I am having a big dilemma. I am committed to Skidmore but got off the waitlist to Colgate, which was originally my top school. Finances are not an issue, and I am aware I will lose my deposit if I chose Colgate. What are all the pro, cons, and things I should know about these schools?
Tentative academic interests?
Have you visited either one or both? Intended major?
Skidmore is 10 minutes from where I live and we toured it with our daughter. It has a great campus and the dorm rooms were among the best we saw with big window seats, there is a lot of flexibility in the academics so you can double major/minor in subjects that seem completely unrelated like psychology and dance, and the city of Saratoga is terrific.
Our daughter was accepted ED at Colgate for the class of 2024. She loved the beautiful campus, true liberal arts curriculum, outdoor education department, and everyone she met was outgoing and friendly. She is not a partier or an athlete and has no interest in Greek life so Colgate seems like it wouldn’t be a good fit for her but she felt the slightly larger size would give her more opportunity to find her people. The biggest plus, IMO, is the emphasis on building a community with students who want to be there and want to be involved, however they choose to be.
We were planning on visiting both! But I live in Cali and quarantine got in the way of that. Planning on studying Environmental Studies and Film and Media Studies minor, which both the schools have. What other major differences between Skidmore and Colgate did you notice during your tours?
Greek life is a significant difference with respect to campus culture & social life. Colgate students like to drink & party while Skidmore is more laid-back socially.
Colgate leans moderate/conservative while Skidmore has a liberal student body.
While both are majority female, Skidmore is heavily female and seems to be quite welcoming to gay males.
I have a bit of difficulty imagining the same person being a fit for both schools. I think that if one visited both schools while in session, that the applicant would have a definite preference.
Colgate has connections to finance jobs.
Students who prefer Colgate would probably like Dartmouth College. Skidmore students might be attracted to the current version of Middlebury–which is more liberal than in the past–and also attracted to Vassar College.
Hi,
Congratulations on your acceptance to Skidmore and Colgate. My oldest son recently graduated from Colgate, my youngest will attend Skidmore this Fall and my middle son attends Vassar. I agree with @Publisher, the culture of Colgate and Skidmore are not at all similar. Colgate is definitely preppy/sporty (Division I athletics) with a strong Greek presence. Students are outgoing and positive. If you like the athletes and their cohorts at your high school then you will probably like Colgate. Campus is gorgeous and hilly. Some new dorms and a great new career development center. Academically, most departments are moderate. Film/media studies is a newer area of study there. Colgate is RURAL and isolated. Hamilton is a truly quaint college town.
Skidmore is definitely more liberal and artsy. The campus isn’t quite as grand as Colgate but Saratoga Springs is a great small city and easily accessible. Great theater department. My youngest will study business but wanted a more liberal and laid back environment to live and study in. Skidmore is more like Vassar than Colgate. Vassar doesn’t have a business curriculum so it wasn’t an option.
Both feature winter in a significant way so invest in some good cold weather gear.
Good luck with your decision
With covid-19, whether and how they plan to open their campuses in the fall may be a consideration for you. My son is planning to attend Skidmore. They have communicated the four specific options that they are considering. All but a 100% remote option would include freshmen being on campus this fall. Not sure what Colgate has communicated since I do not follow them. For us, it is almost 100% likely that is remote instruction is the choice, then my son would defer admission for a year.
@642obdr’s experience aligns with ours.