Saratoga Springs, NY
Skidmore College

Be flexible, relax, don't worry so much. The student is the most important factor in any educational experience. If the student works hard, s/he will succeed. If the student is lazy, s/he will not get much out of the experience, regardless of which college s/he attends.

A person who needs structure and strict guidelines would not do well at this school. Skidmore is very liberal and open-minded, and a person with interest in any area can excell there. Students who wish to pursue a more structured field (ie: pre-med, law, business) can do so here, but the school places more of an emphasis on the arts and sciences. The ideal student would want to focus on or at least include the liberal arts in their academic pursuits. A popular major combination is Business and Foreign Language, for example.

The best thing about Skidmore is the interaction between students and professors. I developed close friendships with several professors, and always felt supported and heard. I go back to campus often to visit them. The second best thing is the freedom of choice. There are general and major-specific requirements, but they are few in comparison to more rigorous schools. A student at Skidmore is completely responsible for the quality of their education - they are in control of how much effort they put in and how much wisdom they take out. Personal accountability is key.

My classmates are preppy, motivated, upper middle class.

Someone who is looking for a huge party scene or huge athletic scene should not attend Skidmore.

To make the most of your college experience get involved, even with activities that you might not feel comfortable with. You will meet tons of new people and get a broader experience.

A person who is not open-minded and willing to try new and different activites should not attend this school. They will not get all the benefits that Skidmore has to offer.

It is an important decision, but in the end let the child decide. He/she will make the right decision. And in the worst case, the child can always transfer if he/she does not like the school they are in.

The lack of diversity as students can't really grasp the true opposing views the world has with a liberal thinker. This will introduce may students, including myself, after college, to a new group of people that we are not used to dealing with.

Chill.

Walk around and talk to people. Check out the feel of the college itself.

How chill it is

My classmates, are very academically driven, and unique individuals.

My advice for parents and students in finding the right college and making the most of their experience would be to make sure the students visit the school a couple of times, in order to be certain they think the school is a good fit. Once the students are accepted and attending the school, they should make sure they do not enter school with "one foot out the door," otherwise this sort of mentality will taint their experience. In the long run, the attitude with which you approach your school makes a difference in your experience. I would say, get involved in something right in the beginning, make sure you stay busy. Spend time with friends, stay on top of work, and enjoy! If you do all of the above, you can have fun at any school you attend. Fully emerge yourself in the "culture" of the school. Don't hesitate to be yourself, be open to new experiences, ask questions, don't be afraid to let your guard down. Embrace new challenges, and always maintain a healthy balance of work and fun.

The awesome community of Skidmore.

If you do not have an open mind, do not attend Skidmore College. If you do not want professors who will invite you over to their homes in the beautiful town of Saratoga Springs, do not attend Skidmore College. If you do not want to make friends who are up to date on the world around them, find joy in a healthy debate with their peers, or simply want to take a walk in the North Woods with you, do not attend Skidmore College.

Deciding where to spend the first four years of your life as an individual is, obivously, an important decision. Yet, you also have to remember that getting into your first choice school should not mean life or death to you. Making yourself unhappy, because you do not think you can get into the school you want most, is the worst thing you can do to yourself. I did not consider my current college as my first choice, by any means. But, I approached the experience with an open mind, and a hopeful heart. I realize now, that my idea of the perfect college was based more of the reputation I would recieve by attending there, more than the education. My advice would be to, please, do yourself a favor, and find the reasoning behind your instinctual choices before you decide some place is the perfect school for you. It's more about what you can take out of a situation, good or bad, than if a school sounds perfect to you on paper.

At Skidmore, everything is inclusive. Its small size let's you find friends from all different walks of life. The professors are happy to teach students that are excited about their future and want to base their careers on the foundations of a strong education. None of the students are competitive with each other; we are all excited to tell each other what we learned in class that day. Saratoga Springs is the perfect location for a college. You can walk or ride your bike anywhere, and be guranteed to find a good conversation at the end of your travels.

a drive through Saratoga Springs

the popular DJ performs

a cappella performance

A documentary film that follows seven Skidmore College education majors as they travel to the island of Antigua

My classmates are ambitious, hard working, smart, attentive and always looking for a creative solution.

The student must know what he wants and then start your search. After compiling a general list of schools, meet with reps from the schools, talk to current students and then after the prospective student gets a feel for all the schools, let the child, and not the parents make the decision.

Someone who can not think outside the box and is unable to be exposed to new, different and exciting types of people.

It's a great size for me. If I could change one thing, I'd introduce a creative writing major and more poetry classes. There are very few people who go to Skidmore and don't love it. Saratoga is a great college town, with unique shopping and excellent restaurant choices.

there's a mix between hipsters and hippies and people who don't fall into a category. it's a good mix. there's probably the same amount of drug use and alcohol use as at any other college, but 4/20 is a big deal. Definitely an intelligent, creative crowd.

hippies, pot-smoking, rich, smart, creative

too small... when i tell ppl i go to skidmore they ask me where thats at.

not diverse. very clique. highschoolesque. most are from the northeast, white, uppermiddle class. either they're obsessed with something, or apathetic about everything. very liberal.

lots of pretty ppl

heh..pretty much yeh.

professors know me, classes are easy, most students tend to avoid intelligent conversations outside of class.

most ppl are friends with the ppl who lived near them freshmen year. pretty safe and open environment. most ppl drink, heavily. and usually smoke too. thurs night thru sun ppl are getting trashed/recovering from getting trashed. random hookups galore.

eh...stoners