Ready to learn something new this summer? Take a Skidmore College course, earn college credit, and have some fun, too. We're excited to offer courses and programming as a virtual experience, as well as select in-person courses for commuting students.

Credit

Commuter

Hybrid

Online

Accepts International Students

Financial Aid

Final project

Once admitted, students can take one class of their choice and participate in helpful virtual workshops and extracurricular events, including undergraduate admissions tips and tricks, campus tours, college student life hacks and more.
Here, we introduce you to an authentic college experience. And, we do it in a welcoming and supportive environment designed to meet you where you are in your college journey.
Our pre-college curriculum offers liberal arts options across disciplines. Check out our courses to see what sparks your interest.

2023 COURSES
ONLINE COURSES
AR 264G Summer Landscape Photography
EC 103 Introduction to Macroeconomics
EC 104 Introduction to Microeconomics
EN 105 Writing Seminar II: Under the Influence - Argument and Persuasion in our Lives
GE 101 Earth Systems Science
HI 116H Sea Changes: A History of the World's Oceans
PL 103 Introduction to Comparative and International Politics
PS 101 Introduction to Psychological Science
SO 101 Sociological Perspectives

IN-PERSON COURSES
(Commuting students ONLY)
AN 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
BI 107 Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Life
MA 111 Calculus I
PY 109 Physics: Sound & Music with Lab
SO 101 Sociological Perspectives

Pre-College students may apply to enroll in one online course, or one in-person course if commuting, from these approved liberal arts courses offered for summer 2023.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS: Enrolled students must have a computer with a speaker, microphone, and camera (either a webcam or built-in laptop camera); reliable daily internet access throughout the program; and a quiet space conducive to taking an online class and completing coursework (private, without distractions). Unfortunately, we are not able to provide computers to students.
2023 Course Descriptions
All courses are Eastern Standard Time (EST)

ONLINE COURSES

Summer Landscape Photography
4 Credits
REQUIREMENT: DSLR Camera, Adobe Creative Cloud paid subscription
This course is designed to explore the genre of landscape photography. Introductory Camera, Lightroom, Photoshop and Editing skills will be incorporated into class workflow.
Students need access to Adobe Creative Cloud which is installed on all campus Mac computers. Students located away from Skidmore will need a monthly subscription during the session to access Creative Cloud apps on their MAC or PC: https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html

Introduction to Macroeconomics
4 Credits
PREREQUISITE: Placement in this course requires a score of at least 650 on the SAT Mathematics (MSAT I) examination, a score of at least 570 on any Mathematics SAT II subject examination (MSAT II), or a score of at least 28 on the Mathematics ACT examination. If scores are unavailable, Skidmore will determine eligibility through a review of the student's high school transcript.
An introduction to national income analysis, money and banking, and balance of payments. Students will learn theory and policies of a mixed economy, using the United States as a prime example. Emphasis is placed upon the determination of public policies to solve the problems of unemployment, inflation, and stable economic growth.

Introduction to Microeconomics
4 Credits
PREREQUISITE: Placement in this course requires a score of at least 650 on the SAT Mathematics (MSAT I) examination, a score of at least 570 on any Mathematics SAT II subject examination (MSAT II), or a score of at least 28 on the Mathematics ACT examination. If scores are unavailable, Skidmore will determine eligibility through a review of the student's high school transcript.
An introduction to the study of markets. Students will also examine the possibility of market failure and the appropriate government response. Policy topics may include poverty and homelessness, health care, the environment, antitrust, discrimination, international trade, unions, and minimum wage laws.

Writing Seminar II - Under the Influence: Argument and Persuasion in our Lives
4 Credits
PREREQUISITE: Skidmore writing placement exam.
In this writing course, students will consider the nature of persuasion, various methods of thinking critically, and approaches to translating these methods to academic texts. Class projects include essays examining the language and logic of persuasive appeals, as well as a final collaborative project.

Earth Systems Science
4 Credits
An introduction to Earth’s dynamic systems and geologic processes. Course topics such as rocks and minerals, mountain building, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, surface and groundwater, and resources are examined from the perspective of the interactions between geologic processes and humans.

Sea Changes: A History of the World's Oceans
4 Credits
A survey course in global history that takes the world’s oceans as its subject. Students will explore themes ranging from naval history to legal history, from environmental history to zoological history, and from the history of exploration and adventure to the history of imperialism and conquest.

Introduction to Comparative and International Politics
3 Credits
A survey of the key concepts and principles of comparative politics and international relations.

Introduction to Psychological Science
4 Credits
An introduction to the science of psychology through a survey of theories, methods, and principles of behavior. Students will learn about empirical studies that are central to the various subdisciplines of psychology.

Sociological Perspectives
3 Credits
The basic concepts and principles of major sociological perspectives. Attention is given to how these perspectives have been developed and used by social scientists to explain social phenomena. Recommended as an introduction to the discipline.

IN-PERSON COURSES

Introduction to Anthropology
3 Credits
An overview of concepts, theories, and methods of cultural anthropology. Students learn about central anthropological topics, such as kinship, gender, class, race, environment, ritual and religion, ethnicity, economy, and politics, and gain understanding and appreciation for cultural differences.

Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Life
4 Credits
PREREQUISITE: Open only to current high school seniors, or current high school juniors who have completed AP Biology.

An introduction to the molecular and cellular processes of life. The course explores topics in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell structure and function, and transmission genetics in a variety of organisms.

Calculus I
4 Credits
PREREQUISITE: High school preparation including trigonometry
REQUIREMENT: Skidmore math placement exam.

Derivatives, integrals and their applications. Techniques of differentiation. Integration and differentiation of exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions.

Physics: Sound & Music with Lab
4 Credits

The physical principles of sound - how it is produced, propagated and perceived. Emphasis will be placed on music and music theory and will look at some of the mechanisms used to produce different types of musical sounds as well as the physical principles guiding the development of music theory throughout history.

Sociological Perspectives
3 Credits

The basic concepts and principles of major sociological perspectives. Attention is given to how these perspectives have been developed and used by social scientists to explain social phenomena.
*Courses subject to change. All course placements are subject to approval by the Pre-College Program director.

One 3-credit Course

Jul 05 - Aug 04

4 weeks

Online

2910 USD

One 3-credit Course

Jul 05 - Aug 04

4 weeks

Commuter

2910 USD

One 4-credit Course

Jul 05 - Aug 04

4 weeks

Online

3880 USD

One 4-credit Course

Jul 05 - Aug 04

4 weeks

Commuter

3880 USD

Total program cost is dependent on course enrollment. Please refer to the course descriptions for number of course credits. Please note: Some courses may have additional lab or material fees, which are listed at the top of the course descriptions.
The Pre-College Early Bird Discount $500 is reserved for participants who submit applications by April 1. Pre-College Scholarship applicants are not eligible for the Early Bird Discount. The program and discount are on a first come, first served basis, so we recommend all participants submit applications well in advance of the April 1 deadline.
Accepted students must confirm their attendance with a $500 nonrefundable program deposit (the deposit is waived for accepted students who receive a scholarship award).

Financial Aid

A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for students who demonstrate academic excellence. Scholarships are available to United States citizens and permanent residents only, and full funding is not offered. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and awards are applied toward the Pre-College Program fee. Funds are limited, and do not cover the costs of textbooks or supplies.

The Scholarship Application is waived for applicants from our formal partner organizations/schools. All others must submit the Scholarship application as an attachment to the online Pre-College Program application to be considered for scholarship funding.
Please note: The scholarship application requires completion by the student's parent(s) or guardian(s).