Admission

If you’re thinking about early college at Simon’s Rock, you’ve seriously considered making the bold move to be a full participant in your own education.
You're ready for more. We’re ready to help you take the next step.
Apply Now

Discover Simon's Rock

Day Students Visit Our Campus
Residential Students Unique Pathways to Bard
Six Years from High School to BA Degree Tuition + Fees
Scholarships Admission Dates + Deadlines
Simon’s Rock offers a unique path for students who find traditional high school limiting. Here, intellectual curiosity is celebrated, and rigorous academic exploration begins earlier. We foster a community where every student is an individual empowered to delve deep into subjects they love, guided by dedicated faculty who are experts in their fields. Our approach cultivates resiliency, equipping students with the skills to confront challenges and derive valuable lessons from difficulties, thereby preparing them to navigate obstacles with confidence and intellectual rigor.

Day Students

Day students arrive each morning as classes begin. You’ll share meals in the dining hall with your classmates—those who live on campus, and those who live at home like you. The whole campus is yours, from morning to night. You’ll have access to all of the resources on the Simon’s Rock campus. You’ll study at the library and eat with friends in the dining hall.

Visit Our Campus

Come visit Massena Campus for:
- An individual tour
- An Admissions event (e.g. Open House)

See the various spaces that make our campus unique; sit in on a real class; meet with Admissions staff for an interview and to ask questions. We'd love to meet you.

REGISTER HERE

Residential Students

As a residential student at Bard Academy or Simon's Rock, you’ll be immersed in community that shares a love of learning. We hold students closely within a full liberal arts college campus—with all of the freedom and opportunity that affords. Students in Bard Academy benefit from greater support and direction appropriate for students in 9th and 10th grade. We attract students who desire expansiveness and challenge, and we nourish and celebrate these students.

Learn More About Campus Life

Unique Pathways to Bard

  • In the Bard Academy high school pathway, students begin in either 9th or 10th grade. After 10th grade, the students matriculate into the Early College program.
  • In the Simon's Rock AA pathway, Simon’s Rock students at the 11th or 12th grade age, in lieu of completing high school, go directly into college study. They take full-time college course loads culminating in the AA degree. Then, students matriculate into the Bard College BA program serving as their junior and senior year of college.

Six Years from High School to BA Degree

We believe that young people should have agency in shaping their own education. Whether starting in our Bard Academy high school pathway or in our Early College degree program, we support our students to realize their intellectual and creative potential now, not later. Start your journey with Simon’s Rock today.

Tuition + Fees

Due to scholarships and financial aid, the cost of attendance can vary greatly depending on each individual student’s specific situation. In a typical year, over 80 percent of our students receive substantial financial assistance. Tuition covers the cost of classes (up to 18 credits per semester) as well as the use of campus facilities, resources, and support services, including academic tutoring and career development.
2026–27 Total Tuition + Fees

Scholarships

Academic Excellence Program Scholarship
The Academic Excellence Program (AEP) is a scholarship to recognize and financially support students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and intellectual promise. AEP awards are two-year merit scholarships for high school students in 10th or 11th grade to begin college at Simon’s Rock at Bard College, the nation’s pioneering Early College. Awards will be granted on a competitive basis, by a committee of Simon’s Rock faculty. For 2026-27, the committee will award at least 20 scholarships across the three award levels.

Eligibility
New applicants must apply for admission to Simon’s Rock at Bard College. Academy Matriculants must complete the supplemental Academic Excellence application form. Students must demonstrate exceptional academic preparation, intellectual curiosity, and leadership potential. A completed financial aid application is required for all merit- and need-based aid. Students may also receive need-based financial aid in addition to their AEP scholarships.

Scholarship Award Levels
1. Founder’s Scholarship – $50,000 merit scholarship per year
2. Provost’s Scholarship – $25,000 merit scholarship per year
3. Faculty Scholarship – $10,000 merit scholarship per year

Admission Dates + Deadlines

Bard Academy:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as long as space remains available

  • Priority Deadline for Spring 2026: November 15, 2025 (Application opens August 2025)
  • Priority Deadline for Fall 2026: April 1, 2025 (Application opens August 2025)
Simon's Rock Early College:
  • Spring 2026: Apply by November 1
  • Fall 2026 Early Action: Apply by December 1
  • Fall 2026 Regular Decision: Apply by April 1
  • Financial Aid Application Available: October 1

A student sits at a desk with his hands folded looking thoughtful and focused.
Photo by Tricia McCormack

We’re Looking for Students Like You

We’re looking for students who are eager to embrace something different—because we are different.
We are a conscious choice, a deliberate break from the standard track. If you come here, you’re thinking carefully about who you are, what’s important to you, and what you can achieve. You’re smart, independent-minded, self-directed, creative, and passionate about learning. You’re motivated by ideas, by the prospect of knowing more, making connections, surprising yourself, and applying your brain to thorny problems and complicated issues. You might be deeply involved in your community, but not just because it’ll look good on your application. You’re involved because the world matters, and you matter in the world.
A student looks at his phone while sitting on a dorm room bed.
Photo by Tricia McCormack

Can I Apply?

Students applying in 8th or 9th grade may apply to Bard Academy. For the early college, most students apply as 10th and 11th graders. High school seniors are eligible to apply in the fall of their senior year in order to start college in our spring semester. High school seniors who graduate early or at a young age are also eligible to apply.
Apply Now →

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid

Tuition includes instruction, academic support, and access to all campus facilities. The Student Activity and Health Services Fees are required of all boarding and day students. Simon’s Rock at Bard College will consider all qualified applicants for merit-based and need-based scholarships, work-study, and payment options that work for you and your family. To learn more, email us at [email protected].

  • 2026–2027 Academic Year
     
    Academy College
    Billed Costs 2026-2027 2026-2027
    Tuition $54,020.00 $71,950.00
    Food & Housing $20,790.00 $20,790.00
    W&T $680.00 $680.00
    J-Term $680.00
    Health Service $470.00 $470.00
    Enrollment Fee $500.00
    Activity Fee $420.00 $420.00
    TOTAL $77,062.00 $94,810.00
    Health Insurance $3,179.00* $3,607.00*
    Tuition Insurance $952.00* $952.00*

    *These amounts are tentative. 

    For 2026–2027 total costs, please contact the Student Accounts Office at Bard College with any questions or concerns about your student account or financial aid: [email protected] or 845-758-7520
     

Ready to Apply?

Learn more about application requirements and what you need to start your journey with Simon’s Rock at Bard College.
Learn More About Applying