If Bard is your top choice, have you looked into their Immediate Decision Plan?
According to their web site,
“The Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) is recommended for the accomplished student for whom Bard is the top choice. You may choose for this process to be binding or non-binding. IDP accelerates the admission process during a daylong session on campus in which students participate in a seminar with Bard faculty and then interview with an admission counselor. Decisions are posted to your Bard Portal the next business-day evening. (You will receive an e-mail from us stating that there has been an update to your portal.) The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and The College Board’s College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) must be filed by December 15.”
You don’t have to ‘cow tow’ to regulations at all unless you now what to partake of traditional education. Most colleges are pretty traditional and have many many students willing to take the SAT or ACT to get admitted, but if you can find a ‘home school’ version of college without tests and other requirements, go for it. Schools need a way to evaluate all the applicants they receive, and most find the standardized tests to be a good way to do so since grades can vary so widely even among schools in the same area.
And it is kowtow (or kowtau, or kowtou). Nothing to do with a cow.
It’s semantics really, applying to a traditional college is the only option - hence kowtowing is probably apart of the package. Auto-didactisme is a fetish of mine, however It’s fuzzy for me to project a promising career trajectory with such a choice. Thankfully, the cowtow mistake was done by the intelligence of my autocorrect, or rather lack of. Thank you!
I have seen Bards IDP, it did pique my interest albeit it does seem quite intense!
You come across as morally superior and self righteous toward the masses who cow tow, your words, and do what is expected of them. You will have to live with your choices. You may want to look into online colleges.
Or consider joining in the military, that experience would be helpful for you.
Why is it the only option? Do a non-traditional college (or a design-your-own major program within a traditional college), check into apprenticeships, take your college money and travel the world, or just join the workforce and build skills over time.
Look into Oberlin’ s ExCo. Hampshire (they’re anti tests). Warren Wilson.
Would you be okay with subject-focused tests? You choose three subjects you like and apply with them.
Or take APs, also subject based and involving more
After all, in college, you’ll have tests…
@GnocchiB it’s purely principle, I should imagine I’d do as well on the SATS as I have done over the course of four years of studies. Instead of delving into my own dissertation on the topic, it might be easier, if interested that is, to look into Leon Botsteins qualms about the test broadly, I happen to mirror his sentiments. Not to go without saying that, also Leon as no personal reason to be as anti-SAT as he is, as he is a Harvard grad and sat takee himself.
I’m not sure why you think it is unreasonable that colleges would want to use standardized tests in order to gain some context to better evaluate your home-schooled education. Are you insecure about how you would do with these exams? Because from my standpoint it seems to me that by refusing to take standardized tests that you are “cutting off your nose to spite the face” by leaving yourself limited options and searching for “loopholes and back doors” for college.
@TomSrOfBoston I’m not entirely sure as to where and how moral superiority takes place in this discussion. I am simply seeking out how to enter into College as non traditionally as I have entered High School. If fifteen year old me, thought SATs were a good idea, I would have stayed in my relatively prestigious school. As much as I respect our Military, it is of no interest to me, in fact it would be a disservice to miltia itself, for someone like me to pose as a protector of sorts. Thank you again!
Have you sought counselling? You seem to be bent on self destruction of your higher education.
@TomSrOfBoston Ehm…must admit, I’m not a fan of the dramatics. I am “bent” on doing things with my convictions and principles appeased, its not a terrible thing to ask for, even more so when one takes into account that there are more than a few schools already distancing themselves from standardized testing. Thank you for your help!
@EThomeschool Why are you going to college? What is your final goal? You won’t need it if you start your own business though wait until you have to meet the governmental regulations of small business ownership . And if you work for someone else, you’ll have a lifetime of coloring within the lines. What is your goal?
Look…you can’t have it both ways. If you choose NOT to take the standardized tests (SAT or ACT) there are many colleges that will simply have to NOT be in your application list. Even some of the test optional schools require these tests for homeschooled kids.
So…either take the test…or go someplace where they aren’t required. Bard is one school. Hampshire would be another option.
Or go to a community college for two years…and get an associates degree. Then apply to a four year college to get your bachelors.
You HAVE options…but you also seem to have reasons why they won’t work for you. You will need to put those things aside IF you really want to or need to attend college.
@thumper1 But where is @EThomeschool even going with a college education. Even as his own boss, he’d have to meet governmental rules and regulations. My FIL tried the “do-it-on-principles” way of living with his small business and the government simply shut him down until my MIL paid certain unconstitutional taxes. That was a long time ago. Think of the hoops you have to jump through now. And if you work for someone else, you won’t have the luxury of doing things your way.
@thumper1 I appreciate the advice, I realize I do have options, as said, I’d well-nigh die to go to Bard. To clarify, I do not have any issues or qualms with my current set of possible colleges – I’m just swimming around, see what else - if anything- is out there that I might not have come across without doing so.
@gearmom I aim to further my knowledge just as any other academia leaning 18 year old would, to the extent of attaining a Masters and/or Phd in the faraway future.
There is a difference between SAT and SAT Subjects. SAT’s can be and are gamed. SAT Subjects test knowledge and analytical skills. If you take Subject tests, they’re all multiple choice, but there’s no “gaming the test” (perhaps in Math?). And there are Ap’s if you don’t like multiple choice tests (I don’t like them either, I find essays more reflective of real mental work, but I also see them as a necessity, ie., you know exactly what you want to know, even if you won’t know what the student wants you to know… Those are two different types of tests.)
You can also try AICE and Cambridge PreU tests which are even more essay based than AP tests. Exams are in November, you’re expected to take 3 “principal” subjects or 2 AS + 2 ALevels.
http://www.cie.org.uk/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-pre-u/qualification/
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/347131-june-2015-question-paper-2.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/149235-specimen-question-paper-2-for-2014-onwards.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/149237-specimen-question-paper-3-for-2014-onwards.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/339440-2019-specimen-paper-3.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/348246-june-2015-question-paper-41.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/151482-specimen-question-paper-1.pdf
http://www.cie.org.uk/images/348460-june-2015-question-paper-11.pdf + http://www.cie.org.uk/images/356411-june-2015-resource-booklet-paper-11.pdf
No idea if you can self study the complements you need in a couple months, nor how you can register for them.
@gearmom we’re getting awfully ahead of ourselves here, being a small business owner isn’t in my equation. Thank you nonetheless.
@MYOS1634 Wow thank you, I’m not sure if that’s pliable as I am in the states.