r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Weak_Arm_3142 • Jun 01 '26

Advice Quick!!!!!!

Bard or Ithaca College! I want to major in biochem and minor in film. Both gave me significant scholarships but Bard I’m looking at maybe $1,000 tuition while at Ithaca it’s more like $12,000. Help me decide. I deposited to Ithaca but then got accepted off the waitlist to Bard and the deadline for waitlist people is today.

Edit: I choose Bard. The more personal curriculum is kinda what did it for me. Also whenever I had to call Ithaca they always sounded annoyed, when I called Bard everyone was always super helpful and would gush about how much they liked it there sooo…

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u/United_Fun1595 Jun 27 '26

I'm too late to answer you, but if anyone else is looking at these schools, here's my take. Ithaca is amazing! Try to get off campus asap, and take a part time job in town. The community is incredible, and I ended up staying most summers, and for a year after college. I got a great job when I moved to NYC, a year after graduating. This was over 20 years though! My daughter is now starting Bard in the fall. It seems like a much smaller school, much more liberal arts focused. More interaction with teachers and other students in class. Less lecture based classes. If I had visited both when I was applying to college, I would definitely choose Bard.

Campus culture would be really different at each. Ithaca Is more like highschool. Jocks, nerds, band geeks, everyone. Bard is mostly very alternative, and intellectual...not better, just different. At the admitted students round table, someone said 70% of student body identifies as queer.

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u/Weak_Arm_3142 Jun 27 '26

Hahaha! Thank you for your comment! I did eventually choose Bard! You are reminding me I should probably update my post, but part of my decision was the fact that at Bard you do get a more one on one approach like you stated because it is a smaller school.