I’m considering applying to Skidmore this year but I’m a little concerned with some of the things I’ve read about it. First, I’m worried about not fitting in; I’ve heard that Skidmore attracts more of the artsy/hipster crowd and I don’t consider myself to be one of these types of people. Is there a lot of diversity on campus? Second, I’ve come across multiple lists that say that Skidmore is the top stoner school in the country. I don’t have anything against people that smoke weed, but I’d rather not smoke it myself. Are drugs prevalent on campus, and if so, will I feel pressured to do them?
Go visit. We saw a diverse group of people there, from what we could tell. I don’t know what to tell you about the stoner comment … people smoke pot. If you don’t like it, walk away. No, we didn’t get the impression that everyone was high. Good Lord.
The top stoner school in the country, eh? You actually heard someone say that?
You can be pressured into doing anything at any school at any time. There is no safe place. You have to learn to deal with things yourself.
I don’t think Skidmore is the Arizona State of liberal arts colleges, but I stand to be corrected I guess. I’m sure Wellesley is more tame on campus, but generally speaking I think Skidmore is probably like a lot of schools … little bit of this, little bit of that. At some places the balances are heavier to one over the other, and that probably changes over time.
My D attends and while she might be considered nerdy, she is much more academic than artsy…that being said, its a nice mix of kids and she enjoys that mix. She has said that a lot of students smoke weed but I doubt its any more than any other school lol, she just didn’t see a lot at her very small local high school. She has found a great group of like-minded students who are drug and alcohol free and she resides in substance free housing. I think there was only one time she felt uncomfortable at a social event (school carnival weekend) and she left and went back to her dorm room.
I’m curious about the “multiple lists” that name Skidmore as a top stoner school. This certainly has not been her experience but like all colleges, if you want it, its there. Saratoga Springs is a great town within walking distance that has lots of different things to do. For a small school in upstate NY, Skidmore has tons of things to keep you busy without drinking/smoking.
There is certainly truth what MiddleburyDad2 says: “You can be pressured into doing anything at any school at any time. There is no safe place. You have to learn to deal with things yourself.”
However, I think it is great that pooram46 is asking the question. (It is also his/her first post on CC.) In my short time on CC I have noticed one overwhelming refrain from multiple, experienced parents and moderator…“FIT, FIT, FIT.” OP is seeking that, and it seems reasonable. If a lot has been said/written about the reputation of a school (even if it is patently untrue) it’s certainly a legitimate question. Isn’t that whay CC exists?
Even if a student is quite able to walk away from incompatible situations, why not go to a school where there is diversity of lifestyles, yes, but also a degree of comfort.
Sorry about the typos…
It’s a good question, OP. D’s HS classmate, female, a sophomore at Skidmore, is from the Midwest, is quiet. She is not a hipster by any means. I was a little surprised when she chose Skidmore. But she absolutely loves it, has a wonderful social life, and couldn’t wait to get back to start her second year. I think the key is that there is a lot of diversity there, and many, or most, students are not judgmental.
I live about 45 minutes away from Skidmore and know people who go there or recently graduated. Skidmore definitley has a stoner reputation, and there is more police activity there over drugs (comparable to size) than most of the other campuses in the area. HOWEVER, the administration seems to be very aware of this and is working to combat it, and to make the place more inviting to students who don’t want to partake. There are substance free dorms that really ARE substance free, and there is a fair bit of formal programming on campus, so you don’t have to rely on parties for entertainment. Downtown Saratoga Springs is within walking distance, and there is enough to do there. It is designated as a city, but it definitely has more of a suburban feel to it. This means it is not as edgy as some places, but it is also extremely safe. So basically, yeah, you are going to encounter stoners, but you should be able to find people to hang out with and things to do if you aren’t one.
After looking at some Portland )Oregon) area small LACs with my daughter, I would bet my house that Skidmore is not the top stoner school in America. Those student-rated polls are not valid or reliable.
Agree with @JenJenJenJen. My D is a student at Skidmore. The school offers substance-free housing, and I can tell you that not every student there smokes or drinks.
@JenJenJenJen @lauriejgs, I agree! S16 accidentally got assigned to substance-free housing, and it’s working great for him. Sounds a lot more tame than D’s LAC experience, but he’s still having a blast.
agree with @JenJenJenJen , they like to get high in Portland. There’s no doubt that mild-altering substances happen a lot at Reed and L&C. Not sure about Willamette … I would expect it to be close.
I’m a current first year student at Skidmore and while people do smoke weed/do drugs I personally don’t think it’s any more prevalent than at most other colleges. If you go searching for it you’ll find it and I will admit that I do smell weed around campus occasionally, but it’s not really that big of a deal. In addition, they have substance free housing(in Howe-Rounds), which I’m a part of and so far there haven’t been any substance related issues. Also, at least in my friend group( I’m not sure about others)there’s no pressure to smoke weed. If you don’t want to, people understand. It’s really not as big of a deal as you may be thinking it is. If it helps, I myself don’t smoke weed, but a couple of my friends do and they’re totally understanding about my choice.
In terms of fitting in, I think at Skidmore you’ll be able to find your niche. In my opinion not everyone here is artsy/hipsterish.
Anyways I hope that was helpful! 
Also, there’s loads of diversity too( in my opinion). However, I think a lot of this stuff depends on the type of people you choose to hang out with though. So far, I have come to really like Skidmore a lot!