Sarah Lawrence College Top Questions

Come here if you are self-motivated, and prepared to basically design your own course. This could mean wasting your time here making the individual parts of your classes as easy as possible (which, yes, you can do), or crafting a curriculum for yourself that taps into all your interests at once, such as making a documentary about stress during finals for a psych class. The other thing that I must mention is that you and you alone are completely accountable for everything to your teachers. The close relationships that almost every student forms with their teachers here function in two ways: if you are having a problem, then you can discuss it openly with them, BUT they can keep a close eye on your progress throughout the year, so this is not a place to come if you want to sneak by college under the radar.

Academics: The "barely there" requirements allow students to take courses in subjects they are truly passionate about. Since seminars are discussion based, this allows very involved, passionate and thought-provoking discussion. It should also be mentioned that the high quality of professors at Sarah Lawrence is remarkable.

The academics at Sarah Lawrence are what originally attracted me to the school. My classes are small and intimate, I always feel like I am engaged in class discussion and I always feel like I am learning. I very much enjoy our style of conferences where I get to talk with my professor one-on-one and discuss a personal final project instead of just regurgitating information onto a test. I have two favorite classes, the first one is Child Psychology, I love this class because we read interesting books and articles, have interesting discussions and I love my teacher. Along with this class I also get to volunteer at the Early Childhood Center on campus as field work. My other favorite class is The Many Faces of Political Islam. Though this is a difficult issue for me, we have wonderful discussions in class, and I really feel like my professor challenges us all the time.

Be prepared to be called upon in class. Besides lectures, which can have a max. of 50-60 people, class sizes are usually no higher than 15, and everyone sits around a table. Papers are a big part of most classes, and I have only taken tests in my language classes.

I call all my teachers by their first names, and they all know mine. Class participation happens at least twice per second and even "lectures" (classes with over fifteen people) have plenty of participation. People mostly do their work and they definitely talk about it a lot.

Academics here are wonderful as far as I see it. Teachers know your name, you can individualize the class through your independent project. Yes this project is done on top of class work, but you have to work to fall through the cracks because you meet with the teacher one on one every two weeks all year and you had better have something to tell them. Class participation is pretty common, but it really depends a lot on the members of the class, the subject, and the teacher. All the teachers work hard to get students to participate, and in general that is what happens. We all study, do we all study as much as we are expected to, no, but we learn how to study enough and well enough that we get something out of the class and have something to contribute. The most unique class I have ever taken here was one called Individualism Reconsidered where in essence by looking at the way we think of an individual (through literature, psychological texts, and philosophies) we learned about ourselves and each other. It has been a class where everything shared culminated in knowing each other in a unique way which enrichens our own self knowledge. I don't spend much time with professors outside of class unless you consider the 30+ minutes of conference every two weeks outside of class in which case I spend a ton of time with them. If I had to meet a professor outside of class, it wouldn't be hard. I can also say that I am 99.99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} certain that if at 3:00am I had a crisis and deemed it worthy of calling my don or turning up at her door she would let me in and help. Speaking of dons, your first year you have a First Year Studies class. That teacher is your don, which in theory is an academic advisor, but in many cases is much more. You meet with this teacher for 30 minutes every week your first semester (or year depending on the don, mine it was all year) then every two weeks that year. Dons do not have to keep this up, and most only then see their donees during registration, but are always available to make conferences. Some dons go beyond this, mine I have seen every two weeks every year that I have been on campus at her initiative. Here you don't have a major. You can have a concentration, but all this means is that you have studied mostly one area. Concentrations have no requirements attached to them. Because of this the education is not geared to getting a job, but to learning knowledge and writing skills, and problem solving skills and analysis skills, which I think are just as important if not more. The academic requirements are very lax, another thing I think is wonderful, all they require is that you have a relatively broad educational base.

I've taken year long classes for the most part and have had the opportunity to have time to do research and writing on topics that have grown and matured over the last four years. I started classes thinking I would concentrate in political philosophy but fell in love with my art history and literature classes. All the reading I did for two years on critical theory and classical philosophy have helped me find ways of looking at art that I hadn't thought possible. Conferences have allowed me to work with my professors in various capacities-- my writing and research skills have grown, but I've also learned that there are so many opportunities for learning outside of class and in conversations. The art history department is incredible-- my professors wend their way through their syllabi and even though they never quiet get to any kind of end the questions they ask and the answers they give to questions are amazing!

