Campus visit tips from Thoroughbred Ambassadors

There’s a lot to consider when choosing a college: “What can I study?” “Where will 我住?" “Will I have access to internships and faculty mentors?" “Will I find friends, clubs or teams?”  

And perhaps the hardest question of all: “Can I picture myself here?” 

For those who are able, one of the best ways to help address your questions — even the hardest ones — is with a visit to campus.  

You can also take a virtual 之旅 here.

As a Skidmore student who went through a similar rite of passage, and as a Thoroughbred Ambassador who has guided many prospective 学生 through campus, I've collected some tips to make your visit to Skidmore even more memorable.

Consider this a checklist to get you started, but keep in mind that this is a big moment in your life, so feel free to ask your 招生 hosts for what you’d like to see, experience or do to help with your decision.

Don’t skip Murray-Aikins Dining Hall.  

Our award-winning Murray-Aikins Dining Hall provides nutritious and sustainable food while also functioning as a social hub for 学生 running between classes during the day or extracurriculars in the evening.

Your 之旅 guide will bring you through here, winding you through the many stations and delicious smells — Supremo’s for Pizza, Emily’s Garden for vegetarian dishes, The Diner for hot meals and more.

Shadow a class.

While your 之旅 guide will take you around the campus, you can also get a taste for our classroom experience through Skidmore’s day-hosting program.

The program runs during the academic year (mid-September to early May) and gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to spend a morning or afternoon on Skidmore's campus with a current student. You can also attend a class and have a meal in our 食堂.

Our faculty members are also eager to have you attend one of their classes on your 自己的. All you have to do is use our Master Schedule to find a class and email the professor of your choice to sign up.

Bring your questions.

Take full advantage of your time with your 之旅 guide. Bring all of your questions. Even if there isn’t time during the 之旅, we’re often available before and after as 好吧. Many of us are also happy to share our email address if something comes up later. 问问!

Also, we’re more than happy to do all the talking, but we love to hear from you, too! My favorite part of the job is learning where you’re from, what you’re 感兴趣ed in and what your concerns are. Your input makes us better 之旅 guides.

Sign up for an arts or sciences 之旅.

In addition to the general 之旅, which is offered three times a day, Skidmore’s 之旅 guides also offer art- and science-focused 之旅s. 如果你 have an 感兴趣 in either area, these special 之旅s will give you a closer look at our Tang Teaching Museum, the art studios in Saisselin or our science facilities in Dana Science Center. 这些 之旅s tend to be smaller groups, allowing for a nice, personalized experience.

Stroll around Saratoga Springs.

A significant part of Skidmore’s charm is the ever-lively Saratoga Springs. 如果你 haven’t already heard, Travel & Leisure calls Saratoga Springs one of “America’s Greatest Main Streets” as 好吧 as “one of the best college t自己的s in the nation.” Money magazine has ranked it as one of the nation’s top 100 places to live, and The Princeton Review describes it as a “perfect college t自己的” that’s “extremely fun and accepting of college 学生.”

But really, for us, it’s about taking a stroll d自己的 Broadway (our main street), browsing our bookstores, grabbing coffee from a locally 自己的ed shop and dining at one of the 40+ restaurants within three miles of campus.

Remember your 之旅 guides, too.

Personal experiences are integral to life at Skidmore and our 之旅 guides work hard to ensure that you have a productive and eye-opening look at our campus, its culture and the many available resources afforded to us as 学生.

For that reason, it’s always nice to receive feedback from visitors. Be it right after the 之旅 or later by email, we love to know what was great and what we could do better. And, if you’re so inclined, don’t be afraid to finish your day with a round of applause 或两个!