<p>What are your opinions of Skidmore for those who know something about the college?</p>
<p>Big emphasis on creativity, no matter what the major. Blah buildings in a pretty setting.</p>
<p>My D is considering Skidmore. So far north (6hrs+) from here, we were not sure it is worth driving so far when thee are a dozen colleges she wants to see.</p>
<p>Tell me why we should drive 6+ hrs to see Skidmore?</p>
<p>She is interested in primarily English and Writing, the humanities AND ART. ( and photography and web design)
But art as a hobby to develop for personal pleasure not a career.</p>
<p>She is a strong student academically but other than art, not many EC's.</p>
<p>We saw Bard and Vassar and she liked the programs but feels Bard may be too unconventional socially and Vassar too much of a reach to be accepted so we thought Skidmore looked like a contender that seemed more mainstreamed. But this impression is being drawn only from Viewbooks, and what we have read in guidebooks. And what little info we see on CC about Skidmore. Don't hear much of Skidmore. But my husband says Saratoga Springs is supposed to be a beautiful town and the Racetrack there brings alot of tourism and activity to the area.</p>
<p>After seeing Bard and Vassar(we also saw Marist on that trip) she liked the programs offered and the academics of the schools but felt the location was too remote for her. She says she prefers a city atmosphere.</p>
<p>So we looked @ Barnard, NYU, and Fordham in New York City. Her impression ther was she liked Fordham alot and plans on applying, NYU was good, but maybe too big and impersonal plus they may be too selective anyway aand Barnard was not at all interesting to her even w/ Columbia across the street!</p>
<p>We are planning a trip to Boston to see Boston College, Emerson and Tufts in Oct.</p>
<p>But Skidmore has been calling, only because it seems to be in the same family as Bard or Vassar for it's strengths in English, writing, arts and liberal arts. This is what she is looking for w/ a middle of the road not too liberal green haired culture and not too conservative prep atmosphere.</p>
<p>BUT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Skidmore is in the country and COLD. NOT in a city!</p>
<p>How rural small town is it? She says suburban would be ok as long as there is enough to do. How would you describe the campus and atmosphere @ Skidmore and the surrounding towns?</p>
<p>Are we correct in our impressions of Skidmore as far as comparing w/ Bard or Vassar or any other artsy humanities based LAC's?</p>
<p>If we were to go visit wewere considering seeing College of Saint Rose, SUNY Albany and Sienna along the way. Any thoughts about these? We are trying to look at a broad range of schools to develop a safe/match/reach list.</p>
<p>Williams is not far from Albany too............would Albany, Saratoga Springs and Williamstown all be w/in the realm of a trip together or too far apart? We only have 4 days.( Wish there was more time) AlthoughWilliams is probally not a good canidate because well first of all it is too selective and it seems really remote, but we have their catalog and the programs seem perfect for my D. Realistcally we will probally drop this from the possiibilities list.</p>
<p>SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO............tell us why we should pile into our car for $ days and head up to Skidmore?</p>
<p>What is so special waiting there for my D?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Saratoga is a lively town with good arts opportunities. You can reach NYC from there in less than 4 hours by bus or Amtrak. The campus is lovely and the arts are highly valued at Skidmore, easy to combine with a visit to Albany, less eay to get to Williams. Also consider Sarah Lawrence!</p>
<p>In any case, visit any college you are seriously considering--if at all possible!</p>
<p>English is one of the largest and strongest departments at Skidmore. There are requirements for writing intensive coursework so the college places a priority on written expression. Many students are involved in some type of creative activity whether it be music, art or theater even those who do not major in the arts. A recent Pulitzer prize winner (Steven Milhauser) teaches in the english department. Saratoga Springs is a vibrant small city with many restaurants and music venues. I think it is well worth a visit to see the college and the city.</p>
<p>Just thought this might be of interest, <a href="http://www.photosfromonhigh.info/skidmore.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.photosfromonhigh.info/skidmore.htm</a></p>
<p>Skidmore is less than two hours from Williams, so it is possible to tour one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, if necessary. Saratoga has quite a bit to offer college students, and the racing tourist season is mostly in the summer. If you are looking at Bard and Vassar, I would definitely recommend looking at Skidmore.</p>
<p>keep talking Skidmore..................I'm interested.</p>
<p>How selective are they?</p>
<p>D has strong transcript but so far a 750V 490M 690 writing=1930 SAT ( she will retake in Oct and hopefully bring the Math portion up to 600+)</p>
<p>teacher recs will be fine I believe and since she is a fine writer I think she will have an interesting essay.............and an art portfolio, if needed. Although I am wondering if they would want that since she is not applying to the art dept?</p>
