815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs,
New York, 12866
SKIDMORE PHONE
518-580-5000
Admission
Skidmore seeks students who demonstrate
strong academic ability, intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness,
and an energetic commitment to learning. Since students learn
not only from the faculty but from each other, Skidmore also
seeks diversity in its student body, looking for a wide geographical
distribution and a variety of talents, interests, and backgrounds.
Because the number of qualified students applying for admission
exceeds the limited size of each entering class, it is not possible
to admit all candidates who could be expected to succeed at
Skidmore. The Admissions Committee strives to admit those students
whose abilities, interests, character, and background give them
the greatest promise of profiting from and contributing to Skidmore
College.
The committee's primary emphasis is on the strength of a student's
academic record, as evidenced by quality of secondary school
courses, classroom achievement, and standardized test scores.
Personal qualities, accomplishments, interests, and capacity
for growth are also strongly considered, so careful attention
is paid to recommendations, the student's personal statement,
co-curricular activities, and, where applicable, the interview.
Application Guidelines
The admissions staff welcomes communication with prospective
candidates, their parents, and school advisors. Correspondence
should be addressed to:
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Skidmore College,
815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1632, or via e-mail at
admissions@skidmore.edu.
Students apply for admission by completing the Common Application and
returning it to the Admissions Office accompanied by the application
fee of $60. No application can be processed until this fee is
received. The fee is a service charge and is not refundable,
nor is it credited on any subsequent bill. In cases of economic
hardship and on the recommendation of the high school principal
or guidance counselor, the application fee may be waived. Requests
for a fee waiver should be sent to the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.
Skidmore College participates in the Common Application in use
by 300 colleges and universities in the United States.
Required supplementary forms and instructions are included with
application materials sent to candidates from the Admissions
Office. Students must submit a
recommendation from their guidance counselor, assessments from
two teachers, and the Skidmore supplement to the Common
Application. All supplementary forms should be returned to the
Admissions Office by January 15.
Skidmore College encourages applications from economically and
academically disadvantaged students. Those who are eligible
New York State residents will be referred to the Higher Education
Opportunity Program (HEOP) for consideration. Those who are
ineligible for HEOP will be referred to the Academic Opportunity
Program (AOP) for consideration. To obtain information about
HEOP/AOP, contact:
Director, HEOP/AOP
Skidmore College
815 North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1632
Skidmore's Early Decision (ED) Plans are designed for qualified
high school seniors who have examined their college preferences
thoroughly and have decided that Skidmore College is their first
choice. Although candidates for Early Decision at Skidmore may
initiate applications to other colleges, it is understood that
they will immediately withdraw them and enroll at Skidmore if
accepted under an Early Decision Plan. ED applicants should
have their first set of senior grades
sent to the Admissions Office as soon as possible.
Students accepted early decision will be required to maintain a
schedule for the remainder of the year that includes all of the
courses listed on their transcript as well as those included on the
School Report form at the time of their early-decision acceptance.
Accepted early-decision students in violation of this policy will have
their admission status reevaluated.
Skidmore offers both Round I and Round II Early Decision Plans.
Applications for the Round I Early Decision Plan may be submitted
any time up to November 15, with notification by December 15. The
Round II application deadline is January 15, with notification
by February 15.
Some Early Decision candidates who are not admitted under an
ED plan will be deferred for reconsideration without prejudice
during the "regular" admissions process. ED applicants who clearly
would be inadmissible in the spring are given a final negative
decision at the time of Early Decision.
Financial aid applicants who are applying for admission under
either Early Decision Plan must file the PROFILE form of the
College Scholarship Service by the appropriate Early Decision
application deadline, November 15 or January 15.
Candidates for admission are expected to complete a secondary
school program with a minimum of four academic subjects each
year, or the equivalent of sixteen college-preparatory credits.
Preparation for Skidmore should include four years of English,
three or more years of mathematics, three or more years of social
science, three or more years of science, and three
or more years of a foreign language.
The Admissions Committee, recognizing that school curricula
vary, is always willing to consider the application of an able
student whose preparation, while differing from the plan suggested,
nevertheless gives evidence of continuity in the study of fundamental
subjects and strong preparation for college.
Applications should be submitted as early as possible in the
senior year but no later than January 15. High school transcripts
and teacher recommendations should also be on file in the Admissions
Office by January 15.
Prospective studio art majors are not required to send a portfolio. However,
they are welcome to send ten to twenty 35mm slides or ten to twenty 8 1/2" x 11" prints
of their artwork to the Admissions Office no later than January 15. No CDs or DVDs will be
considered. Slides should be encased in a 9" x 11" plastic slide sheet and clearly labeled
"VISUAL ART." Label each slide or print with your name, medium, size, date and "top" of work.
Applicants who wish their portfolio returned should included a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Although a decision on each application is given by the Admissions
Committee in late March, all offers of admission are contingent
upon the satisfactory completion of the senior year at an academic
and personal level comparable to that on which the acceptance
was based. The committee reserves the right to rescind an offer
of admission if subsequent evidence is presented that a candidate
has misrepresented himself or herself, has purposely violated
application procedures, or has failed to complete his or her
senior year in a satisfactory manner.
