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The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Bard College at Simon’s Rock is 86%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.
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What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
I happen to have never been a senior before though I am currently a college student. My spin on this question is what advice would I give to myself when I was a sophomore being recruited by my school. I would make sue that my past self understood my new found value of acceptable study habits. This would be the topic that I’d discuss because taking time to study and do my assignments has always been things that I procrastinate about. In high school, when I would push things to the last minute, I was still able to get great grades. I’d explain to myself that once I got into college things would be totally different; I wouldn’t be able to work in the same fashion because my grades would suffer. High school was pretty straightforward; college on the other hand is no joke. One C on a report card will destroy a student’s GPA and I had to learn that the hard way. If I could have went back and spoken with myself before college then that may not have been the case.
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Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!
Honestly, we're portrayed as being really smart and motivated.
Some of us are smart and motivated.
But too many students are well-to-do dipshits excited about finally being out of the house. A lot of people who come attend because their home lives are shit. Some aren't, but it is common.
There are two big motivations to go to Simon's Rock:
1. You totally hate high school
2. You are bored and need challenge
3. You hate living at home
Although there's only 400 students, I think it's actually pretty easy to get in. If you can show up for the required interview, do the various essays for admission, and get your application in on time, you're pretty much set. However, I have heard stories of students applying in June (due date for the app. is February 1) and still being able to attend. Perhaps it's hard to even fill up the student body? I'm not sure.
However, it's not a hard school to get into. I think the acceptance rate is REALLY high since:
1. most people have never even heard of our school
2. it's easy to get in EVEN if you've completely failed high school and have crap recommendations (or no teacher recommendations at all)
3. the tuition is so high that really only a select number of people can even afford to attend
It's easy to get into, but just be prepared to do the work when you get to SR. Or, ask around about the lazy professors and cruise your way through. However, most students aren't like that. Except for the drug dealers. And they get away with it since they supply.
There's a handful of smart kids and a large handful of idiots. Then there's a bunch that lie between.
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Describe the students at your school.
The people here are amazingly kind and are all gifted in their own ways, whether that be intellectually, artistically, or otherwise in just the simple care of their friends... as one of my friends described: "Sitting in the McConnell [theater] for a lecture is like sitting in a room full of 120 students who I know will be the best friends I will ever have."
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What are the most popular student activities/groups?
Hey, let's get high!
or:
"Hey let's get high before the activity the RDs have planned!"
Honestly, there is a body of students who are payed to make activities for students, but they're never interesting enough. People mostly just get fucked up.
We have a sports team, but the only people who care about it are usually on the sports team. There's not a lot of school spirit because we're small and kind of impossible to categorize since we're a bunch of nerdy and strange kids who left high school.
Theater- what a joke. There's a fall and spring play. That's it. And forget about talent. You'll get cast if:
1. You're an upperclassman
2. You've been taking theatre classes since day one
3. You've made friendly with the directors, who are either professors or people who went to SR a few years before
Dating scene? People randomly hook up. A few find their soul mates, but it is a very select few. There's nowhere to really go on a date...so "dating" really means lolling around campus, making out after class, and sneaking off to each others' dorms to have sex at night.
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What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?
I wish I knew I wouldn't get that much financial aid. I could've spent more time on scholarship applications rather than the admissions application.
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Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.
Just as the website proclaims, Simon's Rock is a liberal arts college catering to bright, highly-motivated high school students who feel that they could be doing so much more with their education... The professors here are as interesting and diverse as the student body, and the care and closeness provided by the community is something you'll find nowhere else. Students often transfer after 2-years, but many of them come back--and with good reason!
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Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?
Unfortunately, yes.
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What are the academics like at your school?
Your professors will know your name. There's 10-15 students per class. I had a class with only five students in it. This can be really great if you're a writer, scientist, philosopher...if you're into any profession that is solo.
For theatre, IT SUCKS. I tried starting a ten minute play festival, but no one showed up to auditions. Unless you're into a generic major, like english, math, or science, company can be scarce. It's hard to unite students to do anything except party. And the partying is fucked up, since there's no place to really hold a party. Many students just go off into the woods and get stoned alone.
