Simon's Rock College of Bard

Pros: A world-class faculty who offer a near ideal education.
Cons: It don't got a whole lot else.

Just like the idea of communism, Simon’s Rock is a great concept— it just doesn’t entirely work. Looking back, Simon’s Rock should have been a perfect school for me. I was frustrated with the academic and social confines of high school; I was looking ...

Pros: high academic standards, flexible but demanding approach, motivated students, faculty and staff, small close-knit community
Cons: certain problems associated with the age of the students

I came to Simon's Rock after the 10th grade. I had been unhappy and under-stimulated in the public school system for as long as I could remember and had decided to find a more challenging alternative. I was in the midst of applying to several private...

Pros: Forget finishing high school, just go to college!
Cons: Small school, can get socially stifling

I was sixteen, in my junior year of high school, when the brochure came in the mail. I had done well on the PSATs, and had started to receive college-related propaganda by the crateload. There was too much of it to read it all, but this brochure stood...

Pros: high quality faculty, nice campus
Cons: cigarette smoke, "radicals", misplaced high school students, rote memorization

I came to Simon's Rock College because I needed a change from high school. The courses available were uninteresting to me. There was work that needed to be done that I didn't have the desire to do. The requirements of the school did not allow me to...

Pros: intelligent teachers, variety
Cons: self-inflated students, some too-traditional teachers

Informal environment. All classes here are seminar style. The problem with this is that there are many students here who "know" a subject very well. In truth, perhaps they have a perception of it, or have read into the matter. They take...

Pros: small, close knit community, great academics and students
Cons: small, close knit community, somewhat chaotic socially, isolated.

Simon's Rock College is a small school located in rural southwest Massachusetts. It is populated by 350 students, of which about 320 live on campus. It offers both AA and BA degrees. The thing that separates Simon's Rock from the glut of small liberal...

Pros: Wonderful intellectual stimulation and think-tank
Cons: An extensive reading and work requirements that torture any good-intentioned socialite

When addressing a professor or administrator, one does not generally greet them with the traditional "Good morning, Professor Forman", instead one would most likely use more common phrases such as: "Hi, Paula!" or "How are...

Pros: Unique, informal, intense, high faculty-student ratio, amazing people, beautiful campus
Cons: Small, intense, obscure, very liberal

I came to Simon's Rock after my sophomore year of high school, like most of the student body did, and I was hooked pretty fast. All my life, I had been getting grades between 95 and 105 percent on my school work. Suddenly, I had to work to get an 80. I...

Pros: Small Classes, beautiful campus, great professors, tight community and lots of freedom.
Cons: Some students abuse freedom. I like the secluded location but some people find it confining.

Going to Simon's Rock is the best decision that a mature high school student can make. The beautiful campus is located in the Berkshires, surrounded by pine woods and flowing water. With class sizes between 10 and 12, it is easy to learn and interact with professors. The teachers are all highly qualified and there are no graduate students to teach classes. I feel that life at Simon's Rock is fulfilling educationally, socially and developmentally.

There are many scholarship opportunities There are twenty full scholarships a year between less than 150 freshmen. That kind of opportunity usually does not exist at schools with academics as good as at Simon's Rock.

Students are trusted by the faculty and are given great amounts of freedom despite their young age. This is a great growing experience. Most people use it responsibly.

I have a VERY DETAILED web page with pictures and further description of the campus. I urge prospective students to check it out.

Look at my http://www.geocities.com/npatch03/simons-rock.html