Answers to common questions

The standard course load for a full-time student is 15 credit hours each semester, and students are encouraged to balance their commitment to quality and rigor with realistic expectations of the workload involved with specific course enrollments.

A major field of study selected from the Skidmore College degree programs must be formally declared by the second semester of a students' sophomore year, prior to registration for the junior year.

Your summer advisor is your initial contact to assist you with academic planning. If you are a first-year student, the instructor of your Scribner Seminar (SSP 100) will be your faculty advisor in the fall. Most transfer students are assigned initially to a classroom instructor or to the chairperson of the department of an anticipated major.

Student Academic Services works independently and in cooperation with other administrative offices and academic departments and programs to identify and implement individualized accommodations.  Learn more

Student Academic Services serves students interested in strengthening their academic performance or skills by organizing peer academic coaching and individual peer tutoring, and by offering private, professional, one-on-one academic support. Learn more:

Skidmore students often do independent research with professors during the academic year, as early as their first year. In addition, the College’s Summer Faculty-Student Research Program (five or 10 weeks) provides students with a unique opportunity to work with faculty on original research in virtually every discipline. Learn more: 

More than 50% of our graduates study off campus either internationally or domestically. Students can choose from 120 programs in 45 countries, including several Skidmore programs and several domestic options. Learn more:

85% of Skidmore students complete one internship and 75% complete two or more. Many of them are funded by the College. While some students apply independently, many utilize the expertise and network connections of our Career Development Center, which they have lifetime access to. Learn more: 

The Admissions Committee strives to admit students whose abilities, interests, character, and background give them the greatest promise of profiting from and contributing to the Skidmore community.

The committee’s primary emphasis is on the strength of a student’s academic record, as evidenced by quality of secondary school courses and classroom achievement. Personal qualities, accomplishments, interests, and capacity for growth are also strongly considered. So, careful attention is paid to recommendations, the student’s personal statement, and cocurricular activities.

The best way is to join our mailing list by submitting the Information Request Form. We will send you communications to keep you informed about key events and application deadlines. Feel free also to reach out to us.

Starting in the Fall of 2024, Skidmore will not offer interviews as part of the admissions process. Instead, we're focusing on offering more personalized opportunities to ensure you can participate in programming and engage with the Office of Admissions in ways that work for you and your schedule.  If you have questions that aren’t answered through our in-person or virtual programs, we encourage you to call or email the Office of Admissions and we’d be happy to set up an opportunity for you to speak with one of our admissions counselors one-on-one. Here are some ways you can engage: In-Person Campus Visits, Virtual Information Sessions, Ask Me Anything Student Chats, and new series, Creative Thought Works.

You may request an application fee waiver through the Common Application or the Coalition Application.

No. We admit students through two rounds of ED and one round of RD.

Yes. You can convert your RD application to an ED II application until Feb. 1. Send an email to Admissions at admissions@yimeiwedding.com and indicate that you want to convert your application. We will work with you to formalize it.

The Opportunity Program (OP) provides access to a high-quality liberal arts education for talented and motivated students whose academic and financial circumstances would otherwise make them unable to attend our institution. OP consists of students from New York admitted through the state’s Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and students recruited through Skidmore’s Academic Opportunity Program (AOP) who live outside of New York and/or have a family income that slightly exceeds HEOP guidelines.   Learn more

After completing the enrollment reply form and applicable deposit, students may request a one-year deferral by sending an email to deanofadmissions@yimeiwedding.com. The email should outline the plans for their gap year and should be sent by June 1.

To be considered for the London First Year Experience, simply select the "Saratoga or London" option under preferred residence on the Common Application. Accepted students will be notified of their London admissions decision in their acceptance packet.

Please note: All students must be 18 years old by the start of the program in London

No. All applicants must meet the same academic requirements for admission to Skidmore. Once we have made our admissions decisions, admitted students who have applied for the London program will be evaluated separately for admission to the London FYE.

No. You can choose to enroll on the Saratoga campus or in London when you submit your enrollment form. Once you have submitted your enrollment form, your decision is binding.

To enroll in the London FYE, please follow the instructions provided in your acceptance packet.

You must submit all other London-related materials to the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges.

These two cost calculators can help you anticipate your college costs and estimate your eligibility for need-based scholarships. A Skidmore education might be more affordable than you think.

• MyinTuition – This tool asks six basic financial questions and gives you a basic estimate of the amount your family will need to contribute for one year at Skidmore.
• Net Price Calculator – This more comprehensive tool also provides you an early estimate of your eligibility for need-based financial aid, including grants and scholarships.

If you are a United States citizen or permanent resident of the US, you are eligible to apply for financial aid at Skidmore. Ther College is also able to offer a very limited number of financial aid awards to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States. International students who are applying for financial aid must complete the CSS Profile.

For basic annual costs of attendance, please visit the Bursar’s Office.

Skidmore offers need-based financial aid and meets 100% of demonstrated need. This means you pay only what you and your family can afford. We do not "gap" students.  
 
