<p>What interesting choices! I expect that your visits will deliver the decision as they have very different characteristics. Of course the schools’ websites will give you much of the background you need to prepare our questions for staff and faculty about course work in various majors, the core curriculum and distribution requirements for graduation.</p>
<p>From my viewpoint, Colgate is a unique and and therefore popular LAC due to its size- larger than most elite LACs with 2900 students and matching ratio of faculty for the hallmark teaching ratio that’s so important, D1 sports and large number of course offerings- all alongside its rankings but mainly because of its ambition to be “the best liberal arts university” in the country. More than 2/3 of students go on study groups off campus for a semester. </p>
<p>Cornell has the feel of a largish (12000+ students) university with its various colleges about 90 minutes away. Skidmore is smaller, more arty and laid back with a newish campus about 2 hours from Colgate.</p>
<p>Have a great trip and good luck with your search!</p>