The Triple Dorms at Skidmore: what percent of the freshman class is put in triple rooms?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Skidmore College
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Surprised at the number of students and parents that have decided that MAYBE being in a triple for the first semester of your freshman year is somehow a deal breaker. Ridiculous to make that possibility a disqualifier for any college that might otherwise be perfect for little Johnny or Susie.

DD is a Skid kid junior, so here are the real facts for Skidmore.

  1. Yes, SOME freshmen will be put into triples. During my daughters freshmen year, that percentage was less than 50%. It obviously will vary according to the exact incoming class size. ‘Normal’ Skidmore incoming class size is about 690-700, so you can do the math.
  2. By the Spring semester of a students freshman year, the ONLY students still in triples are those who voluntarily choose to remain in a triple. Any student who wishes to move to a double, or possibly even a single is able to, due to the greater number of students studying abroad during the Spring semester, and the normal drop out/transfer rate.
  3. By Sophomore year, all students are guaranteed at a minimum a large double. My daughter had a single her sophomore year. How many colleges can say that a sophomore getting a single is even a possibility?
  4. It only gets better Junior and Senior years, as most students will end up with their own room, in the huge on campus apartments.

Between my two daughters, I must have toured 30 different colleges. No question that Skidmore ranked in the top 10% for overall dorm living conditions. Dorms should be a non issue for any student seriously considering Skidmore.

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My D is currently a junior at Skidmore and loves it more each year. Freshman year she was pleasantly surprised to be assigned a very large double, after expecting to end up in a “forced triple” from all we read on this site. She had friends who were tripled, but said it wasn’t that bad. Last year she requested a single, got it with no problem or accommodation needs and enjoyed it. This year she’s thrilled to be in one of the amazing on-campus apartments with friends. The down side to this for parents is that those apartments have private bedrooms with FULL SIZED beds, so no more need for those sets of XLT sheets or the mattress topper or mattress pad, twin blanket/comforter, etc. Time to buy FULL sized stuff if you don’t already own it.

Regarding the dirtiness of the dorms. My kids have attended various summer camps and pre-college programs and everywhere they’ve stayed I’ve felt the need to bring paper towels and a cleanser spray to wipe down the insides of drawers and the tops of dressers, desks, etc. For my son at Clemson, I felt the need to thoroughly clean the bathroom he’ll share with 3 other guys in his double/double suite, although it looked and smelled fine. (I assumed the guys would not clean it much and wanted to know it at least started out clean.) So, I’m probably on the nuttier side of the clean bar. In my opinion, Skidmore’s dorms, shared bathrooms and other building bathrooms are extremely clean. (I didn’t clean my D’s bathroom when she moved in freshman year and she moved herself in this year and last year, so it’s on her and her roommates.)

The dorm room freshman year was dark, but I think many students want lighting beyond what is provided by the various colleges. My D brought a floor lamp, but the desks came with lighting.

Regarding storage, most colleges we’ve seen have the same furniture, which is a loftable bed, a 3 drawer dresser, a desk and sometimes a desk hutch (Skidmore had a hutch, Clemson did not.) My son lofted his bed to the highest setting and we bought him a futon to put under it for seating. If you search online you can likely find photos of the rooms in the various colleges and also get good ideas as to how to maxmize the space. A favorite of our family are the foldable Scout “Rump Roosts” which can store stuff and double as a seat or table, while folding flat when not needed.

I’m happy to answer questions from parents starting this process who are interested in Skidmore. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll ask my D and she’s pretty good about sharing her opinion and experiences. Again, she loves it there.

Skidmore was not at all her first choice, since she wanted a BFA Acting program, however she can’t imagine being anywhere else and is very busy and thoroughly enjoying pursuing her double majors of Classics and Theater.

Good luck to everyone!

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Hi. This thread is a bit old but hoping someone will see and come back and post! Now that my daughter has committed to Skidmore for Class of 2025 (yay, so excited!!) wondering more about the triple situation. I know during the pandemic they didnt do triples but anyone hear what it will be like for the incoming first year students? Will Skidmore go back to triples? Anyone hear of the percentages?

Also, any tips for what storage items to bring or not bring for a triple would love to hear! For instance it seems like the 3 drawer dressers and bookshelf would have to go under the bed so is there room for much else under the bed?

Thanks!

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As the parent of a sophomore I think it would be best to call Skidmore and ask. I think with the pandemic still looming that they will try their best to minimize the number of triples they utilize. I don’t think you will need to put things under the bed but if your daughter ends up in a triple she should contact her roommates and they should coordinate who will bring a refrigerator, a fan, etc. Also, there is a refrigerator manufacturer called Cooluli which has really nice 1 and 1.5 ltr fridges that she could have under her bed for personal use (holds about 7-8 cans of sodas or some soda and yogurts, for example. Our son is having an amazing experience at Skidmore despite the Covid restrictions and I am sure your daughter will love her four years at this amazing institution. P.S. We purchased large long flat storage containers at Bed Bath & Beyond for our son’s sheet storage and storage of extra clothes. That was tucked away under his bed.

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Agree 100%. Our son is a sophomore in a single and he had a large double his freshman year.

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@astonmartin18 Thank you so much for your helpful response! At one of the accepted student Zoom events they said they plan to put first years in doubles again, not triples, yay! Was so glad to hear that although I am sure my daughter would have managed just fine in a triple too. I am sort of curious how the school can manage this, which I did ask but they didn’t respond to. In any event, we are really looking forward to our daughter going to Skidmore and it warms my heart to hear your son is having such a good experience! Thanks again! :grinning:

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Skidmore Housing - Here’s the real deal from a Soph parent