FAQs

Residence halls: Students from all class years live in Skidmore’s eight residence halls. Rooms may be singles, doubles, or triples. Seven halls have suite-style bathrooms, while Wiecking Hall has a traditional corridor-style layout. Each floor has a shared kitchenette, and students living in residence halls are required to have the unlimited meal plan.

Apartments: Skidmore apartments are available to juniors and seniors. All bedrooms are private singles, and each apartment has a furnished living space, bathroom facilities, and a full kitchen. Apartment residents are not required to have a meal plan and take on more responsibility for managing and cleaning their household.

Students from all class years live in Skidmore’s residence halls; there are no first-year-only residence halls. First-year students are assigned rooms and roommates, while returning students select housing through the housing selection process. A first-year student may share a suite or hallway with older students, but their roommates are other first-year students.

Skidmore apartments are available to juniors and seniors. Apartment selection is competitive, with priority based on class year and the housing selection process, so apartment residents are primarily seniors. First-year and sophomore students are not eligible for the apartments.

First-year students are assigned residence hall roommates based on the preferences they provide in their housing application. Returning students select their own roommates during the housing selection process. Juniors and seniors selecting an apartment also choose their apartment housemates through the housing selection process.

Many first-year students live in a triple during their first semester, with three students sharing one residence hall room. Students may request a move to a double room, but availability is limited. More double spaces often become available during the spring semester.

First-year students cannot select a single residence hall room through the standard housing process. Students who need a single room as a disability-related accommodation should work with Accessibility Services in The Learning Commons.

Skidmore’s residence halls are more alike than different. The main differences are location within campus, room and bathroom layout, air conditioning in some buildings, Special Interest Communities, and a few building-specific spaces and amenities. Visit individual building pages to compare the details.

Room layouts and measurements vary by building and room type. Visit the Housing overview, choose your residence hall or apartment community, and open the individual building page. Building pages include room dimensions, furniture measurements, closet or wardrobe sizes, bed information, and other details where available.

Yes.

Residence halls: Students may indicate in their housing application that they would like to live in a gender-inclusive suite. Skidmore also offers Prism, a gender-inclusive Special Interest Community for students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community.

Apartments: All apartments are gender-inclusive, so eligible juniors and seniors may choose housemates regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity.

Special Interest Communities are located in Skidmore’s residence halls and give students the option to live with peers who share an interest, identity, or approach to community. Special Interest Communities are not apartment communities.

Students who need disability-related housing accommodations should work with Accessibility Services in The Learning Commons. Accessibility Services and Residential Life work together to determine approved housing accommodations based on each student’s needs. Accessibility features vary by residence hall and apartment community.

Residence hall rooms are furnished with:

• Twin extra-long bed and mattress
• Desk and chair
• Dresser
• Closet or wardrobe, depending on the building
• Padded window seat

Each residence hall also has kitchenettes with a refrigerator, microwave, and sink; shared lounges and study spaces; free laundry facilities; fitness equipment; vending machines and water bottle-filling stations; and Resident Assistants who live in the building.

For exact room, closet, bed, and furniture measurements, visit your individual building page.

Seven residence halls have suite-style bathrooms shared by several rooms. Wiecking Hall has a traditional corridor-style layout with shared hall bathrooms. Residence hall bathrooms are cleaned regularly by housekeeping staff and stocked with toilet paper and hand soap.

No. Residence hall bathrooms are carry-in, carry-out spaces. Personal items and decorations need to be removed so housekeeping staff can clean the bathroom. We recommend bringing a shower caddy and shower shoes to make carrying toiletries back and forth easier.

Cooking is not permitted in residence hall bedrooms. Each residence hall floor has a shared kitchenette with a sink, refrigerator, and microwave for preparing light snacks.

Cooking appliances such as air fryers, rice cookers, toasters, toaster ovens, electric skillets, and hot plates are not permitted in student rooms. Review the Residential Life Handbook for complete appliance and fire-safety policies.

Yes. A residence hall room may have one mini refrigerator no larger than 3.3 cubic feet. Coordinate with your roommate(s) before purchasing or bringing one because only one refrigerator is permitted per room.

Single-serve coffee makers such as Keurigs are permitted in residence hall rooms. High-draw electrical devices such as coffee makers must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Review the Residential Life Handbook before bringing other small appliances.

No. Students clean their own bedrooms. Housekeeping staff clean shared residence hall areas such as hallways, bathrooms, lounges, and laundry rooms. Students need to keep shared spaces clear so housekeeping staff can clean them.

Submit a facilities request through your Housing Portal. Clear your bed before the work is completed and include the height you would like in your request. Students may not use personal bed risers, cinderblocks, bed extenders, headboards, or other equipment to alter College-provided beds.

Every Skidmore apartment includes:

• Private single bedrooms; bed sizes vary by community
• Furnished shared living room
• Full kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, and stove/oven
• Bathroom facilities
• Free laundry facilities within the building

Northwoods Village and Lower Sussman Village also include dishwashers. For exact furnishings, layouts, and measurements, visit the individual apartment pages.

Northwoods Village and Lower Sussman Village (F-L) have full-size beds. Upper Sussman Village (A and B) has twin extra-long beds. All apartment bedrooms are private singles.

