Return to College
Photo by Karl Rabe

Return to College

Bard College's Return to College Program (RCP) is for college applicants who are 24 years old or older. The RCP program requires that students have at least one semester's worth of college credits (12 or more transferrable credits as determined by the Registrar) from a previous higher education program that can be transferred to Bard College. More information about the program is below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Josh Tyler, Director of Transfer Admission, at [email protected].

About the Program

  • Our Philosophy
    The Return to College Program resists the separation of adult degree students and regular undergraduates. The program is founded on the premise that returning students benefit from participating in the regular undergraduate curriculum, taking their places at the seminar table, the lab bench, and barre, and learning from and with their younger colleagues. 
     
    Within the liberal arts curriculum at Bard, students in the RCP will engage in a rigorous encounter with their courses of study. It is through this process of engagement that the liberal arts enrich our lives and empower us to effect change in the world, and this is true for adult learners no less than their traditionally aged peers.
  • Eligibility and Financial Aid
    Individuals who are 24 years of age or older and have successfully completed at least one semester of college work (12 or more transferrable credits as determined by the Registrar) may apply to Bard through the RCP as transfer students. Please note, however, those who have already earned a bachelor's degree are ineligible for this program

    RCP students are eligible for financial aid if they register for 12 or more credits in one semester. The FAFSA and the CSS PROFILE must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. If an RCP student registers for fewer than 12 credits in a given semester, the cost is calculated on a per-credit basis and no financial aid is available.
A Cornerstone of Bard College's Mission
Photo by Karl Rabe

A Cornerstone of Bard College's Mission

A cornerstone of Bard College's mission is a commitment to the transformative nature of a liberal arts education and the role of the liberally educated student in a democratic society. This power to transform extends to students beyond traditional college age and, for this reason, the College has historically been committed to its programs that serve this population, specifically the Returning to College Program (RCP).

Applying to the College

Return to College (RCP) Applicants 
Return to College (RCP) applicants may apply for need-based financial aid by submitting the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. 
  1. Register for a required RCP applicant interview using our interview calendar to be posted.
  2. Submit the transfer student Common Application or Coalition with Scoir. Indicate where required that you are an RCP student.
  3. Once you have submitted your application you will receive an email containing login information for your Bard portal. Note that your Bard portal is a useful tool that allows you to track your application materials and is where you will receive communications about our admission decision. 
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. 

Important Information about the Bard Portal

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 that includes the credentials to access your Bard Portal. 

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 Common 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.
 

Using the Bard Portal

Submitting your application materials:  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: Transcripts and recommendations submitted by your counselors and teachers will eventually appear with a green check mark 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.)

Bard Baccalaureate (BardBac) Scholarship

RCP applicants entering in the Fall may also apply for the BardBac Scholarship, a financial aid scholarship and cohort model program open only to RCP candidates selected through a special application review and interview process. RCP applicants entering in the Spring are not eligible to apply for the BardBac Scholarship. Please note that housing is not guaranteed for RCP students applying to Bard College. 
  1. Register for a required RCP applicant interview using our February interview calendar, will be posted in the new year. 
  2. Submit the transfer student Common Application or Coalition with Scoir. Indicate where required that you are an RCP student.
  3. Once you have submitted your application you will receive an email containing login information for your Bard portal. Note that your Bard portal is a useful tool that allows you to track your application materials and is where you will receive communications about our admission decision. 
  4. Use your Bard portal login credentials to complete the BardBac Scholarship form listed on the BardBac website here. You can follow the instructions listed on that site under the section created for students who have already submitted their Common Application. 
  5. Complete and submit your BardBac Scholarship form. It will automatically be associated with your Common Application upon submission. 
  6. You will receive outreach from Madeleine George in March about a BardBac Scholarship interview. Note that this is a second round interview that will follow your required RCP applicant interview with an admission counselor in February.

Dates and Deadlines

RCP SPRING TRANSFER: RCP FALL TRANSFER:
Application Due November 1 March 1
Bard College Aid Scholarship Applications Due (optional and if applicable) November 1 March 1
Financial Aid Application Due for US Citizens (FAFSA and CSS Profile)

Financial Aid Application Due for Non-US Citizens (Bard International Student Financial Aid Application)
 		 The CSS Profile must be filed
by November 1 in order for eligible
students to receive a financial aid
package alongside their admission
decision. FAFSA must be completed
 as soon as it becomes available in
December, and no later than February 1, 2024.		 March 1
Decision Notification November 29 March 28
Deposit Due December 8 May 1
 
Dates and Deadlines for Bard Baccalaureate Applicants
Application Due March 1
Bard College Aid Scholarship Applications Due (optional and if applicable) March 1
Financial Aid Application Due for US Citizens (FAFSA and CSS Profile)
and the Bard Bac Scholarship Form. For more information click here.  		 March 1
Decision Notification March 28
Deposit Due May 1

Return to College (RCP) Orientation

Return to College (RCP) students––students who are 24 years of age or older and have earned at least one semester's worth of college credits (12 or more credits from a previous higher education program that can be transferred to Bard College.) 

RCP students enrolling at Bard must complete an orientation program:
  • Fall RCP students complete the Language and Thinking Program, a three-week orientation and workshop in August, and Citizen Science in January.
  • Spring RCP students complete the Language and Thinking Program, a three-week orientation and workshop in January, and Citizen Science the following January.
RCP students with fewer than 28 transferable credits:
All RCP students (fall or spring) with fewer than 28 transferable credits must also complete one semester of First Year Seminar during their first semester enrolled at the College.

NOTE: BardBac students will have their own orientation. 

Housing Requirements:
Return to College (RCP) students and Bard Baccalaureate (BardBac) students are not guaranteed on-campus housing.
 

Interviews

Only students applying in the current admission cycle are eligible for an interview. We require interviews for Return-to-College (RCP) applicants.

Interview Requirements

Interviews are required for all Return-to-College (RCP) applicants.
  • Spring RCP Transfer Applicants
    Virtual or In-person Interviews
    Only students applying in the current admission cycle are eligible for an interview.

    Interview Deadlines:
    • Spring Transfer RCP interviews: from September 11 through October 21, 2023
    Interview Options:
    • Both in-person and virtual interview options are available. We encourage students who live within driving or a train-ride distance from campus to take advantage of the in-person options and leave the virtual slots for students who are unable to travel to campus due to distance from Bard or other circumstances.
    Register Here
  • Fall RCP Transfer Applicants
    Virtual Interviews
    Only Students applying in the current admission cycle are eligible for an interview.

    Interview Timeline:
    • Fall RCP transfer interviews: Monday through Friday during the month of February 2025
    Interview Options:
    • Fall RCP transfer interviews will be VIRTUAL only.
    Interview registration link to be posted in January 2025