Sarah Lawrence College Top Questions

Despite popular belief that SLC is still all-women, it is in fact a co-educational college and has been since 1968. The TeaHaus and the Black Squirrel (coffee house) are two places where I spend most of my time. They are quite chill, and both raise money for the Students for Student's Scholarhips Fund.

Best thing is teachers/classes. I'd change the high cost of tutition, and lack of good financial aid programs. i would also insitute a stronger affirmative action policy. not a college town at all.

Don't expect to be given anything except excellent guidance - all work is self initiated, and most classes require a lot of personal thought and deep consideration.

As unpopular as this opinion is, I love Sarah Lawrence and I think its a fantastic school for a select portion of the college-age population. One's success and happiness here depends heavily on whether he or she is part of the select portion.

Very little "school pride" in the traditional sense, although it seems that many people remark on the novelty of SLC, which they admire a lot. I like the size, but it's often like a bubble, where you often see the same people every day. No college town. Most of Sarah Lawrence is a dichotomy between pretentious idiots and actually smart, thinking people. "Anything unusual" does not even being to describe Sarah Lawrence, which can sometimes be wonderful and other times exceedingly annoying.

Sometimes the school can be way too small. I would say it's a particularly bad place to have a relationship, especially if it ends poorly: chances are, you've both got a large overlap of friends. The classes are quite difficult, but varyingly so. Usually if someone knows about Sarah Lawrence, they'll say that it's supposed to be a good school. When explaining about our unique "pedagogy" (I'm pretty sure that's our school President's favorite word), people usually react more incredulously, wondering "what kind of school do you go to?!" There's no college town to speak of, but the city is a half hour away! Students really like to complain about the food and financial aid (And how poor our school is). We have a non-traditional sort of school pride, I think, though I'm not sure how to explain that.

The best thing about SLC is being able to study almost anything you want within the rubric of the liberal arts and sciences, without any class requirements. Classes generally range from 5-20 students, usually around 13. The professors are great, and very supportive.

I love that the people here are, for the most part, incredibly open minded. I came in as a transfer student from a HORRIBLE place called Eckerd College, where everyone was a rich, spoiled white kid who had no concept of self and who spent their time sitting on there asses, drinking, smoking, and letting their brain cells disintegrate into blobs of narrow-minded waste. Sorry if I sound vindictive. I am. At Sarah Lawrence, however, people are very progressive in their though, very accepting of difference and diversity, and willing to spend hours discussing and debating what they're learning. The intellectual stimulation here is not to be believed. The people I've met here are changing my life and I love them for it. The one thing about Sarah Lawrence that's important to note, however, is that you HAVE to (you MUST!!!) be a very self-motivated individual. This school is not the ideal place for someone who prefers the regular structure of a typical university or college. 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. You can definitely go for days without doing work, but it will be obvious when you come to your conference with no knowledge and no material for discussion. My advice: alot yourself specific hours in the day where you subject yourself to reading/writing/studying/or just simply cogitating/ruminating about one of your concentrations.

Three things bother me about this school: The school has a nice size of students, but I feel like the student body is split. There are the ultra-fashionista popular kids who use their parents credit cards to go into the city and party every night, and then there are the rest of us. A lot of the students are pretentious and believe that they are special because of the money that they have, but these people usually mellow out some after the first year. Lastly, there is a pretty high transfer rate so it's not unusual to ask a first-year if she is transferring upon first meeting. After that, the academics are great. The teachers are fabulous. The classes are pretty good. Housing can be great or not so great depending on your lottery number. With the surge of accepted students, it's getting harder to house them. The food on campus is not so great, but it's not that big of a deal if you are one of the lucky students receiving an amazing financial aid package. When I tell people what school I go to most of them don't know what it is and the rest are pretty impressed. I spend a lot of time working to pay for school so I don't go to alot of student activities. Bronxville is definitely not a college town and the people who live there really hate us because we are "gay" or something. What this school really needs are students who aren't pretentious, are mellow and interested in education.

I really enjoy my school. It's small, therefore the faculty student ratio provides a more one-on-one experience. This as well as the donning system is what attracted me to the college. Also I find the location perfect. I am always surrounded by nature and have the option to immerse myself in either suburbia or the city. We definitely do not have a college town but I feel this is fine due to the fact that Manhattan is just a 20 minute train ride away. The most common reactions to those who learn that I attend SLC is either 1) Where? 2) Isn't it an all girls school (not since 1969) and 3) Oh! from 10 things I hate about you. The thing I find most frustrating would be the lack of student activism. There are small sects of students really working hard in causes they believe in, but I find most are just talkers. There are definitely other schools with a stronger sense of civil service. Yet, as far as an educational institution I find SLC to be stimulating and rewarding. One doesn’t come to this campus for an easy ride and I can't imagine anyone leaving, should that be by graduating or dropping out, without learning something or another.

