Not many people know about Bard College, a private liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley region of upstate New York. But we at Ivy Coach know it all too well — for one strange reason. You see, Bard has broken from a trend impacting almost all other schools in the higher educational sphere over the last few decades. Colleges have seen declining acceptance rates and higher competition almost across the board. Places like Swarthmore and Vassar, which reliably admitted around 20-30% of their applicants a few short years ago, now tend to accept just 10-20%. At Ivy League schools, this trend is even more pronounced. But not at Bard.

Bard is somewhat of a unicorn among top colleges. As others have descended in the admissions rat race, Bard has done the opposite — they’ve admitted a higher proportion of its applicants with time! Considering this increase hasn’t been accompanied by any significant scandals or changes to Bard’s way of doing business, this trend is quite remarkable. It should be received as promising news to any student who seeks an elite education but is unsure of their prospects at more competitive schools.

Are you as excited as we are to analyze Bard’s acceptance rate over the last decade? Let’s review:

Bard College Acceptance Rate Over the Last Ten Years

Bard College Class Year	Overall Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	Not Yet Released
Class of 2028	52.29%
Class of 2027	46.08%
Class of 2026	60.00%
Class of 2025	56.95%
Class of 2024	64.76%
Class of 2023	64.56%
Class of 2022	58.21%
Class of 2021	56.21%
Class of 2020	32.17%
Class of 2019	44.61%
Class of 2018	37.61%

Isn’t this a pretty picture? It’s easier than ever to get into Bard College, although each cycle does come with its fair bit of variation. Ten years ago, 37.61% of applicants were admitted to the Class of 2018. A year later, that figure stood at 44.61%, and the year after that, a record-low 32.17%. But by the time the pandemic rolled around, slightly less than two-thirds of applicants were making it into this prestigious liberal arts college — a 100% increase from a few short years before! 

These are the kind of numbers one rarely sees among schools of Bard’s caliber. Could the school’s reputation have fallen off in favor of other liberal arts schools with more enduring legacies? Could Bard have refused to buy into the US News & World Report rat race, thus their relatively poor ranking of #71? We at Ivy Coach don’t have the answer, but we have tons of respect for a school that doesn’t try to artificially deflate its acceptance rate with policies and rhetoric that misleads applicants (we’re looking at you, Holy Cross!). 

In any event, Bard remains an excellent choice for academically ambitious students who are unsure if they have the chops required to get into a school like Williams or Amherst. But don’t take your child’s admission to Bard for granted. Read on to find out how you can optimize your child’s odds of admission with the help of Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Bard College Acceptance

Don’t let their suspiciously high acceptance rate fool you. Bard is still looking for the best and brightest. They don’t want well-rounded students, nor do they want students who don’t know the first thing about the unique academics, culture, history, traditions, or activities that make Bard Bard. Instead, Bard’s admissions officers want to admit students who have distinguished themselves with a singular hook that highlights the many ways they will take advantage of the resources and opportunities available on campus.  

Is all this information making your head spin? Leave it to Ivy Coach to help your child gain admission to Bard so you can avoid the stress that the admissions process often brings upon families. Fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our services.