A financial aid "package" usually includes grants, a campus job, and a loan. Student aid funds come from a variety of sources including Skidmore's own grants, as well as many federal financial aid programs such as Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), the Federal Work-Study Program, and Federal Direct Loans.  

Skidmore also offers two limited merit scholarships.  

• Four Filene Music Scholarships are awarded after acceptance and performance competition to gifted first-year musicians who seek to further their musical studies in a liberal arts setting. Each scholar is awarded $20,000/year, $80,000 total.
• Fourteen Porter/Wachenheim Presidential Scholarships are awarded after acceptance on the basis of superior scientific and mathematical accomplishment as apparent in your admission application. Each scholar is awarded $20,000/year, $80,000 total.

First-year applicants will receive notification of their financial aid with their offer of admissions.

Yes. There are many part-time jobs available on campus that are not limited to students on financial aid.

About 50% of our first-year classes come from students who have been admitted through the ED application process. 

ED I candidates will receive a decision by mid-December and ED II candidate will receive a decision by mid-February. 

Statistically, ED applicants are admitted at a higher rate than RD applicants because the pool is smaller. However, ED and RD applicants are reviewed against the same standards. 

ED candidates may initiate applications to other colleges, but if they are accepted under one of Skidmore’s ED plans they must immediately withdraw all other applications and enroll at Skidmore.

The only difference is the dates. 

Some students who are not accepted ED are deferred for reconsideration through Regular Decision and notified of their admission decision in mid-March. In some cases, an ED candidate is not competitive for admission. In thees situations, the Admissions Committee denies the applicant at the time of the ED notification, thus enabling the student to focus on alternative plans.

Yes. You can convert your RD application to an ED II application until February 1. Simply send an email to Admissions at admissions@yimeiwedding.com and indicate that you want to convert your application. Admissions will work with you to formalize it.

Your school counselor or administrator should submit your O-level/IGCSE results and your predicted A-Level results. Applicants in an IB program should have their counselor or administrator submit their predicted IB exam results. Your final A-Level or IB exam results should be submitted upon completion if you are admitted and decide to enroll.

If you receive a 5 or higher in a Higher Level IB exam, you can receive 4 credits for each result up to a maximum of 16 credits. If you receive a C or higher in an A-level course, you can receive 4 credits for that result up to a maximum of 16 credits. If you receive a C or higher in an AS course, you can receive 2 credits for that result.

The use of agents is not needed to gain admission to Skidmore. As part of our application review process we look closely for any signs of unethical practices in all submitted documents.

Skidmore College accepts applications from undocumented or DACA students. However, financial aid funds for undocumented and DACA students are extremely limited and highly competitive. The College is committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students, regardless of citizenship status. To apply for financial aid, undocumented and DACA students must submit the College Board’s CSS Profile.

Yes. If you have begun classes at a university as a degree candidate in the U.S. or abroad, you can and should apply to Skidmore as a transfer student.

All applicants are eligible for need-based aid. International students who are applying for financial aid must complete the CSS Profile. We offer a very limited amount of aid for international students and it is a highly competitive process. If an international applicant has been admitted and enrolls without aid, they cannot apply for financial aid in the future. Skidmore is also a member of the Davis United World College Scholars Program.

Currently, there are nearly 250 international students from more than 60 countries. This represents about 9% of the overall student body of 2,700 students.

You only need to translate your grades to English. The translations can be done by an official from your school and they do not need to be done by an external agency, unless you are doing that for other schools and want to use the same files. 

Yes. For many, work-study is part of your total financial aid package can include up to $2,400 USD of earnings each year. This is money for personal expenses and spending money, not direct costs such as tuition or room/board.

Yes but only if the national exam results are tied to grades and completion requirements for your school. They will be reviewed like many other senior year exams as a final assessment and proof of graduation. If they are not tied to your grades/school, then we do not need the results. 

Transfer applications are accepted for both fall and spring semesters. The fall deadline is April 1 and the spring deadline is November 1. 

For transfer admission, the Admissions Committee places particular emphasis on the applicant's academic record in college but also considers secondary school records and standardized test scores. The committee will consider how well previous course selection at both the secondary and post-secondary level has prepared the applicant to satisfy Skidmore's degree requirements. Personal qualities, accomplishments, interests and capacity for growth are also considered, so careful attention is paid to recommendations, and the student's personal statement.

There is no minimum credit requirement, but we prefer to see one full year of college-level work completed prior to transferring.

A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a Skidmore degree. We will accept a maximum of 60 transfer credit hours. A minimum of 60 credit hours must be completed here at Skidmore.

A tentative evaluation of transfer credit will be available upon request at the time of acceptance. The definitive evaluation is provided by the Office of the Registrar and is not available until after the student has decided to enroll at Skidmore and an enrollment deposit has been received. Only courses in which a student has received a grade of "C" or better are transferable.

Some need-based institutional grant assistance is available. For more information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Yes. Housing is guaranteed for all incoming transfers.