Bard College Simon's Rock

Date: Mar 06 2009
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
Simon's Rock is not for everyone, but it IS one of the best places on earth to get an amazing education. I was in the top of my class in high school and I basically left because the teachers were terrible and the competition was making me crack. Simon's Rock is basically the best education in the country, not even kidding. US News and World Report ranks our education as 97 and Harvard as a 99. Personally I think Simon's Rock is more interesting and challenging but I'm admittedly a bit biased. The classes are very difficult here depending on who you have, so if you hate hard work, then Simon's Rock is NOT for you. The people who don't do well are the ones who arelooking for an incredible social scene and who hate work. I have friends who haven't turned in hardly any assignments simply because the amount is overwhelming. The town (Great Barrington) is also kind of a long walk away and Freshman aren't allowed to have cars… not that there's much to do there anyway. That being said, there are a lot of enriching academic activities always going on and some of your best friends might very well be the professors. You will meet a lot of great people though I think more than 50% of the campus is on drugs. Certainly, I think that at least 75% smoke cigarettes. (Though hey, if you like that kind of thing, you'll have lots of friends.) Everyone is on a first name basis (professors included) and with its positives that also means that everyone knows your business because there are only 500 students. If you love nature, this is a great school. It's very remote and wooded. There's also great skiing that you can do for credit.

I'd just like to reiterate who I think the best candidate is for Simon's Rock. The best person for Simon's Rock is not just looking to get out of high school because they hate it, they are looking for something MORE. High school does have your friends and probably has a lot more social things to do, BUT it does not have the education that Simon's Rock can give you. For the very few sub-par professors I would recommend contacting a Rocker and using ratemyprofessor when choosing classes. By the way, for poly sci, despite the small number of professors, the program is great, definitely enough to stay for four years.

Only about 1/3 of an entering class stays at the college for more than 4 years. Really, this is a shame. Although Simon's Rock is not well known, it is highly regarded among graduate school circles. A very very high percentage of students get into their number 1 or number 2 choice. You cannot really stay here if you plan on seriously pursuing math or science, simply because there aren't any research opportunities. However, you can do an internship or study away for a semester or a year for your junior year. For instance, I plan to study as a visiting student at University of Chicago for my junior year and then return to Simon's rock to do my senior thesis because Simon's Rock does not offer many economics courses. A note to those who wish to transfer: transferring is a very difficult and frustrating process. Although many Simon's Rock students transfer to good schools, often they do not have two year's worth of credits accepted. For those who leave high school after junior year, this may put you where you would have been had you stayed in high school.

In the end, Simon's Rock is great, but not for everyone. Don't come here just to get out of high school. Feel free to contact me if you have questions. ~Lauren