My professors are amazing- they push me to work harder than I ever have before, yet treat me like a member of their own family.

Sarah Lawrence has a unique academic environment. Seminar classes (the most common type) are limited to 15 people, and are structured as round-table discussions of readings and homework. In every class that you take there is a one-on-one component, where you work with your professor on an individual research project on a topic you are passionate about. So it goes without saying that teachers know your name. They probably know a lot more about you as well! The President who lives in a lovely house on campus, has a dinner with every single first-year student to learn about their experiences. Every student is assigned an academic advisor, called a Don, who's a resource for navigating the wide range of academic options. Some conference projects that I've worked on: "Phi: Friend or Foe? An exploration of the Golden Ratio and Scientific Ethics" for my course "Mathematical Mystery Tour" and "The Science of Fraud - Psychics and Mediums in the Lab" for an interdisciplinary course about the visual representations of science through history, called "Visualizing Nature, Visualizing Science". Because you are working so closely with your teachers, you are held accountable for attendance at classes and conferences. The education is very much self-motivated and writing-based. Very few classes have exams, with most of them evaluating you on the basis of written work. The education here is very much qualitative as opposed to quantitative. Instead of grades, we are given written evaluations and students are pushed to think in new ways. Intellectual discussions outside of class are RAMPANT. Sarah Lawrence is all about merging your academic life and your social life. Classrooms, dormitories and teachers' offices are purposefully placed in the same buildings.

All my rofessors know my name. Students are always studying and everybody is very intellectual and care a lot about what they are studying. Students are not competitive at all. Sarah Lawrence education is geared toward learning and being well educated.

Since there are only about 15 students per seminar (larger classes are unusual, though by no means unheard of, and class sizes almost never exceed 20) class participation is the norm. The teacher will assign a reading, and the following class will be spent mostly in discussion of the reading, with the teacher acting mostly as a guide for the discussion. This isn't high school: we don't raise our hands and aren't expected to sit quietly and listen as the teacher lectures (with the exception, of course, of lecture classes, which consist of about 45 students). Discussions are lively and most of the students are genuinely interested in the material.

The best thing about Sarah Lawrence is that you can take whatever classes you want. It's so limiting to have to choose a major and stick to the requirements within that narrow focus. I like to be able to do things that are all over the map. Though it makes a complicated answer whenever anyone asks me what I study -everything. Another great thing about this school is the structure of classes. Although sometimes it can be intimidating to have one-to-one conferences with each professor bi-weekly, it really forces you to keep up with your studies and do really involved conference projects. The conference project is like the highlight of the class. You can do things you wouldn't have the opportunity to if you were just trying to memorize facts. It's a lot of work, like having two course loads for each class, but the professors are usually pretty insightful and offer you a lot of connections and opportunities. I've done conference projects on prostitution in seventeenth century Italy, experimental poetry, flaws in the immigration system, the separation of church and state, spirit possession, a creative emulation of eighteenth century views on marriage, and I contributed to a collabarative law review critique of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights my class published. I don't think exams would give you that experience.

The academics here are unique. You only take three classes per semester and many classes go all year. You meet individually with your professor and do an independednt research project, with your professor's guidance, for every course. You get to be on a first name basis with all your professors very quickly. It is not unusual for professors to have students over for meals. Some of the students are extremely smart, many others are self-absorbed space cadets. Classes are very discussion heavy, this can be amazing or horrible dependind on the students in a class. We have no majors. You may take basically any class in any field at any time. There are also no prerequisites. Many of the classes are kind of a joke, like Book-Binding for example. Others, however are incredible. The education at Sarah Lawrence epitomizes learning for its own sake.

