International Students

Am I an international student?

If you are a non-U.S. citizen living outside of the United States, or a non-U.S citizen living in the United States on a temporary visa, you will be considered an international applicant. If you are unsure of your status, please contact [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.

U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents living abroad: your global experience is a valuable part of your narrative and will be given due consideration in the evaluation of your application.

DACA and undocumented applicants, please go here for a statement from Bard College's president, and for information about applying for financial aid.

The Office of International Students and Scholar Services (OISSS) helps international students and scholars achieve their academic and personal goals. The office advises students and scholars on all matters pertaining to maintaining their status in the United States and on cultural, social, educational, and personal concerns.

Application Checklist for International Students

Required Materials:

• Apply using the Common Application or Coalition with Scoir. For International Transfer Students, please use this checklist.
• High School transcript sent directly by your high school to Bard College electronically (include mid-year senior grades if available at the time you apply.)
• School Report (form is generally completed by a high school counselor and includes a school profile.)
• Teacher recommendations: Three are required. We prefer that one recommendation come from an English or humanities instructor and one from a math or science instructor. In addition, a third letter of recommendation must come from a higher education counselor for students who have access to a college counseling office. For those without a higher education counselor, this letter of recommendation can come from another teacher or an advisor, administrator, coach or employer.
• TOEFL  exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test are acceptable English proficiency tests. All international applicants for whom English is not their primary language must submit one of the approved English proficiency tests. Some applicants may waive their English proficiency exam requirement if they meet our waiver eligibility requirements. Please see the below section “What are the English proficiency requirements?” for in depth information on submitting your electronic test results to Bard, as well as the outlined criteria and process of submitting the English proficiency waiver request form. 
• Completed Bard International Financial Aid Application (BISFAA). (Required, if applying for financial aid. This form can be found on the Applying for Financial Aid as an International Student page.)  Note: No other financial aid form will be accepted. Please only submit the BISFAA)
• 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.

What are the English proficiency requirements (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo)?

Because we do not have a full-scale English as a Second Language program at Bard, it is critical that all students, domestic and international, have the appropriate level of English fluency before they arrive on campus. We read every application in full, placing particular stock in the writing, and recommendations and grades from English teachers.

TOEFL  exam or IELTS exam or Duolingo English Test are acceptable English proficiency tests. All international applicants for whom English is not their primary language must submit one of the accepted English proficiency tests. Students should only request results to be sent electronically to Bard College directly from TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test, and not physical documents to be mailed. For TOEFL, Bard's institutional code is 2037. For IELTS, students should request their electronic results to be sent to Bard College Undergraduate Admission.

Waiver eligibility requirements are listed below: 

• Students who have attended a secondary school with full English instruction, for at least the 3 most recent years of their education, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their application (for transfer students, at least 4 semesters of college work). Once students submit their application they will gain access to their Bard portal where an English proficiency test waiver form is available.
• Students who have grown up in a country where English is the primary language, may request an English proficiency test waiver after they submit their application. 
• Other situations will be considered on a case by case basis. 

• TOEFL score of at least 100
• IELTS  score of at least 7
• Duolingo English Test score of at least 120

English Language Test Waiver Information

If you are an international student and believe you are eligible for an English Language Test Waiver, you will have access to a waiver form on your Bard portal after you submit your application to Bard College. The Admission Office will review your waiver form and, if you meet the criteria, the Admission Committee will waive the English Language Test requirement, and will notify you of their decision.