Frequently Asked Questions
Is London right for me?
According to past participants of the London program, independent, adaptable, open-minded, adventurous, mature, tolerant, and responsible students succeed in London. Students tell us that people who tend to be reluctant to engage in new experiences might find it more difficult to adjust.
Yes. Returning students from previous London programs have volunteered to e-mail or talk with prospective students to answer questions from the student perspective. Let us know, and we will provide contact information for a student that has already studied in London.
Before committing to the London FYE program, students should consider what type of support they may need and if studying abroad first semester is a good fit. While there is a lot of student support built into the London FYE program, it is also a small program without the full resources of a residential campus. Consider some of the questions listed as part of OCSE's pathways to off-campus study.
With careful planning and close advisement, pre-med students and students planning to major in the sciences can study in London for their first semester at Skidmore. Some of Skidmore’s pre-med and science major course requirements are sequenced and the first course in the sequence may only be offered in the fall semester on the Saratoga Springs campus. This means you may have to wait until your sophomore fall to take the first course in the sequence of requirements for certain departments. Most of the courses available in London are based in the humanities and social sciences except for Calculus I, which may fulfill a mathematics requirement for some science majors.
In biology, both introductory biology courses for the first year of biology (BI107 and BI108) will be offered each semester and they can be taken in any sequence. This means that if you need to take the introductory biology sequence for your major you can take BI108 in the spring when you return from London and then BI107 in the fall of your sophomore year.
You are strongly encouraged to contact the Chair of your intended major department or the Health Professions Advising Committee (HPAC) before you commit to London and discuss your options.
London FYE students will need to make their own arrangements (at their own expense) for housing and meals over winter break. Students must move out of the program housing in London on the last day of the London FYE fall semester and are not permitted to arrive on campus until the start of the spring semester. The winter break between semesters is typically 6-7 weeks long. You can see the exact dates in the program calendar.
If you need assistance with houisng and meals over winter break, you should consider coming to campus for your first semester instead of London. On-campus students can submit a request for housing over the breaks with Residential Life if they are living on campus for the full year.
Accepting your offer to study in London
No. We depend on your commitment to the London program when we make our plans for the fall semester. You will need to choose whether to go to London OR commit to an on-campus spot in September.
Your initial deposits are non-refundable. You may be responsible to Skidmore for any monies already paid by Skidmore on your behalf, or in any respect committed on your behalf, that are not retrievable by Skidmore. Once you arrive in London, no fees are refundable.
If you decide you want to come to campus instead of going to London, please contact Kendra Nelson in Off-Campus Study & Exchanges to discuss your options.
Before you go
Yes! Students will begin the semester by arriving on the Saratoga Springs, NY campus for a 3-day orientation. The students will then travel to a New York City airport and fly as a group to London. After arrival in London, orientation will continue in London with the Skidmore Faculty Coordinators, CEA CAPA staff, and Skidmore Program Assistant.
Skidmore will provide detailed arrival details and information about booking a flight in mid/late May. Skidmore typically makes arrangements for a group flight departing from a New York City airport. After the 3-day orientation on the Saratoga Springs, NY campus, students will travel to a New York City airport and fly as a group to London.
The cost of the flight is not included with what you pay to Skidmore, so students will book and pay for their flight directly with the Skidmore travel agent.
Yes. If you do not have one, you should apply now at your local U.S. Post Office or the passport issuing agency in your country.
The US Passport Processing Centers are still experiencing processing delays. If you need to apply for or renew your passport, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you get your passport in time.
If you are a US citizen, you will be able to enter the UK without a visa; however, you may be expected to show certain documentation at the border indicating that you have been accepted to a study abroad program and that you can support yourself financially for the length of the program.
If your citizenship is other than U.S., check to see if you need a UK visa and contact Off-Campus Study & Exchanges at Skidmore College for more information. Please note that visa requirements are subject to change.
If you are a citizen of the U.K., you do not need a visa.
In London
Returning to campus