<p>My parents are pretty wound up about me going to a relatively prestigious university and don't really like the idea that i like skidmore a lot.</p>
<p>They think I can get into a better university (which I can) but i feel skidmore is a really great fit for me. I really like how there is a nice balance between art and 'real subjects'. The idea of having a non-arts major and an arts minor really appeals to me.</p>
<p>To get a better sense of what I'm talking about, the following info was taken from another thread on CC, posted by bxian. </p>
<p>Skidmore-An excellent choice for kids interested in the arts-great art and theatre facilities and multiple a capella groups. It appeared that many kids had a non-arts major and an arts minor. They also have 2 pre-schools located on campus-loooked like great real-world experience for education majors. About 50% of students do a term abroad. I thought the campus was beautiful-bordered by a lovely wooded area. The school seems to have put a lot of money into updating the insides of the buildings. Students seemed happy and friendly. There appeared to be an active gay community on campus-posters for the upcoming gay prom were abundant. More multicultural than other LACs we have visited (which S would view as a plus). Dorms are all almost identical to one another, although they are building townhomes for upperclassmen. Lots of notices about club and other meetings. The town of Saratoga Springs had lots of restaurants and shops. S did not like the "same-ness" of the campus-he thought that all the buildings looked alike (they were all built around the same time). S does not have an arts orientation, so the many arts opportunities were lost on him-but Skidmore appears to be a great choice for students with interest in this area.</p>
<p>Can you guys recommend schools similar to Skidmore with a good balance of arts and non-arts programs? I really liked the Skidmore campus too, with a balance between city and suburbs!</p>
<p>I was stupid and didn't take any SATIIs so I can't apply to schools that require them. </p>
<p>Some quick stats:</p>
<p>Decent to Good essay
1440 SAT (740M 700V)
3.5 UW GPA
School does not rank
Good ECs (i do paid photography every now and then, yearbook editor, etc)
International student from the Philippines, finaid not needed.</p>
<p>Take the SATIIs later in ther year (January), then you can have your pick of any college, including the Ivies if that's what you want :-). The way you described non-art major plus an at minor sounds like many liberal arts schools in New England to me. Some of the ones I like are: Bowdoin, Colby, University of Vermont, and Dartmouth. Give those a look- maybe at Princetonreview.com or something. Colby has a gorgeous campus- heck, they all do-, Dartmouth has a bazillion acapella groups, and they're all, except maybe university of Vermont, prestigious.</p>
<p>The SAT II's are a problem - the January test date is too late to be accepted by some of the schools your list - you will have to check on a school by school basis. I think you would have a good shot at Vasser and Colby. Some of the other schools suggested may be a bit of a reach because of your GPA.</p>
<p>I really liked the Skidmore campus too, with a balance between city and suburbs!</p>
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<p>I just re-read your post and caught this - escaped my attention the first time around. I just want to caution you. I wouldn't term Skidmore a "balance between city and suburbs" - at least, not if you're thinking in terms of a LARGE city like New York City. The town of Saratoga Springs, where Skidmore is located, is a pleasant town with enough to keep a college student occupied but it is by no means a city---and the nearest city of any size is actually Albany NY which I recall is about a 35-40 minute drive away. Albany is a small-sized city, not a New York City by any means. From Skidmore to NYC is about two and a half hours. All of the other schools we have suggested are in similar situations, with the possible exception of Wesleyan and Vassar which are closer to NYC but by no means "a mix of city and suburb" either in the way I suspect you may mean. </p>
<p>Although they aren't any more "prestigious" than Skidmore (probably less so) two schools that might interest you are Wheaton College near Boston and Goucher College near Baltimore. Goucher in particular IS a mix of "suburban and city" --- you are a short bus ride from downtown Baltimore. Both are a combination of artsy and non-artsy. Both would be safeties for you.</p>
<p>Another school that you might look at would be Tufts University near Boston. Although not quite as "artsy" as Skidmore, it is an excellent school on Boston's doorstep. I think you may like it. Swarthmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr (all female) outside of Philadelphia would also give you the mix of "city and suburban" you are looking for and would be good matches (Swarthmore would be a reach). Best of luck!</p>
<p>neophyte31, Skidmore is a good school for studio art plus liberal arts in general. Saratoga Springs is a lovely town, but as Carolyn says, you would consider it more a small town than a city. It is also in the snow belt, so be prepared for an intense winter.</p>
<p>Other schools that have good studio art are Hamilton, Wesleyan, Williams, and Connecticut College. Williams probably has the most "prestige" of all of these, but really all LACs are not well known outside of the US and even in the US, they don't have the name recognition of large universities. </p>
<p>Swarthmore and Amherst are wonderful schools, but I wouldn't characterize them as especially strong in studio art.</p>
<p>If you're looking for a college that would have international prestige then you might consider NYU or the University of Michigan. Brown and Yale are both very prestigious and good in studio art, but for sure these are reaches.</p>
<p>As far as the SATIIs go, I'd call the individual schools (or e-mail) and ask if they would accept scores from January.</p>
<p>I'm surprised no one has mentioned Scripps, which has far stronger studio arts than Amherst, Williams, Colby, Bates, or Swarthmore (and, for its size, there is no comparison). It is in a small suburban town, but within relatively easy reach of L.A. and the whole So. California art scene. A true balance as you describe it. And the academics are very, very strong.</p>
<p>Haverford is not only fine for guys, it only started enrolling women in the 1970s. The opposite of Skidmore, which was all female until sometime in the 1970s. Swarthmore was founded as a co-ed college in the 1860s.</p>
<p>Union College in Schenectady NY, founded in 1795 by charter of NY State, was the male companion or "brother" school to Skidmore. In its heyday, it was one of the most "socially prominent" and prestigious small liberal arts colleges in the country. Its graduates included a former President of the US and many former presidents of major universities. It has a rich history.</p>
<p>"By about 1830, Union was graduating as many students as any other college in America. Along with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, it was spoken of as one of the big four. Students came from the South and West as well as the East. Among them were the father of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the grandfather of Winston Churchill, a president of the United States (Chester A. Arthur, Class of 1848), seven cabinet secretaries, fifteen United States senators, ninety-one members of the House of Representatives, thirteen governors, fifty important diplomats, more than 200 judges, forty missionaries, sixteen generals, and ninety college presidents, including the first presidents of the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Vassar College, Smith College, and Elmira College."</p>
<p>I think Oberlin is the closest we saw to Skidmore. I liked Skidmore, but my kid didn't. Love its location, and the kids on campus seemed really excited about the cultural activities they were engaged in. I got that feeling from several kids we talked to - and that was the only school really where we got that sense. You have to be prepared to pay full ride though!</p>
<p>Alot of kids who like Skidmore also like Wesleyan, Vassar, Brown, Swarthmore. But I do tend to agree with Travelr. The next step "up" from Skidmore really puts you into that bracket of schools that are very, very selective for anyone. Taxguy has some good suggestions with tech/art type schools and that category would also include NYU. But you are then losing that LAC type ambience that Skidmore has.</p>