Sue at Skidmore
Skidmore College is located in Saratoga Springs, NY. In the summer during the racing season the population triples. Students move in after labor day, when all the tourists have left and have this cute town all to themselves. The movie Sea Biscuit was filmed here. There’s a big racetrack in town. Skidmore is a mile and a half from downtown. It’s surrounded by mansions and the North Woods, and close to the Adirondack Mountains. Beautiful campus, lots of trees and quads.
Here are some fun facts, stats, and my observations:
- Great college town
- Battle of Saratoga was fought here
- Saratoga Springs is a mineral bath town
- Ski school , close to the Adirondack Mountain ski area
- 850 acres of woods with plenty of hiking trails
- Big outdoorsy scene
- 3 hours from NYC
- 3 hours from Montreal
- Internships and airport at Albany, 20 minutes away
- 70 percent out-of-state
- 7 percent international
- Co-ed since 1972
- 25 percent diversity
- 2500 undergrad
Academics
- Professional track
- Business major available
- MBA program
- Direct entry nursing
- Education major with masters available
- Pre-med
- Pre-law
- Socialwork
- Exercise science
Arts Track
- No need to audition for music, theater, or dance
- All types of music, tons of opportunities
- Visual arts, wonderful art building with print making
- Juniors and seniors get their own studio space
Liberal Arts Track
- English
- Psychology
- International affairs
- Biology
- Many other majors
General
- Small class sizes
- No teaching assistants
- 60 percent double major
- Semesters system
- Four year core curriculum, lots of options
- Study abroad popular
- 48 countries
- Skidmore helps students find internships
- Big horse school, equestrian teams and equine studies
- Crew popular
- 94 percent retention rate
- Men’s varsity ice hockey – ECEA East leaugue of Divisition III
- Women’s field hockey
- Supportive healthy place
- Both “preppy” and alternative students
- Not “cliquey”
- All types of religions. About 25 percent Jewish.
- Not a bubble school, kids are politically aware and active.
Admissions
- 40 percent acceptance rate
- ACT 27-30 average
- They super score
- Merit and talented scholarships available.
Campus Tour
Amanda - best guide ever!
- Beautiful new music building
- Dance is a popular major. Students can do both modern dance and ballet.
- Great dorms. Suite style with single rooms for sophomores and doubles for the freshman with a shared bath for four students.
- All dorms are connected to the academic buildings and student center with covered walkways. See picture of tour guide Amanda under covered walkway. Best guide ever!
- Beautiful, compact and well planned campus. Only 40 years old. Original campus was in downtown Saratoga Springs.
- Juniors and seniors live in really nice apartments on campus.
- Skidmore mascot is the Thoroughbred, of course.
- One of the nicest dining halls I have ever seen. Open from 7 am to 11 pm.
- They have a separate dining room for students who have food allergies, which was good to see, as well as all the healthy menu options. There is also a unique make-your-own station where students can make their own stir frys, omelets and grilled sandwiches.
- Academic buildings, high tech, modern, all small classes
- No Greeks. Lots of traditions and social options
Skidmore is a good fit for our Midwest students. – Sue Luse