Ok, the academics are THE BEST part about this school. First of all, there are no majors. This doesn't mean you can't come here if you have a definite idea of what you want to do. I knew before I came to college that I wanted to do Theatre. And you can certainly focus your studies in a certain area. However... unlike most schools all classes (aside from some fine arts classes) are open to anybody. So... even though I do theatre, I can take whatever psychology, science or I dont know... history class I want. No classes are off limits. If you're someone who has a lot of interests, this is DEFINITELY the place to be. I actually discovered that I am really into GLBT studies (maybe even more than theatre).. I don't think I would have made this discovery if it weren't for the opportunities given to me at SLC. Second of all, the classes are tiny. About 15 or so max. (I was in a class last year that only had 5 people.) To give you an idea about the structure of most classes - you get an assignment, whether it be to read a portion or a whole book, write a short story or poem, or go see a play... and then everyone comes back to class and talks about it. For 1 and a half to two hours. If you're opinionated and open-minded... this environment is soooo great and rewarding. Then the best part... conferences and conference papers. There are (almost) no tests at Sarah Lawrence. Instead, we write papers. Long papers. We meet with our teachers on a bi-weekly basis to discuss our "conference project." I'll give an example. I took a social psychology course. It was a general class. I chose to write my paper (which I worked on for the entire year) about the social psychological effects of wearing school uniforms. Someone else wrote about the psychology and significance of all the Bond girls, someone else wrote about the effects and failures of anti-smoking campaigns. Conference projects are a way to make the class your own. The teachers are very flexible. It may sound stressful, but it's not - the point is... you get to write about EXACTLY what you're itnerested in. So it's not boring or tedius... you chose the topic so why wouldn't you want to learn more about it? In terms of our relationships with teachers... it's very different from most schools. We call them by their first names... and they know each of their students quite well. It's really helpful to have this support system. We also have "dons." Each first-year student picks a first year studies course that they take the first year. The teacher of that course becomes your don. You meet with your don throughout all your 4 years at school. Most everyone I know LOVES their don (including me) and is really thankful to have him/her around. Oh yeah... and there are no grades. Well, there are. But you only see them if you want. You have to go to the registrars office and request to see them. Instead of seeing a grade each semester.. your teacher writes an evaluation for you.

Do not come to SLC if you are scared to work. I read easily 700+ pages a week write something small (2 to 3 pages) a week. Then there are our finals that we call "Conference Work." Be prepared to write 30 pages per class. If this excites you like it excites us at SLC then this is the place for you. Classes are capped at 15 students, so come prepared and knowing your reading. You are on a first name basis with teachers, because along with having your classes you meet with each professor individually and create an independent study to work on for the whole semester. This is known as you, "Conference Project." We feel flustered at times as well so we have a professor called our Don. Our Don is our academic advisor. Your Don is there to help you in all your academic endeavors.

Academics are the reason we go here. the social life is great, but its not the draw of the school. The draw is that we have really small classes, you get constant teacher interaction, they know not only your name, but where you are from, what your parents do, what you are interested in, and often your cell phone number. Teachers are approachable, even if you aren't their student. They genuinely like teaching here, and the system that we have. We are researched based and have some sort of semester long project or paper for most classes. The teachers get to really bring you into the topic, there are no "psych 101" classes. You can get exactly what you want out of your classes, and teachers spend a lot of time making sure that you are really getting everything you want to get.

The writing department is amazing. I realize that many of the kids that I am sitting in class with, will become real, mainstream, successful writers, and those that don'e will be starving artists in Brooklyn, still, just writing for the love of it.

The first thing to mention about Sarah Lawrence classes is that they are definitely for education's sake. Unless you are specializing in music or a language specifically, chances are you will have taken any and every class in every subject which makes the Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree sort of useless. Generally everyone expects to continue on to grad school but that is also because we all just like learning. We study all the time but we know how to make it fun--more often than not, groups of people will get together to study or write papers together. Each class requires several hours of reading for preparation which, including conference work makes the work-week about a million hours long; however, we definitely don't only do work. the curriculum is really individualized so all the professors you have know your name and know what you are studying specifically.

Terrific education. Great faculty - really supportive of students. Intellectually stimulating. Puppetry program is wonderful. All around good place to learn

It is very catered to your own needs and interests, focusing on conference work which can be on almost anything that suits your fancy even if it is only vaguely related to the class. Professors make an effort to know not only the students names but their backgrounds as well as their personal problems. Don's sometimes ask questions you wish they wouldn't when trying to get to know you.

Students here are offered a closer relationship with their professors than almost any other undergraduate student in the country. I transferred from a large state school and have many friends who attend other small liberal arts colleges from around the country. I still see one of my philosophy professors from my first year here every week for lunch. That wouldn't have happened for me anywhere but here.

Academics are great, but more demanding than any other school, Ivys included. You get lots of time with your professors and classes are only fifteen students. Even though we don't really have tests, it is more than made up for in reading and papers. Instead of a final, you have a conference paper that is about twenty pages for every class, so it's not as if you are getting off easy.

All the professors here get to know you really well through conferences. It's all very personal and intimate and you learn a lot.

