Choosing The Right College School Spotlight: Skidmore College Written by Emily Toffelmireon December 8th, 2020 I came to College Coach after working for many years in college admissions and high school counseling. As a school counselor, I assisted students in the college application process and wrote hundreds of letters of recommendation, while also helping them and their families cope with any emotional, social, and academic concerns throughout the year. I transitioned from the high school setting to the admissions office when I joined the University of Southern California as an assistant director, reading freshmen and transfer applications and collaborating on admission decisions for over 150 majors, including the liberal arts, engineering, business, cinema, and the fine and performing arts. I subsequently took on the role of senior assistant director in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where I coordinated the division's Mork, Stamps, Trustee, Presidential and Dean's merit scholarship selection process, as well as recruitment publications and outreach, and traveled everywhere from Honolulu to Miami presenting to and interviewing hundreds of applicants each year. Learn More About Emily choosing the right college, college lists, There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges. As such, we are highlighting a new college each week in our School Spotlight series. Check out the college below, along with the other posts in our series, and you may just stumble upon your dream school! School Spotlight: Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY Though Skidmore has long been known for its stellar studio arts programs, some of its most popular majors at the moment are in social services and business. Not many small colleges can boast of strengths in such diverse specialties. Perhaps that’s because Skidmore has long followed a “creative thought matters” approach to learning, where students and faculty across disciplines find ways to incorporate the arts and culture into everything they do. Within the studio arts program, even non-arts majors can try their hand at coursework in animation, jewelry, and wood carving. Located in the historic and trendy city of Saratoga Springs, Skidmore offers its 2,600 undergrads as many options for on-campus activities as it does off. Dozens of museums, coffeehouses, and restaurants make Saratoga a quintessential college town. And as a nod to the city’s famous racetrack, the Skidmore athletes compete as the Thoroughbreds in 19 DIII sports. Men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf, and equestrian are among the college’s most successful teams. Freshmen and sophomores with strong GPAs who seek additional academic challenges can apply for the Periclean Honors Forum program, which requires that all participants complete a citizenship project and capstone experience prior to graduation. Image Credit: Top, Courtesy of Erin Covey Related Resources Read | Posted on March 26th, 2024 California Colleges and Universities: A Treasure Trove of Opportunities Read | Posted on March 5th, 2024 The Top 3 Campus Safety Myths Read | Posted on March 1st, 2024 Celebrating International Women’s Day: Is a Women’s College Right for You?
