Bard College Simon's Rock

Date: Feb 03 2004
Major: Fine Arts - Painting/Sculpture/Photography/etc (This Major's Salary over time)
When applying to Simon's Rock, there are many things to take into consideration. First, is this really the right school for me? Many students are so enchanted with the idea of leaving high school that they don't take a moment to actually research the department they're entering. This was the problem that I encountered. Simon's Rock seemed like an amazing paradise, and in many ways it was, but in the end I wasn't receiving the right education in my field and I was paying too much for what I -was- getting.

My first major disappointment was that, although the catalog had a nice list of available foreign languages and art courses, some of the classes are only taught once every four years. Simon's Rock is a tiny school, and when it comes right down to it, they don't have a lot to offer unless you're an English/Psychology/Women's Studies major.

Although a nice art/theatre facility is now being built, at the time I attended, all of my art classes were held in three rickety old barns converted into studios. My classes there were hot (or freezing) and uncomfortable, with hornets flying in through the windows and swarming around my paint constantly. As for instruction, I received very little. I took Art of Painting and I still have no idea how to paint. I got an A in the class, but the work I produced is mediocre at best. The class consisted entirely of struggling to work in terrible conditions while the professor walked around silently, and sometimes just vanished altogether from the room. I know this was probably just an attempt to not stifle our creativity (Simon's Rock was big on allowing kids to be original), but as a foundation course, I really would have appreciated the input from my professor.

Now, I know that's all sounding pretty terrible, but I promise, there were many other aspects to the school that made my time there completely worthwhile. First, the campus is simply beautiful. In fact, it was the most beautiful place I've ever lived. I notice a lot of people complaining about the dorms, but they weren't so bad in my opinion. I lived in Crosby, which is an all-girls dorm. I enjoyed the overall atmosphere, even though it was a bit cramped. The girls on my floor were all friendly and respectful, and everything was kept relatively clean. The RDs and RAs were, for the most part, very helpful. My only beef with that particular dorm were parietals, which dictated that all males had to leave the building after a certain hour. I suppose it was meant to reassure parents and give girls time to shower in peace (the bathrooms were co-ed during daytime hours), but I found it to be a nuisance.

The dining hall food is terrible, but there's not much of a way to avoid that. The meat and uncooked vegetables were especially troublesome, and I lived off of pasta for most of the year. However, they do have a vegan menu (just as gross as the regular, though). My friends and I would eat in town as often as possible, but van rides were rare and it was a half hour walk up and down mountainous terrain each way.

Despite all my complaints, I look back on my memories of Simon's Rock fondly. I still treasure the friends I made there, and I was sobbing on the day I left. There was just something about the atmosphere that made you feel like you were home. I had to leave because it was simply too costly (despite my $15k AEP scholarship) and I wasn't getting a proper art education. If you're looking into a different department, though, seriously consider Simon's Rock. Just make sure you research your major well.