I've never been to any other college, so it's hard to compare SLC to other colleges; however, I am told that the SLC experience is very different from that of other universities. We take mostly seminars, with class sizes ranging from under 10 to about 15 students. You need to take two lectures within four years as a requirement, but even these have another component called "group conferences". In these conferences, you and a few other students from the class have an extra session with the professor, and the class is conducted like a seminar. In classes that are already seminars, you have a conference with your professor every two weeks. In these sessions it is just you and the professor, and usually you work on your "conference project" - a creative project of your divising connected to the class, on which you work either all semester or all year. This is a very different experience from other colleges, I have heard. The problem with SLC is that the literature raves about certain other unique qualities of the school that are not totally true. They say that SLC students don't get grades - they get evaluations instead. This is supposed to be a much more effective system because evaluations tell you more about what you are doing right or wrong than grades. Problem is, the evaluations only work when teachers write them for you, which is not all the time. One of my teachers was supposed to give us evaluations in December; we got them in March. Furthermore, all of my evaluations so far have basically said, "you are doing well in my class". While this is better than "you are doing badly in my class", it is still incredibly vague. What am I doing right? Is there anything that I should be changing? I think that a letter grade would at least have given me an idea of just how well I was doing in relation to the teacher's expectations. So far, all I know is that I'm not failing.

The professors at Sarah Lawrence are excellent. The conference system and small classes are the hallmarks of a Sarah Lawrence education. The school is, like most liberal arts schools, small. I won't lie: I do get tired of seeing the same faces day in and day out. I get mixed reactions when I tell people that I go to Sarah Lawrence. Typically, someone will either express confusion as to where and what Sarah Lawrence is, or they will say something to the effect of, "That's nice," politely hiding their belief that I'm probably a raging hippie. I spend most of my time either in my room or in the library. There are two reasons for this. One, I actually do all of my homework and put a lot of thought into it. Two, there's absolutely nothing to do on campus. Bronxville is a nice town, but I wouldn't call it a "college town." There are some good restaurants, a small movie theater, a couple of stores, and a train station. The people have been, in my experience, friendly. It's not a bad place at all, but just isn't really that college-friendly. Sarah Lawrence's administration is a total, for lack of a better term, clusterfuck. Expect headaches if you have to deal with the administration, especially the Office of Financial Aid. The biggest recent controversy was a stupid quibble over bathroom signs perpetuating America's oh-so evil binary gender system. No, people here have nothing better to do with their time. There's virtually no school pride. Go Gryphons. A better question would be, "Is there anything normal about Sarah Lawrence?" I will always remember eating dinner in Bates with Sam Seigle, who is quite the legend on campus. The most frequent student complaints center on the food (which is actually fine, but I guess it's not so hot if you're used to having a personal chef like most of the students here) and on facilities.

Sarah Lawrence has had a reputation for being very liberal and being relaxed when it comes to student events. In recent years, however, most of our fantastic staff has gone to work at other schools, leaving us with the administrators who tend to be more conservative. This has not been the best of situations, however, our student government is doing a great job of keeping with important traditions (like Sleaze week, for example).

The best thing about SLC is the academics, and the relationships you can develop with your teachers. Because the classes are small and because of the conference system you really get to know your teachers. The school is VERY SMALL, I came from a tiny highschool and thought I wanted a small college, but since there is not a very strong sense of community I found it hard to meet people and develop relationships. I live off campus and have my own friends who don't go to SLC, I just go there for class, which is sad but for me that is what works best. No one wears the school colors, sometimes they wear school sweatshirts, but I would say people are pretty into their own thing and school pride does not really factor in. I think that the most intense time at SLC is conference week, when the big end of term papers are due, everyone stays up all night and it gets pretty crazy. Freshman have to live on campus, and some of the housing is really cute, but I paid $1,100.00 my freshman year to live in a tiny triple in the 'New Dorms' where the rooms are so small and dark and institutional. They don't show those rooms on the tour!

I wish there was more of a diversity among the students...I would love to see more Asians, Indians, African Americans, etc. Maybe it is because I am use to really diverse settings in NYC schools, but this campus is still too homogeneous for me. The student senate is so disconnected from the student body. That will always be an issue unless the students decide to one day overthrow student senate and create a brand new one. The campus is just beautiful in the winter and equally breathtaking in the spring. The new president, Karen Lawrence, is so on top of things that need to be done (quality of life, renovations, campus wireless, etc) that I am sad I am leaving next year because I want to see the school improve even more under her years here. The students themselves are so friendly if you just go up to them. The stereotype that people are unfriendly here is false; people are just shy and often awkward. No matter who you are, you will find a group of friends here and the best classes ever. If you make the most of SLC, then you learn more than any of your friends in other universities in terms of academics.

