<p>Hello all
I just visited the campus of Skidmore and really liked it. However, I didn't get a sense of the social life. Are there a lot of parties on the weekends? I like to party, but not too much... is it an alcohol-driven social life, or is there none at all? Also, do people go to downtown Saratoga a lot on the weekends, or only upperclassmen for bars? How about the state park? In general, what to people at Skidmore do as far as social life goes? Thank you</p>
<p>My daughter’s a freshman and from her reports the party scene is alive & well at Skidmore. As at most schools, you’ll find a bit of everything - booze, pot - but kids are chill and non-judgmental with each other. If you choose not to indulge - and plenty do - that’s fine with everyone. No pressure. Like you, my daughter says she likes to party, but not too much, and not to excess. And I gotta tell you, she’s loving life at Skidmore. The best way to create a social life, she says, is to get involved in clubs & organizations because they offer an immediate entre into small group dynamics, and most have their own parties, usually at an upper classmen’s apartment. There is a heightened awareness of responsible drinking and students are encouraged to look out for each other. Kids go into Saratoga Springs regularly - it’s about a one-mile walk off campus, through a gorgeous neighborhood of large Victorian mansions. But most kids take a campus bus. There are plenty of cool bars, but they are not available to under-age students. The town, however, is jam-packed with all kinds of restaurants, stores, coffee & ice cream shops, etc., so it’s a fun destination regardless.Kids will get a group together for a dinner out. My daughter likes to catch a bus into town on weekend afternoons to soak up the atmosphere at a local coffeehouse & then browse through various stores with a girlfriend. Skidmore has a thriving performing arts community and weekends are filled with all kinds of performances - music, theater, acapella, comedy. Besides student-generated performances, bands and other groups are brought in. Whenever I visit campus I’m struck by the laid-back & friendly vibe from the students.</p>
<p>wow thank you so much for your input… you made me feel a lot better about the school. I just visited this monday and wasn’t so sure. I get worried about the social scenes at colleges, but this sounds exactly what I’m looking for. If you’re up for it I have a few more questions:</p>
<p>What are the kids like there? Are they super preppy, laid back, hipster, etc. Is there a decent mix, or is it mostly upperclass people who aren’t very accepting of people who are different?</p>
<p>Also, do students ever go to the Saratoga Springs state park? And how is the concert venue there? Are there a lot of opportunities to see different bands? Are there a lot of things to do on campus as well, or does it get pretty boring at times?</p>
<p>Sorry about all of the questions… I appreciate whatever information you can give to me. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think there’s a pretty good mix of kids, with maybe more hipster and independent types than preppies. My daughter is a theater kid, not at all preppy. When she was looking at colleges last year some campuses seemed too preppy for her, too jock oriented, too fraternity-sorority driven. She loved the fact that Skidmore has no Greek system. While Skidmore has athletic teams and clubs, sports does not dominate the social scene. She liked that, too. I think the school has a lot of kids with similar sensibilities. Most are laid back and adhere to the live-and-let-live ethos.<br>
I don’t know anything about Sarasota Springs state park, or the depth of the school’s concert venue. Good luck with your college search!</p>
<p>thanks so much momala, you’ve helped a lot. much appreciated</p>
<p>This is incredibly helpful to me as well, thank you!
Your daughter sounds exactly like me.</p>
<p>My son got his acceptance letter today (after it was lost in the mail). It sounds like he will do well there. He is very into improv, theater, not into sports, not preppy at all. Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>I have had a different experience with the social scene at Skidmore. It is difficult for me to find anything to do but go to parties on weekends and there is still an issue with drinking on campus, especially at school sponsored events. I’ve chosen not to go to more recent school events because of how out of control people can be, and the atmosphere is not a fun one. I actually lost a group of people I was friends with because I didn’t choose to party with them on the weekends, and I’ve found many people don’t understand my choice to not drink at college. Off campus parties happen at the sports houses.</p>
<p>Many of the students are what you would call “hipsters.” Some people are laid back; however, I have found many people to be stuck up about their hipster personality. I’ve also been disappointed with the administration. There are new rules this year about drinking and other drugs, and you can be punished in the same manner as someone who is caught drinking if you are caught with them and are sober. The punishment includes a fine, a “point” and a call to your parents. </p>
<p>This is my experience and I completely understand that others have a different experience.</p>
<p>My D is in her last year at Skidmore and I would confirm what skidmorefreshman has said. There have been ongoing drug, alcohol and diversity issues over the last year or so. Skidmore’s administration seems to be tone deaf in many ways and the new policy should be seen viewed as part of an impressively inept attempt to address dangerous drinking and drug use on campus.</p>
<p>Hi there, I know this is a bit late in responding, but I thought I would pass along a helpful link: [Skidmore</a> College: Skidmore Student 2 Student](<a href=“http://cms.skidmore.edu/admissions/ss2s.cfm]Skidmore”>http://cms.skidmore.edu/admissions/ss2s.cfm). The link is to the Skidmore Student-to-Student program, and offers first-person accounts of student life at Skidmore written by eight current students. If your questions aren’t answered in their blog posts, you can shoot them a question on their Formspring accounts (it can be anonymous too) and they’ll get back to you that way. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>The theme of this college is live and let live. You will have full access to drugs, alchohol and sex. This is available both on and off campus. Enjoy!</p>
<p>What college DOESN’T have drugs, alcohol & sex, on & off campus? For parents, this is the scariest thing. You just hope and pray that your child, flush with new-found independence, manages the temptations and social pressures and remains true to him/herself. Again, I think key to a successful experience - at whatever college you attend - is involvement in various organizations so that you make friends and nourish acquaintances from different social groups. You’re not just going to class and back to your dorm room, and then looking for massive social compensation on the weekends. Eventually you build a network and find like-minded friends. It can be lonely sometimes, but part of any college experience is finding out who you are, and where you stand in the world. You don’t have to get sucked into mindless partying - those bingers are everywhere and you’ll bump into them again when you’ve graduated and are out in the larger world. It is up to you to define yourself. If you’re actually involved in the community you live in, your days pulse with a vitality that does not want to be drowned or numbed on the weekends, and you’ll be around people who feel the same way.</p>