Bard / Interview
The Bard interview
Optional interview, and it carries minor weight in the decision. Here is how it works and how to prepare.
Optional interview
Optional interview with an Admissions staff member, ~20-30 min, available in person or via Skype/virtual; strongly recommended but not required for first-year applicants
How to prepare for Bard
- Bard strongly recommends the interview even though it is optional , taking one signals genuine interest in a school that values intellectual engagement over metrics.
- The conversation is informal and conducted by an Admissions staff member (not alumni), so treat it as a two-way dialogue: come with real questions about Bard's open curriculum, moderation process, or campus culture.
- Bard is distinctive , discuss why its project-based, self-directed academic model appeals to you specifically, rather than giving a generic 'great liberal arts college' answer.
- If you cannot interview in person, Skype/virtual interviews are readily available and considered equivalent , geography is not an excuse to skip it.
Practice before the real thing
Rehearse real admissions-interview questions and get an honest read on your answers, what an interviewer hears, where you sound generic, and what to sharpen. We coach you; we never script you.
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