When I tell people I go to Sarah Lawrence, as a male, the very first thing they ask me is if it's an all girls school. I tell them that's changed. Of all the words to describe Sarah Lawrence, change is up there. I hesitate to use the word different because our college certainly abuses it in their flyers and presentations. I think most students here have a love/hate relationship with the phrase "you're different, so are we". It's not that it's untrue, but rather that it's too true. Many a point has been raised that if we're all different, then we're all the same. The truth is that it doesn't matter because we all strive in a similarly different direction, together. One of the problems of living so close to a city is that there's a lack of a definitive social scene, but it kills two birds with one stone by offering just about any possibility for social variety while continuing to be a closed campus. The campus itself is a huge asset to the college, because as small as it is, it's certainly diverse, and we've all carved away our own little niches.

I'm going to answer these questions in order. The best thing about Sarah Lawrence is the freedom-- freedom of the educational system, freedom of the student body, etc. Everyone here is really accepting and everyone is allowed to study whatever he or she wants, regardless of what his or her academic focus is. One thing I would change is the maintenance of the campus. The paths are somewhat cracked (and therefore not very handicap-accessible) and the appearance and overall "homeliness" of the buildings (inside, mostly) are a little off-putting. For such an expensive private school, I would expect a LITTLE more. I think this school (student body population approximately 1300) is the perfect size for me. For others it is too small. When I tell people I go to Sarah Lawrence, their first answer is always, "Oh!" Whether that's a good "oh" or a bad "oh" I'm not always sure, but this school does have a reputation as one of the best theater and creative writing schools around. Also the hippie-ness and liberalness and gayness! Most of my time on campus is spent either in the library or in my dorm room. Contrary to popular belief, we do get a lot of work, although the work isn't always bad and is never boring. Not much of a college town. New York is our college town. We're only half an hour from Manhattan! My opinion of Sarah Lawrence's administration: it's alright. They definitely listen to the students when we have something to say- they very much value our opinions when it comes to the professors, policies, campus food quality... anything, really. They know we pay a lot and deserve to get our money's worth. The most frequent complaint on campus is the quality of the food (which I think is not so bad. Everyone else is just fussy). The biggest recent controversy was the termination of our tradition, the "Coming-Out" dance. It was an annual thing that celebrated both sexual and non-sexual diversity, and one year it got a little out of control, resulting in its end. I'm a freshman and never got to attend, but I've heard it was amazing. Everyone wants the dance back, and everyone is willing to change the intensity of their partying in order to get it back. I think the administration should help us bring back the Coming-Out Dance, as it really brought the school together, and we current students are now being penalized for the "hard-coredness" of those who, years ago, did things they shouldn't have. There is SOME school pride. I'm definitely proud to attend Sarah Lawrence! This feeling comes a lot from my gratitude at being ABLE to attend this school, but the students are incredible, and smart, and driven; each person has so much to offer the world and I can't wait until we all get out there and give back what we're passionate about. Anything unusual about Sarah Lawrence? EVERYTHING is unusual about Sarah Lawrence! That's why it's such a great place to be! By unusual I mean unique; there are people walking around with all sorts of different colored hair, transgendered people, environmentally-friendly people, you name 'em, we got 'em. I fell in love here. That is something I will never forget.

The best thing about Sarah Lawrence is its faculty. They are amazing teachers and amazing people. I would change so many things about this school, but perhaps the thing I'd most like to change is the gender ratio here. It should be evened out or just be all women. I think Sarah Lawrence is too small. Most people I mention Sarah Lawrence to don't know where or what it is. Bronxville is an okay town for a little while but you really have to look elsewhere for things to do. Sarah Lawrence's administration I believe tries but currently they are falling short of what the college needs. There is little school pride or sense of community.