I really like the academics. My teachers are pretty awesome, I don't feel limited at all, and I like not having to take tests or midterms. Writing 10 paged papers a week can get a little rough, but I know I'm writing about something I enjoy. Conference time is even better, because I get to take what I love about the class and bring it to the next level. We don't have a very good library, but our interlibrary loan service is awesome. I really feel that teachers put a lot of effort into helping and teaching, and its obvious they really care.

Sarah Lawrence has a very distinctive academic program, which students love, hate, or alternately love and hate. Students take three intensive classes, and, as a component of each complete some sort of independent research project, usually a paper. Students meet one-on-one with their professors every other week throughout the semester to discuss these projects. Also, there are no majors. Everyone chooses their own academic course and graduates with a degree in liberal arts. Also, grades are a sort of mysterious thing. They exist, yes, but they are hidden away in the Registrar's Office and are only released on request. Instead, professors write individualized evaluations of each student's performance.

Academics here depend highly on the student's motivation. You chose how much you push yourself. Professors are more for guidance if you get stuck. Classes are conducted in a round table discussion. Depending on the topic, discussions can get pretty intense. But this is what the students love. Of course there are a few students who tend to dominate the class, and professors who push too much or not at all. When you spend a lot of time in one department as I have, you get comfortable, and that's the most important thing. Professors generally make an effort to get to know their students.

Classes are good teacher knows you well, my favorite class is my 16mm production class its hard working with old cameras that break but when you get something together with the guidance of your professor its amazing and it almost makes every penny worth it. lots of conversations out of class no ones that competitive everything is great.

i think the program is incredible and brilliant but its not always carried out the way it should be.

The best thing about Sarah Lawrence is the class size and the relationships we have with our teachers. I have never felt uncomfortable going and asking a teacher for extra help, which I think is great. The conference project system is stressful, but also encourages a lot more learning than memorizing information for at test and spewing it out later. I think I have a really well-rounded education.

Classes are small, and you meet every other week with your teacher, one on one, so you develop a real relationship with many of your professors. There's a wide range of diverse classes, and you interview with the teacher before you sign up, to make sure you're both a good fit. You have to participate, and you have to do work, but, because of the emphasis on individual education, you are almost always engaged in your studies. There are no requirements, and no majors, which can be good and bad. The education (with its liberal arts degree) is not geared towards finding you a career, but it teaches you to think.

I'm often amused by how taken back people are when I refer to my professors by their first names, but that's just the sort of relationships that are built here. Topics and debates can get personal and there's no need to pretend otherwise. Knowing that you can bring all of yourself to a group conference and knowing that the teacher is doing no less is a very freeing feeling.

My 'major' was self-declared, since SLC neither has defined majors, nor majors at all. I know of few undergraduate institutions where I could have walked away declaring a concentration in Medieval Studies, and I'm extremely grateful that I can, with a secondary concentration in Art History. Interdisciplinary study is vitally important to me, and SLC is the only place I know of where a student can pursue that with ease.

Classes are incredibly individualistic, capping off at fifteen students. Students have close relationships with professors and everyone's on a first name basis.

Sarah Lawrence is a great school for academics. We have small class sizes and individual instruction with your professors for conference work. The professors who teach at Sarah Lawrence really clearly want to be here and because of that you will be getting their best which will in turn make you want achieve more. Class bonding is common, enjoyable and allows for a number of intellectual discussions to take place outside of the classroom over lunch or just sitting out on the lawn.

YES! the professors know my name. My favorite class is Global Geographies: my peers have had amazing experiences abroad, and I don't have a least favorite class It depends on the student. You can get by without doing anything here. Almost everyone participates in class, its hard not to... classes are small. Besides, most everyone likes talking. Competitive??? Nah. YES! We have intellectual conversations anywhere and everywhere (lunch, before gym...etc) I have spent time with a professor outside of class, but its not common. Professors give students the space they need here. LEARNING FOR ITS OWN SAKE! DUH!

probably one of my favorite things about sarah lawrence is the accessibility and interpersonal relationships formed with teachers on campus. slc has a fantastic faculty and the amount of connection/level of friendship that students can form with them and the support they provide is, in my experienced, unmatched. albiet a fair amount of that outreach needs to be done at the initiative of students, the conference system makes it so that the teachers who choose to work here are putting out in order to make themselves available.

Seminar and donning system is the most effective pedagogy for learning that exists at a university level - small class sizes, individual research projects, and one on one interaction with teachers inspires learning.

the academics here are amazing. i never really understood how much a class can impact your life until i came here. The teachers are completely personally invested in each and every student, and you get to know each of them on both an academic and personal level. The teachers are all experts in their fields, and are some of the most prominent scholars in varius fields.