No. Apartment residents are not required to purchase a meal plan. Students may cook in their apartment kitchen, purchase an available meal plan, or combine the two. Students living in residence halls are required to have the unlimited meal plan.

Apartment residents are responsible for cleaning their own bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and shared living spaces. They also take out their own trash and coordinate household responsibilities with their housemates. Housekeeping staff maintain the shared laundry rooms in apartment buildings but do not clean individual apartments.

Each apartment has its own furnished living room for the students who live there. Unlike the residence halls, the apartment communities do not have separate shared indoor lounges for all residents. Outdoor gathering spaces and amenities vary by apartment community.

Yes, within College policies. Apartment residents are responsible for their guests and for following policies related to occupancy, noise, alcohol, trash, damage, and use of shared outdoor areas. Review the Residential Life Handbook for the complete apartment gathering and guest policy before hosting a gathering.

Residence halls: Each residence hall has at least one shared laundry room.

Apartments: Each apartment building has a shared laundry room; laundry machines are not located inside individual apartments.

Washers and dryers are available at no charge. Students should bring their own laundry detergent. Please use liquid detergent, not pods or sheets. 

Residence halls: Students take trash from their bedrooms to designated trash rooms in the residence halls.

Apartments: Residents take trash from their apartments to designated dumpsters in the apartment communities.

Residence hall and apartment residents can submit a facilities request through the Housing Portal in StarRez. Include as much detail as possible about the issue so Facilities Services can respond appropriately.

Every residence hall has Resident Assistants (RAs) who live alongside students and Area Coordinators (ACs) who oversee the residential community. RAs help students connect with one another, navigate roommate and community concerns, understand expectations, and find the right campus resource when they need support. An RA is on call in each residence hall from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and Campus Safety is available 24/7.

Each apartment area is supervised by an Area Coordinator (AC), and each neighborhood is supported by a Community Assistant (CA). CAs help students connect, navigate concerns, and find campus resources. Campus Safety is available 24/7.

Yes. Wireless internet is available in both Skidmore residence halls and apartments. Students register their devices using their Skidmore credentials. Visit the Boldyn Networks support site for setup instructions and technical support.

Residence halls: Students use their Skidmore ID card to enter the residence hall where they live. Students who live in a different residence hall cannot swipe into the building on their own. Individual bedrooms remain locked, and access is limited to the students assigned to that room.

Apartments: Students use their Skidmore ID card to enter their assigned apartment. Private bedrooms remain locked, and only the student assigned to each bedroom has access.

From 9 a.m.-9 p.m., contact your RA or another RA in your building. From 9 p.m.-midnight, contact the RA on call for your building. From midnight-9 a.m., or if no RA is available, contact Campus Safety at 518-580-5566. Always carry your Skidmore ID card when you leave your room.

Yes. The guest policy applies to both residence halls and apartments. Guests must follow College policies and may only be present in shared living spaces with the approval of everyone who lives there. Guests must be at least 18 years old, remain with their host, and are limited to three overnight stays per month. The student host is responsible for the actions of their guest. Review the Residential Life Handbook for the complete guest policy.

The same pet policy applies in residence halls and apartments. Pets are not permitted, with the exception of fish in a tank of 10 gallons or smaller. Service animals are permitted, and Emotional Support Animals must be approved through the housing accommodations process before being brought to campus.

Quiet hours apply in both residence halls and apartments. Courtesy hours are in effect 24/7, which means residents are always expected to be considerate of others and respond to reasonable requests to lower noise. Quiet hours are 9 p.m.-9 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning and 1-10 a.m. Friday night through Sunday morning.

Students living in residence halls and apartments receive mail and packages through the Skidmore College Post Office in Case Center. Visit the Skidmore Post Office website for current mailing information, package pickup details, and hours.

Skidmore College is generally not responsible for loss or damage to students’ personal property in residence halls or apartments. Students and families should check whether belongings are covered by a family homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy and consider additional personal property coverage if needed.

The Residential Life Handbook includes current policies and procedures for living in Skidmore residence halls and apartments, including guest policies, fire safety, prohibited items, housing requirements, opening and closing procedures, room conditions, inspections, and apartment policies.

Start with our packing list. It explains what Skidmore already provides, what residence hall students need, what apartment residents need, and which items are not permitted. We recommend starting with less and adding what you need after you move in.

Move-in dates and times vary by semester and student group. Residence hall and apartment residents should follow the arrival date and time assigned to them. Check the Residential Life calendar for current move-in and move-out dates.

No. Residence hall and apartment residents may not arrive before their scheduled date and time without prior approval from the Office of Residential Life. Early arrival is generally limited to students with approved campus business or extenuating circumstances. Unauthorized early arrival may result in an additional housing charge and/or a requirement to leave campus until housing opens.

Students living in either residence halls or apartments may register for break housing when it is offered. Residential Life sends registration information before each closing period. Students must complete the break housing registration to remain on campus during the break.

First-year and sophomore students are generally required to live on campus. Juniors and seniors may choose the off-campus option through the housing selection process. Students who need an exception to the on-campus housing requirement may submit an appeal to the Office of Residential Life for an approved reason. Review the Residential Life Handbook for eligibility and appeal requirements.