The best thing about Sarah Lawrence? The Spring time. Everyone comes out of their rooms, people shave their legs, dresses are worn and its all downhill from there, baby. One thing I would change: Alcohol and Drug policy. LOOSEN UP. Sure, first years are stupid, but not everyone needs to go to the hospital when they have glassy eyes or stumble a bit. When I tell people I go to SLC they somehow think its this prestigious institution. Perhaps because it seemed so nice in The Notebook, or because Kat wanted to go here so bad in Ten Things I Hate About You, but I don't see it as highly as everyone else does. Sometimes its as if I said I went to Princeton... no joke. But then there are those that know its artsy and progressive and ask if I take real classes. Bronxville fucking sucks. They grew up with the college, why do they hate us so much? I hate getting glares or weird looks in town. I'd like people to appreciate us. The businesses should appreciate how much we do for them! We could have an awesome relationship. Maybe we could have a lock in at the gym. I'd say there is some school pride. Its quite hidden, but this is our school, its our place. We all complain, we all want some things to change, but most of us understand that it is our responsibility to make these things happen. I couldn't see myself anywhere else so I see it as my duty to grow with SLC and I am proud to go here. The Sarah Lawrence admin all have giant sticks up their asses. You think this is a liberal institution? Sure we have lesbians and nudity. But when it comes down to it, we have low diversity, hate crimes, and an administration against marijuana and nudity. They are such conservative bastards. Most frequent student complaints: housing is a big deal. we run out of space. and WHY DO I ALWAYS GET BUMPED FROM CLASSES. There isn't supposed to be seniority but I'd like to have more of a chance to get good classes.

I really love Sarah Lawrence. Being a student here has really forced me to mature and become more independent. No one is going to baby you here, if you want to learn you have to go and do it. At the same time the teaching is really excellent. I came to school here wanting to study creative writing and fine arts, and while taking courses here I discovered my love for science. I'm excited about my future and I'm excited Sarah Lawrence has been there to help shape the path I'm going to take.

The best thing about Sarah Lawrence is the professors. They are generally very knowledgeable and accessible, and very welcoming of enthusiastic students. However, there is something I would change about virtually every other aspect of the school. Number one on the list is some kind of required general education class, in which students would also learn how to participate in a productive seminar, because the First Year Studies classes don't achieve this. Seminars often turn into an agree/disagree game, and there is little to no common foundational knowledge among the students on which the professor can build. The school's size is just fine. When I tell people I go to Sarah Lawrence, they often haven't heard of it, or ask if it is an all-girls school. I spend most of my time in my dorm because there is no student life center. "What college town?" Bronxville is nice but not the kind of place where a college student can hang out on a Friday night. The administration is inefficient, but well-meaning and approachable. The biggest controversies on campus usually revolve around a trivial point involving gender identities, even though there are plenty of larger academic and financial issues this school should be focusing on. There was a bigger uproar about the supposed "misogyny" of bathroom signs than the fact that students were sleeping in cots for the lack of proper bedrooms. There is no such thing as SLC school pride - people are too afraid of seeming conformist. Everything about Sarah Lawrence is unusual because students make that their goal every morning when they get out of bed. Take that as you will. I will always remember the night last April 20th when I walked to main campus to get a late-night snack, and saw people running around naked. The most frequent student complaints are the food, which I think is fine, and the horrible financial aid situation.

the meal plan in the pub is TERRIBLE, but bates is delicious and one swipe gets you all you want/need. there is no school pride except in the fact that we are DIFFERENT and dont do things in a way that resembles normal most frequent complaints by students: getting bumped (or double bumped!), housing is crappy, campus is too hill-y the school is just the right size for me at least, there are enough people that i recognize people ive never met before, but not tiny enough that i have all the same classes with the same people

The best thing about SLC: the flexibility of the professors with regards to personal interests. For instance, I'm in an Italian Renaissance Art and Architecture class, but for conference work, my prof is letting me study the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. One thing I'd change: the number of pretentious assholes on campus. The school is too small; I feel like I've met everyone, and a majority of the people I've met I don't like. I spend most of my time on campus in my apartment building, in me and my friends apartments, and in Heimbold, the art building. There is no college town for SLC. Bronxville hates us and Yonkers scares us. It's better to just escape into the city. I think SLC's administration doesn't do a good enough job caring for its students. I have been harassed by security and other tenants in my building on numerous occasions and I have seen no action to have that stopped. I also feel like the administration is very disorganized. The biggest recent controversy...when a student who was of legal drinking age showed up to a dance party at which security was present visibly drunk, but certainly not in need of hospitalization. Security collared him and tried to force him to go to the hospital, at which point his friends and him basically ran away. Security tracked him down to his room, woke him up and made him go to the hospital, despite the fact that the EMTs thought he was completely fine. School pride: none. Often, it feels like I don't really go to school here. The athletic (i barely deign to call them that) teams try to muster up some school pride, but its pretty lame. I think SLC is just unusual in general: no grades, no majors, no requirements. One experience I'll always remember: having security bust into my apartment when my friends and I were doing homework silently and issue us a noise complaint. Most frequent students complaints: overpriced and shitty food, first years have to be on the meal plan, asshole security guards, the hospital policy for drunk students, lack of community