Anyway, about the academic life. There is a lot of work. You have to be dedicated and you have to be intelligent. However, it all really does depend on your professor. The basic English class all freshman are required to take, First Year Seminar, widely varies from class to class. Why? The professors. You can't really describe a class because it really depends on what professor teaches it. If you get Wesley Brown, you'll be bored out of your mind. If you get Mark Vecchio, you'll be working your ass off and feel like god if he compliments your paper.
When you're signing up for classes, REALLY ASK AROUND ABOUT THE PROFESSORS.
Simon's Rock can be rather retarded when it comes to signing up for classes. During my spring semester registration day, they packed 400 students into two tiny buildings and had them run around trying to sign up for classes. Classes will fill quick- since most classes don't take more than 15-20 students. Being a freshman, even a sophomore- signing up for classes sucks. You will leave registration feeling raped of all your energy.
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What is the stereotype of students at your school?
Intellectuals who would rather stay in on Friday nights reading Nietzsche
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What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
I'm pretty sure the stereotype of kids at my school is either that the campus is entirely comprised of junkies or ridiculously intellectual kids who have no social skills. Truth is, few kids are either the former or the latter. Simon's Rock is a bit too diverse to be explained easily and fully, but I think all kids at Simon's Rock have a few things in common. They are kids whose chances in life prior to Simon's Rock never really were what they wanted to be, and though everyone left high school early for different reasons, I think that makes everyone at Simon's Rock a sort of weird bold-explorer type for different reasons and motivations. These reasons and motivations effect the influence of this aspect of their personality in their lives. For some kids, this means doing a lot of drugs and for some it means being overtly intellectual, but to list what this means to and for every Simon's Rock student is an impossible task, as it tends to vary from person to person.
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What are your classes like?
So far, I have never had a class with more than maybe 16 people in it, and that was a class in Calculus. In general, my classes have around ten students, sometimes as low as only six, so everyone gets a lot of personal attention from the professor. Classes are mostly based around discussions, perhaps looking at the reading from the last day, commenting on a piece of work that another student did, or simply presenting everyone's opinions on a particular issue in the class' area. What is best is that professors care about how you are doing and are always happy to help.
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What is your overall opinion of this school?
The best thing about Simon's Rock is the class size. You'll really get to interact with your professor (if he's sober enough to interact back). Some professors are total hippies (and not in the best sense) but others are geniuses and very dedicated.
It's weird going to college with a lot of 16 year olds. I went as an 18 year old and it made a BIG DIFFERENCE. I think the brain develops a lot between age 16 and 18 (I know mine did). It was rather terrifying being around these suddenly-set-free kids who quickly realized they could do whatever they want. Getting high before class, selling drugs in the dining hall, trying to have on campus parties but usually ending up dropping LSD in the woods...I don't think most 16 year olds should be allowed to go to college yet. I know that kind of drug usage happens a lot of schools, but the students at Simon's Rock are out of control.
The school is way too freaking small. 400 students. You get sick of everyone quickly. AND there's no way to meet new people. You're in the middle of nowhere, MA. Another thing about that- there is NOTHING to do. It's part of the reason the drug culture is really, really, really bad there. There's one movie theatre in town, which is a mile walk from campus. It only plays four films, sometimes only three, at a time. All of the restaurants and shops are insanely expensive. There is NO college-life there. What do you do on a friday night? Put on a coat, hat, and scarf and head to the woods with joint. Eat out the vending machines.
Bard's administration is okay. It is usually easy to get access to them since there are only 400 of us. You can meet with most professors by sending them an email. It's a unique school with it's own unique order of things.
The most frequent student complaints:
1. I have way too much work
2. I am so bored
3. I'm so pissed my friend/drug dealer/ that party got busted
4. I haven't slept in three days
5. This weed is shitty
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What kind of person should attend this school?
Someone who feels they are ready for college early.
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What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?
The fact that it's an early college; I get a head start on my career path.
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