campus scene

Family values in days of yore Faculty scholar studies noblewomen
In tune with themselves Skidmore's summer flute institute
Olympics under pressure Thoughts from Prof. Jeff Segrave
Debriefing al fresco Collaborative research highlights
Prize poet Ondaatje visits as McCormack Artist
Classic Isadora Dancing with Jeanne Bresciani '72 in Greece
New arrivalsThe freshman class has landed
Professoriat What the faculty are up to
Sports wrap Thoroughbred news
Books Faculty and alumni authors

New arrivals

The Class of ’08 has landed—with a big splash. Selected from a record number of applicants, the class was targeted at 646 students, but by summer’s end 680 had accepted Skidmore’s offer of admission. Thirty-eight of them are spending their first semester in Skidmore’s freshman program in London, so 642 are on campus, including about fifty in tripled residence-hall rooms.

In a year when many colleges dipped into their waiting lists to bring in full freshman classes, Skidmore met its on-campus target without going to the wait list, according to Mary Lou Bates, dean of admissions and financial aid. Also notable, she says, is the higher-than-ever proportion of applicants who “made their first contact with the college through a completed application. If they visited campus, they didn’t stop at our office; if they saw a viewbook, they didn’t receive it from us. They’re finding out about Skidmore on their own, probably through our Web site. And they’re deciding to apply.”

Whichever route they rode in on, they’ve already joined forces and delivered a mighty kickstart to the new academic year. —SR

Applicants: 6,032
Accepted: 2,847 (47%)
Yield rate: 25%
Enrolled: 680
Early Decision enrollees: 233 (34%)
Male/female: 288/392 (42%/58%)
Students of color: 88 (13%)
Receiving Skidmore grant aid: 40%
Average SAT scores: 1250
Homes: 33 states and 7 foreign countries