Skidmore College welcomes visits from prospective students and
families. Although an interview is not required, a personal
interview allows the Admissions Committee to learn more about
the candidate as an individual and enables the candidate to
learn more about Skidmore. For those reasons, high school students
are urged to visit campus for an interview between May 1 and
January 31. Interviews are typically preceded or followed by
a campus tour with a student guide. Interviews are offered weekdays
from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m and on Saturday mornings from September
through January. Group information sessions
are offered throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Appointments
should be made in advance by contacting the Admissions
Office at 800-867-6007 or 518-580-5570. If an on-campus interview is not possible,
the Admissions Office can help candidates arrange
interviews with alumni admissions representatives in their home areas.
Candidates planning to visit should verify group information and tour times at the Skidmore Web site.
Students visiting during the week and interested in meeting with a member
of the faculty should contact the Admissions Office in advance of the visit to request those arrangements.
Applicants who identify themselves as having a disability during the
admissions process are considered for admission on the same
competitive basis as other applicants. The Student Academic Services
office and the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities are glad to
consult with students about available services. Although no formal
program exists at the college, Skidmore does employ a Coordinator for
Students with Disabilities, a staff member in Student Academic
Services, who acts as a resource for students in need of modifications
and accommodations on campus and in the classroom. If a student
anticipates requesting services from the College, he or she should be
prepared to provide the following information the Coordinator for
Students with Disabilities at the time of enrollment:
documentation and diagnosis of a specific handicapping
condition that is not older than three years. The evaluation should be
completed by a specialist in the area of the handicapping condition
(e.g., educational psychologist, certified school psychologist,
psychiatrist), and
specific recommendations from the professional conducting the
evaluation, which list reasonable accommodations and modifications
that would benefit the student on a college campus.
All enrolled students receive an application for accommodation for
students with disabilities. Students with a documented disability
should complete the application and return it with the required
documentation to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities in the
Student Academic Services office. Using the information from the
application and the diagnostic materials provided, the Coordinator for
Students with Disabilities will assist the student in developing an
individualized system of support that is specific to the student's
needs. After their arrival at Skidmore, students will then meet with
the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities to go over the approved
accommodations.
Among the most commonly requested accommodations are extended time on
tests, alternate testing locations, permission to use tape recorders
and laptop computers in class, note takers, and assistance with skills
such as time management and organization.
Skidmore also provides an excellent range of academic support services
for the general student population, services that may also be of help
to students with disabilities. The Student Academic Services office,
in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Studies, provides
guidance to students seeking academic support resources and services.
Academic supports also include a writing center, a math and computer
science laboratory, a foreign language laboratory, peer tutoring for
most courses offered by the college, and a counseling center.
Applicants should bear in mind that all students must fulfill foreign
language, expository writing, mathematics, laboratory science, and
other requirements of the Skidmore curriculum. Since the curriculum
represents Skidmore's definition of a sound liberal arts education,
requirements are never waived. However, under a few exceptional
circumstances, the college may consider substituting a course or
courses for a curriculum requirement. In such instances, students must
submit diagnostic documentation that confirms the presence of a
specific disability that would prohibit them from achieving the goals
of this requirement. The student must also complete a petition for a
substitution and submit it to the Committee on Academic Standing. The
Coordinator for Students with Disabilities is available to assist
students with the petition process.
For more information, contact the Coordinator for Students with
Disabilities in Student Academic Services: 518-580-8150.
While the Admissions Committee considers a student's classroom
performance in a rigorous academic program to be the best indicator
of potential for success at Skidmore, standardized test scores
may also provide useful measures of academic promise. Skidmore
requires either the College Board Scholastic Assessment Test
(SAT) or the ACT (with Writing Test) of the American Testing Service,
and strongly recommends (but does not require) two SAT II:
Subject Tests. Students for whom English is not their
first language should submit the results of the Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to either the SAT
or ACT. All testing should be completed by December of the
applicant's final year of high school.
SAT, ACT, SAT II: Subject Tests, and TOEFL registration forms
are available online and in high school guidance offices. The College Entrance
Examination Board Web site is www.collegeboard.com,
and the ACT site is www.act.org.
For credit granted by Skidmore for Advanced Placement Tests,
see Credit
by Examination.
The Admissions Office requests that the results of all standardized
testing be sent directly to Skidmore College from the appropriate
testing service.
Skidmore welcomes applications for midyear admission from transfer students
who will have at least one full year of transferable credit from
another college. Students interested in midyear admission should
submit their applications by November 15.
The Admissions Committee will consider applications for fall
admission from candidates who wish to enter college prior to
the normal completion of a secondary school program of study,
i.e., at the end of the junior year of high school. In such
a case, the committee gives special consideration to the reasons
for the candidate's desiring such admission, the recommendation
of secondary school guidance officials, and the candidate's
maturity and potential for dealing with both the academic and
social demands of college life. An interview with a member of
the admissions staff is strongly recommended for all candidates
seeking admission under the Early Admission Plan.
