollment checklist. There will also be a Special Admitted Events Tab.

Interview Options and Requirements

Who Should Interview?

Interviews are recommended for transfer and homeschooled students.

Interviews are not required for any first-year or transfer applicant. Interviews are only required for Return to College applicants.

Only students who fit the linked below criteria should consider interviewing with Bard:
Who Should Interview?
Interviews are not required for any first-year or transfer applicant. Interviews are only required for Return to College applicants.

Only students who fit the linked below criteria should consider interviewing with Bard:
- Students who feel that the applications offered do not provide them with adequate space to fully explain important life and/or educational experiences
- Students who wish to provide further context around something they plan to include in their application that they feel would be better explained in an interview setting
- Students who wish to share information with Admission that they do not plan to include in their application
Interview Options

In-Person and Virtual

Interview slots are available from early September through early November, with additional slots offered in January for Regular Decision candidates only. On-campus interviews are hosted by Undergraduate Admission Fellows, while virtual interviews are hosted by Admission Counselors. Students are welcome to reach out to the Admission Representative for their region about on-the-road interview possibilities.

Interview Options
Interview slots are available from early September through early November, with additional slots offered in January for Regular Decision candidates only. On-campus interviews are hosted by Undergraduate Admission Fellows, while virtual interviews are hosted by Admission Counselors. Students are welcome to reach out to the Admission Representative for their region about on-the-road interview possibilities. Please know that we weigh fellow and counselor interviews equally, and interviews for First Year and Transfer applicants are simply a layer of our holistic application review process, and you will not be disadvantaged in the application process if you were not able to schedule an interview.
2024 Interview Dates

Weekdays only.
- Early Action, Early Decision I, and Bard Entrance Exam:
  September 9 – October 21
- Regular Decision and Early Decision II:
  September 9 – January 31
- Spring Transfer and Return to College:
  September 9 – October 21
- Fall Transfer and Return to College:
  February of 2025
Interview Request Form

Homeschooled Applicants

Application Checklist

Must Read: Bard Portal Information

Must Read: Bard Portal Information

Interview Options and Requirements

Who Should Interview?

Interview Options

Keep Exploring