Skidmore College's Opportunity Program provides access to a high quality education for talented and motivated students who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend our institution.
Skidmore College’s Opportunity Program (OP) provides access to a high quality liberal arts education for talented and motivated students whose academic and financial circumstances would make them otherwise unable to attend our institution. OP consists of students from New York admitted through the state’s Higher Education Opportunity Program and students recruited through Skidmore’s Academic Opportunity Program who live outside of New York and/or have a family income that slightly exceeds HEOP guidelines.
The goal of OP is to realize student success pre- and post-graduation through the promotion of academic excellence; development of meaningful and inclusive social engagement; capacity to persist in the face of adversity; cultivation of a strong sense of purpose and meaning; development of trust in one’s agency; and motivation to contribute to the common good. These qualities are cultivated during the student’s undergraduate career at Skidmore and further facilitated by services offered in OP.
The overarching philosophy of OP is a student-centered approach to academic and psychosocial support that serves the student holistically. Guided by evidence-based approaches to assessment and intervention and attention to outcome data, OP staff will meet students where they are and develop strategies for academic and psychosocial support based on the individual student’s strengths and needs. Through collaboration and partnership with other campus offices, OP is integral in launching successful graduates capable of realizing their unique potential in their post-baccalaureate lives.
