Academics
Student autonomy and an individualized curriculum are at the heart of a Bennington College education, and some say that the school’s “greatest strength is how non-traditional it is.” Here, students map out Plans for study and application, rather than adhering to the traditional declaration of a major. “Having access to such interesting and strange subjects is an opportunity unique” to the school, and the one-on-one guidance each student receives is “a game changer in terms of getting experience in your field.” With the help of a personal Plan committee, students work toward obtaining several fundamental Capacities such as inquiry, research, and communication. All students also spend six weeks a year in a fieldwork term, completing an internship or experience where the practical outcomes of their education can be seen: “This experience is life changing, and one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Bennington,” says a student. “Nothing is handed to you here, but there is freedom to do whatever you want if you have the energy to go out and get it,” which students see as a learning experience in and of itself. There is a great “trust in the students to create their own path and make good decisions.”
Students and professors “are encouraged to be on a first name basis with each other” and there’s an appreciation for how teachers work to “succinctly encapsulate your journey, work, and experience in the course within a paragraph that is archived for futurity.” Studies tend to be “very interdisciplinary and focus on a lot of unconventional and experimental ideas,” and professors “will also often bring their colleagues in to discuss and connect with students.” The “flexibility and nimbleness of the institution allows for maximum creativity and independence,” and to many, that makes this a dream school, in that “students can literally dream up their course of study, and do work important to them.”
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