<p>But not much EC or school involvement. This is her weak spot. Anyone know off hand how much Skidmore values EC's or sports involvement. Would they turn away a good student who has a weak EC record?</p>
<p>Also, how are they for fin aid? We live on LI and are not eligible for aid really. How would the school make up the cost of tuition for families that have a high EFC?</p>
<p>No merit awards I see, according to what we have read.</p>
<p>What is the atmosphere on campus and are they the only college in town or do Skidmore students socialize w/ any other schools in the area ( like Boston is a college town?)</p>
<p>We are on thier mailing list so I am assuming we will recieve an application soon. I know they are having an open house in Oct and in Nov. We can always pick one up if we visit then.</p>
<p>does anyone remember if they require 4 yrs H.S lab science? This is the only subject my D did not continue into 12th grade.</p>
<p>Skidmore , Skidmore , Skidmore...........who wants to tell me more?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>First off, we live in Long Island too, Skidmore is NOT 6 hours from you. 3 1/2 to 4 hr drive.</p>
<p>It is a picturesque, beautiful town, with lots to do, upscale places to shop eat (and drink). It is after all a resort and though most of the tourist action is in August the town is there all year. </p>
<p>Bard is remote and Poughkeepsie is nowhere near as attractive and vibrant as Saratoga Springs. Campus wise, Bard is a dump by comparison. The architecture of Skidmore hasn't the classic appeal of Vassar; it is attractive and modern, though perhaps uninspired, but it was upbeat and well kept up when we visited last April.</p>
<p>They do seem to encourage and offer students means to explore creative aspects of themselves even when it is not their major or related to their studies. The students we saw there seemed upbeat, happy and "artsy". I think your assessments of the school (without going for a visit) pretty much accorded with ours when we visited. It sounds like it might be an excellent match, interest and personalitywise at least for your D. It is less selective than Vassar, Barnard and in it's way, Bard but I can't comment on your D's chances there, as I don't recall.</p>
<p>I don't think (though I may be wrong) they offer much fin aid and tuition and fees as I recall were among the most expensive schools we looked at.</p>
<p>(BTW, have you given any thought to Tulane?? It might prove interesting to your D as well.)</p>
<p>I am an Skidmore alumni and would be more than happy to provide whatever insight I can on the College. </p>
<p>For one, I agree wholeheartedly with Mhc48 that Vassar (and to a lesser extent Bard) draws similar student types and provides a nice balance between the Arts and more "traditional" academic disciplines. </p>
<p>Saratoga is hard to beat, frankly. The town offers a lot of culture, of which skidmore students take full advantage. Also, given the town's proximity to Montreal, Boston, NYC and the slopes of Vermont, students often take road trips to mix things up. </p>
<p>What drew me to the College was the diversity of the student body-I came from a pretty militaristic b-school, where the most "fringe" schools students attended were Oberlin, Vassar, Skidmore, and Wesleyan. I applied to other schools, Hamilton, Bates, Conn. College, but, ultimately, decided that Skidmore was a better fit: I could study Economics and dabble in theater at the same time. </p>
<p>And this is pretty symptomatic of the student body at large-students pursue personal interests, such as art, politics, environmentalism, etc., while studying more "practical" disciplines. To that end, students are very participatory with clubs on campus (which is, of course, aided by the lack of fraternities and sororities.)</p>
<p>Skidmore has changed tremendously over the past 10 years and has evolved into a very solid, interesting institution of which I am proud to be an alumni. </p>
<p>To your point, I am sure we will be hearing more about the College on CC as time goes on.</p>
<p>Would like to hear more about the social scene at Skidmore -- how would it be for a kid who's not into alcohol or drugs or intense partying--more interested in films,theater, conversation and just hanging out?</p>
<p>yeah, does Skid have a Greek System? If so, how prevalent is it, especially the alcohol side of it?</p>
<p>I think I can answer the two previous posts with one response: Because there is NO Greek system whatsoever, one has a lot more freedom socially. </p>
<p>As with most colleges, there are cliques at Skidmore, ranging from crunchies to preps and jocks. Due to the size of the College, however, everybody tends to mix on some level. </p>
<p>The "dope culture" at Skidmore is totally overrated. My theory is that it is a vestage from the 70s and 80s, when Skidmore was a true party school for the super rich (Calvin Klein's daughter, etc.) As with any college, it is there if you want it. </p>
<p>As a non-partier myself, what drew me to Skidmore was the lack of Greek life-oppression and the liberty to define my own College experience. Also, because there is an underlying influence of, and interest in, the Arts, I also found students to be more sophisticated and interesting than those I met while visiting my friends at your quintessential NE colleges: Hamilton, Colgate, Hobart, Colby, etc.</p>