Those who know Sarah Lawrence regard it as a top-tier liberal arts school with outstanding academics and a renowned writing program. And no matter what qualms students may have with the school, all can agree that the faculty, classes and intellectual environment really are superb. “
Because all the academics are self-directed, people actually care about their work,” writes one sophomore, “
and not because of getting good grades (because we don't have grades!) but because of their personal curiosity and internal motivation.” SLC’s unique learning environment lets students design their own course of study by doing away with requirements, grades, tests, and majors (students have “concentrations” but graduate with a general liberal arts degree). The classroom setup is also non-traditional - with the exception of a few lecture classes, courses typically have fewer than 20 students and consist of roundtable discussions supplemented by one-on-one student-teacher conferences. Instead of exams, students are required to develop their own research-based projects, typically a 15-40 page paper, which are submitted at the end of the semester.
Self-motivated and intellectually curious students thrive at SLC, but navigating the individually-catered academics can be overwhelming and takes some getting used to. “
This school is not the ideal place for someone who prefers the regular structure of a typical university or college,” one sophomore warns. “
You think you have a lot of free time, but you really don't. It's important to know how to manage your time and to pace yourself.” The conference system, in turn, is meant to foster close relationships with professors, helping students receive the guidance they need to fully realize their academic goals. “
You will never have a teacher at SLC who doesn't know your name. In fact, they'll know your name, your hometown, your email address, phone number, your favorite books, what you did last weekend, and maybe even your social security number,” says another sophomore.
SLC’s scholastic structure (or lack thereof) attracts a staunchly individualistic student population. Students are typically of the non-conformist variety and embrace anyone or anything that’s “different,” or, perhaps more accurately, non-mainstream. “
I tell people that anyone who liked the football team at their high school, owns more than 3 items from Abercrombie, or values social cliques should steer clear of SLC,” writes a senior. While diversity isn’t necessarily SLC's strong suit, students are generally very accepting and value political correctness (almost to a fault), so students from any background will likely be welcomed at SLC, and LGBT students will find an enthusiastic and supportive community on campus. “
The student body is quite diverse sexually - in fact, at this school, it is controversial to say you don't believe in a sexual continuum and a broad gender binary," writes a senior. "
To say that a man is a man and a woman is a woman - regardless of their sexual orientation - is utter blasphemy to most.”
Transitioning from SLC’s quirky, uber-liberal environment into the outside world can often be quite jarring. Even within the quiet suburban towns of Bronxville and Yonkers, where the school is situated, students can sometimes find themselves the subjects of ridicule and harassment at the hands of locals who don’t quite get them. “
For a while, we had a problem with people from the local towns throwing beer bottles at us and yelling things like ‘faggot!’ It's a very conservative town, and we're a very liberal, out-there school,” writes one recent alumna. Though the remote location provides a charming setting that one student describes as “
a cross between Hogwarts and Tolkien's Shire," most students admit that neither Bronxville nor Yonkers offer much in the way of entertainment, and that drawback, paired with the poor town/gown relations, causes many students to abandon the campus in favor of nearby New York City on weekends. “
It is hard to make friends at Sarah Lawrence because the campus dumps out every weekend,” one freshman writes. “
It appears as though every student at Sarah Lawrence has a resource network of friends at NYU, Columbia, SVA, Barnard, the New School, etc. that they c[an] rely on from Friday to Sunday.”
For those who choose to stay on campus, the administration and student organizations organize a variety of activities, the most popular being dance parties and theater performances, but attendance at these events is usually pretty low. Those seeking a party are likely to be disappointed - campus security is tight and large parties usually get broken up before they even have a chance to get started, so most students tend to gather in small groups of 6-10 and host get-togethers in one another’s dorm rooms or apartments, leading to the popular SLC slogan, “
We party like you pre-game.” The dating scene also leaves something to be desired: SLC was a women’s college until the late 1960s, and the the gender ratio is still quite imbalanced, with around 70% of the student body being female, leading one freshman to conclude that "
the dating scene is difficult for everyone here; there are not many men, everyone is sexually frustrated/confused/open/experimenting.”
Sarah Lawrence is certainly not for everyone, but students who value intellectual stimulation above a traditional collegiate social life and have a clearly defined area of interest in the liberal arts are likely to find the extensive academic freedom rewarding. For the student who prefers to work independently, isn’t afraid of a challenge, and yearns to be confronted with new and exciting ideas both inside and outside of the classroom, SLC will likely prove a great fit. Just bear in mind that, as one sophomore advises, “
There is a lot of freedom, so you have to know what you want.”