Academics are rigorous but also a lot of fun because you get to study your interests. The students are not competitive, class participation is required, you get very close with your professors and students enjoy learning for learning's sake.

The academics are amazing. there is no other school that offers the type of education that SLC offers- the classses are so unique.

The academics at SLC are always going to be the thing that will dissuade me from choosing to go there. I wouldn't sacrifice the connections I had with the professors for anything. The influence they had on shaping me as a human being has only increased in proportion to my time away from Sarah Lawrence. I could've been a better student, for sure, but the education I received was beyond academic.

Professors most assuredly know everyone's name (except maybe in lectures, but even then) -- literature is terrific here, and, while there are a few faculty members to avoid, every class setting has had resonance with me and I definitely value my experience. Learning for learning's sake is great -- I got a job based on the name and SLC's stress on independent motivation and learning.

Academics at Sarah Lawrence are fantastic! All my professors know me personally. Some of the professors will even give you their cell phone number in case of an emergency. My favorite class so far has been my first year study: Architecture and the Texts with Joe Forte. He is a great professor and will always get your attention! Students are NOT competitive. I think this is definitely one of the positive aspects of Sarah Lawrence. Sarah Lawrence is geared toward learning for its own sake!

Very few colleges have the student - teacher ratio that SLC has. Your professors not only know your name, but are interested in your life in and outside of SLC and your goals, plans, hobbies, favorite words, concerns, abilities, etc. Often students get to know their professors and vice versa outside of the classroom and office and create longer relationships through frequent meetings or even just friendly emails of correspondence. Classes are small most of the time, and this allows for everyone's voice to be heard (which reinforces the need to remain current on study as well).

Sarah Lawrence is a place for students to create and pursue their big questions. If you have a big question (or even just a curiosity/interest) SLC allows and encourages a student to answer their questions and explore their curiosities. For instance, do you wonder about the effects of prison programs (school/vocational/etc) on the recidivism rate---well at SLC you can explore those ideas and may even get the opportunity to spend time in a prison talking to inmates in the programs. Professors at SLC are not necessarily going to give answers but encourage you to think of questions you can answer and assist in the process. Students have very close working relationships to professors--it is more a partnership than a teacher student relationship. Students call professors by their first times not as "Professor Smith." Class discussions are paramount to the philosophy at SLC and students are thus expected to participate. Discussions are largely student led--depending on the class this is either a GREAT experience or frustrating--sometimes a mix of the two.

We have bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with our professors, who we call by their first names. Just hazard a guess as to whether our profs know our names. We have something called the, "Sarah Lawrence Round Table," where everyone is an equal. Our classes are small--fifteen student cap--and we sit around and talk out the issues of a certain subject. It gives everything a very personal feel.

I like how the focus here is more on discussion and learning to articulate your ideas, rather than memorization or textbook learning. I think you learn more about developing your own ideas instead of regurgitating other people's concepts.

Are great, if you dedicate yourself to them. People can slip by easily if they don't care.

Sarah Lawrence students Always have intellectual conversations outside of class. I can hardly tell when the learning stops and starts. That's what I love about this school. Everyone loves learning. Oh man, I love my professors, they're pretty kick-ass. I spend some time with certain ones outside of class (i.e. I'm interning with one this summer and baby-sitting for another), but I wouldn't recommend this if you don't have a very solid working-relationship with the said professor...I really like lectures for that reason (i.e. the science ones or the 202 Heimbold ones) : you get to engage with professors in a out-of-classroom scene, which is very refreshing.

All professors know all their students names - if they don't they shouldn't be here My favourite class is Economics of the Environment - Marilyn Power My least favourites are my two other courses - Chemistry and Spanish Students do not study that much because there aren't really tests or exams to cram for Class participation is the norm for every class - the typical SLC student does not know how to not participate Yes students have very intellectual conversations outside of class - every conversation is intellectual for the most part I have not found the student body competitive at all - however there are particular people who have been competitive - A huge reason I came to the school was to get away from competition The most unique class I've taken is Economics of the Environment I am pre-med - so many prerequisites - so little time - very hard I spend time with my professors whenever I need to - outside of class in conference - extra help - they are always there for me The academic requirements have not been a problem for me yet - just wish I didn't have so many requirements for pre-med It's geared towards learning for its own sake which is amazing but scary at the same time because I need to get a good job later in life!!!