1:
When will I hear about admission?
A:
In the week of January 15 we will mail letters to all applicants whose completed applications were received by January 15. After that, we do rolling admissions, and we will do our best to respond within two weeks of receiving your completed application.
2:
Can I enroll in one campus and be on the waitlist for another?
A:
No. You need to make the decision to commit to either the waitlist or enroll at a different campus.
3:
Does everyone have to pay the $55 application fee?
A:
The $55 application fee is required, except in the following cases: (1) If you applied to Bread Loaf previously, and paid the fee, you do not have to pay it again. (2) The fee is waived for Middlebury College students and alumni. (3) The fee is usually waived for applicants for special fellowships (this will be noted on the fellowship application form).
4:
Do I have to go to Vermont my first summer?
A:
No. First-year students can apply to any of the four Bread Loaf campuses. You will find lots of first-year students at all four campuses.
The one exception is that some special fellowships require first-year students to attend a specific campus; this will be noted in fellowship application materials.
5:
I was accepted to Bread Loaf last year, but had to cancel. What do I need to do to apply for this coming summer?
A:
We keep on file for two years the applications of new applicants who withdraw their applications or cancel before they attend. To reactivate your application you must complete another copy of the one-page application form and send it to the Bread Loaf office. You do not have to resubmit the other materials or pay the $55 application fee again, although you may, if you wish, add new material. Acceptance in one year does not guarantee acceptance in another, since the applicant pool and available space might differ from year to year.
6:
Can I live off-campus? Can I bring my family?
A:
Yes. If you are going to Vermont, we will mail you a list of off-campus rentals; you are then responsible for contacting landlords and making your own arrangements. The Bread Loaf office has the names of some rental agencies in Santa Fe; locating off-campus housing is your responsibility. Students at the Oxford campus are expected to live in college housing; there is some Lincoln College family housing available. The University of North Carolina in Asheville has apartments that can be used for famiy housing. For more information, contact the Bread Loaf office in Vermont.
7:
How is housing assigned?
A:
When you are admitted, your admission packet will include a housing form on which you can put any special housing needs or requests. The Bread Loaf office will try to accommodate reasonable requests. You will receive your room assignment when you arrive at the Bread Loaf campus. On-campus housing options are outlined in the description of each campus in the "Bread Loaf Campuses & Course Listings" section of this Web site, and students will receive more detailed information when they are admitted.
8:
I've been out of college for 15 years and don't have any of my old papers. What can I submit for a writing sample?
A:
A piece of academic writing, even if it is some years old, is most useful to us. You can always rewrite or update old papers. But if you don't have a piece of academic writing in hand, you can write a brief essay specifically for this application, or submit a creative piece, or a report that you've written for your job, or article in the local newspaper--any piece of writing that demonstrates your ability to write well and think critically.
9:
What if my first-choice campus is full?
A:
If you are admitted to Bread Loaf but the campus for which you have applied is full, you will be offered the choice of either a place on the waitlist or immediate admission to another campus at which there is room. It is possible to switch from the waitlist and choose enrollment at another campus at any time, providing there is room.
10:
Can I apply to more than one campus at the same time?
A:
No, you can apply to only one campus. But if, after applying or after you are accepted, your circumstances change and you need to go to a different campus, a switch should be possible if there's room at the campus to which you want to switch.
11:
Does my application HAVE to be complete before I mail it to Bread Loaf, or can I send materials to Bread Loaf as I collect them?
A:
Although we recommend sending everything together in one packet, you aren't required to do so. But please be aware that only completed applications will be reviewed for admission. The big advantage to sending everything together is that you control the submission and you know for certain that it's complete. If you decide, for example, to have your transcripts or letters of recommendation sent directly to the Bread Loaf office (which is fine to do), we strongly recommend that you check in with us periodically to make sure these things have arrived. A missing letter or transcript can hold up the admission process indefinitely.
12:
Do I have to be a teacher to apply to Bread Loaf?
A:
No. Just over 80% of Bread Loaf students are teachers, mostly, but not exclusively, secondary-school teachers of English. But we have many students who come to Bread Loaf from professions as varied as journalism, publishing, medicine, and the law. We also have students who come simply for the love of good literature or a desire to work on their own writing.