Skidmore College

In 2017-18, Skidmore received more than 10,500 applications for a first-year class targeted at about 660 (including 35 students spending their first semester in London); 25% were offered admission; nearly half enrolled through Early Decision.

Those seeking admission to Skidmore's first-year class should complete a secondary-school curriculum that includes at least 16 credits in college-preparatory courses. The Admissions Committee also considers applications from qualified high school juniors who plan to accelerate and enter college early. Applicants typically have completed four years of English, a foreign language, mathematics, and social studies, and three to four years of laboratory science. Applicants must provide a secondary school transcript, letters of recommendation from two teachers of academic subjects, and a report from their guidance counselor. Skidmore encourages a campus visit and interview.

Skidmore is test-optional when it comes to standardized testing (SAT, ACT), though the college does require standardized test results from international students other than those who have attended an English language-based school for at least three years, homeschooled students, and students attending secondary schools offering written evaluations without accompanying grades. Applicants for the Porter Presidential Scholarships in Science and Mathematics are encouraged to submit SAT/ACT and any SAT subject tests in math and science. Of course, students may submit either the SAT or ACT if they feel their standardized testing results best represent their academic potential.

Through its participation in the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Skidmore enrolls capable and ambitious New Yorkers who, because of their academic and financial situations, would not otherwise gain admission to the college under traditional requirements. Skidmore's Academic Opportunity Program (AOP) enrolls similar students who reside out of state and/or whose family income slightly exceeds HEOP guidelines. Together, HEOP and AOP are referred to as the Opportunity Program (OP). About 180 OP students are enrolled at Skidmore.

An applicant for admission must complete the Common Application and submit it with a $65 fee. All information for Regular Decision applicants should be postmarked by January 15. Applications from Early Decision applicants should be submitted by November 15 for the Round I Early Decision plan or by January 15 for the Round II Early Decision plan. Regular Decision applicants can convert their applications to Early Decision until February 1. Transfer applicants must submit their applications by November 15 for January admission or by April 1 for September admission.

International students are given special attention throughout the admissions process. Applicants whose first language is not English are encouraged to submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). There are a limited number of need-based financial-aid awards available for outstanding international students.

CAREER SERVICES AND PLACEMENT

Thanks in part to the college's strong internship, student-faculty summer research, and off-campus study programming, some 95% of Skidmore students report being employed or pursuing further education one year after graduating. Close to 60% complete or are enrolled in advanced-degree programs within five years of graduation. Career Development offers one-on-one career counseling (in person and virtual) for life; job fairs in NYC, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles; off-campus job and internship interviewing fairs in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles; internship openings reserved for Skidmore students; graduate and professional school expo (nearly 50 institutions); several summer funded internship awards programs; and networking events such as Career Jam and Creative Thought (Net)Works.

FACULTY

277 full-time (304 FTE), 87% with doctoral or highest degree in their field. National and international recognitions include Guggenheim, MacArthur, Pulitzer, and Emmy awards and major fellowships and grants from Fulbright, Getty, NEH, NIH, NSF, and the Andy Warhol Foundation.