Emily Bogdan

Major: Psychology 

Emily Bogdan ’19 is in her third year at Skidmore. A psychology major, she would love to work in the field of criminal psychology, either doing research or specializing in criminal profiling. 

What were your favorite Pre-College courses?

"Psychology 101" and "Love: Motives and Motifs"

What was your favorite part of Pre-College?

Getting a taste of what college is like and being able to meet people from all over the country who I otherwise never would have met. I am still in touch with my closest friends from Pre-College, and we still reminisce about the great times we had together. Interestingly, I became friends with people with whom I would never have expected to be friends. 

Did Pre-College help you academically?

Learning how to manage my time and my newfound freedom. I had a lot more freedom than I was used to, which seems like it would be a good thing. But it actually made it harder to choose when to do my work and when to have fun with my friends. It was the first time that I didn’t have others advising me.

Since I had to learn how to manage my time, I became a lot better at not procrastinating. My last year of high school was my best year in terms of my academic performance, and I think that had a lot to do with being exposed to college-level work. 

Did Pre-College influence your college search?

Pre-College is the main reason I chose to attend Skidmore. I had such an amazing time in the program that I was pretty much set on wanting to go here, and I ended up successfully applying Early Decision. Being able to experience Skidmore full-time for five weeks really helped me know what it would be like to be here for four years. 

Did Pre-College help your transition to college?

Pre-College helped make my transition to college very easy. I knew my way around the campus, what it was like to live in a dorm with a roommate, and what college courses are like. But Pre-College wasn’t exactly the same as being a real college student, so there were still adjustments.

Why would you recommend the Pre-College Program to others?

I definitely recommend the program to high school students. It was one of the best times of my life. Saratoga Springs is a great place to spend the summer. There are always things happening in town, and the weather is beautiful. Also, we learned a ton in five short weeks, not only in classes but about ourselves and about life after high school. Lastly, Pre-College is a great way to make lifelong friends.