School Description

Provided by Sarah Lawrence College

Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence is a small liberal arts college for men and women. It is a lively community of students, scholars, and artists, nationally renowned for its unique academic structure, which combines small classes with individual student-faculty conferences.

Sarah Lawrence attracts students who seek a creative education and are eager to take responsibility for it. The College draws its 300 graduate students from forty-nine states and thirty-one countries.

Each student works with a faculty adviser (called a “don”) to design his or her own program of study. The don is available for ongoing academic and personal guidance.

The College encourages students to choose the courses of study most meaningful to them and recognizes the importance of tailoring each student’s program to his or her specific interests. The faculty don and the student work together to plan a program that will be most beneficial. And at the start of the semester, students interview individual faculty before making class selections.

While there are no formal majors at Sarah Lawrence, all academic studies are writing intensive and intellectually challenging. Our students call their main areas of interest “concentrations.” Working with their dons, students develop an educational plan and approach best suited to their individual needs.

Sarah Lawrence was among the first colleges in the U.S. to include the arts within its curriculum, underscoring our belief that development of the creative faculties plays a central role in the growth of the individual.

Campus life at SLC reflects the intellectual, social, and personal interests of the entire College community. The freedom to pursue your interests—both academically and socially—makes possible a level of engagement that blurs the line between work and play.

Your academic pursuits integrate seamlessly with—and inform—your social endeavors...and vice versa. On-campus events regularly include poetry readings and performances, theatre and dance productions, art exhibits, musical performances featuring on-campus musicians as well as local and national performers, fall and spring formals, bands, films, and special events.

The College is situated in the Bronxville/Yonkers community of Bronxville in southern Westchester County, just 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan in New York City. Highways and a commuter railroad make it possible to reach the city in about 30 minutes, enabling students to take advantage of its social, cultural, and intellectual riches and its internship possibilities.

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Sarah Lawrence College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Sarah Lawrence is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States. It is located in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, north of Manhattan. Sarah Lawrence was founded in 1926 as a women's college and became a coeducational institution in 1968. The College is known for its rigorous academic standards and low student-to-faculty ratio of 9-to-1. Individual student-faculty tutorials patterned after the Oxford/Cambridge system are a key component of all areas of study. Sarah Lawrence emphasizes scholarship, particularly in the humanities, performing arts, and writing, and places a high value on independent study. In The Best College for You, a 2000 co-publication of Time Magazine and The Princeton Review, Sarah Lawrence College was named the liberal arts "College of the Year", citing the school's strong emphasis on writing across the curriculum.

History

Sarah Lawrence College was established by real-estate mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence on the grounds of his estate in Westchester County and was named in honor of his wife, Sarah. The College was originally intended to provide instruction in the arts and humanities for women. A major component of the College's early curriculum was "productive leisure," wherein students were required to work for eight hours weekly in such fields as modeling, shorthand, typewriting, applying makeup, and gardening. Its pedagogy, modeled on the tutorial system of Oxford University, combined independent research projects, individually supervised by the teaching faculty, and seminars with low student-to-faculty ratio—a credo it retains to the present, despite its cost. Sarah Lawrence was the first liberal arts college in the United States to incorporate a rigorous approach to the arts with the principles of progressive education, focusing on the primacy of teaching and the concentration of curricular efforts on individual needs.

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Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Check With School
Location:
Northeast
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Private
Size:
Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
1,292
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
100%
Athletic Programs:
Unavailable
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 34,042
Students Receiving Aid:
65%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 60
Selectivity:
Highly Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Sarah Lawrence College

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

    See more schools with programs in Arts & Humanities
    • General Studies See more schools with programs in General Studies
      • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
        A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.
        See more schools with programs in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies

Master's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

    See more schools with programs in Arts & Humanities
    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • Creative Writing
        A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts.
        See more schools with programs in Creative Writing
    • Film and Theater See more schools with programs in Film and Theater
      • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
        A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
        See more schools with programs in Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
    • General Studies See more schools with programs in General Studies
      • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
        A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.
        See more schools with programs in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
    • Performing Arts See more schools with programs in Performing Arts
      • General Dance
        A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production.
        See more schools with programs in General Dance
  • Education

    See more schools with programs in Education
    • Teacher Training See more schools with programs in Teacher Training
      • Elementary Education and Teaching
        A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the elementary grades, which may include kindergarten through grade eight, depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all elementary education subject matter.
        See more schools with programs in Elementary Education and Teaching
  • Family and Consumer Science Professions

    See more schools with programs in Family and Consumer Science Professions
    • Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services See more schools with programs in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
      • Human Development and Family Studies
        A general program that focuses on basic human developmental and behavioral characteristics of the individual within the context of the family. Includes instruction in the conditions that influence human growth and development; strategies that promote growth and development across the life span; and the study of family systems.
        See more schools with programs in Human Development and Family Studies
  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Human/Medical Genetics
        A program that focuses on the scientific study of human genetics from the standpoint of medical applications such as clinical diagnosis, genetic engineering and therapy, transplantation, and the study of genetic diseases and disabilities and their defense. Includes instruction in human molecular genetics; genetic factors causing disease; changes in gene expression during development, differentiation, and pathogenesis; recombinant DNA; gene therapy; clinical genetics; genetic epidemiology; immunogenetics; cytogenetics; and genetics of specific disorders and diseases.
        See more schools with programs in Human/Medical Genetics
  • Social Sciences

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Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 76%
Men 24%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 72%
Other 18%
Asian 4%
African-American 4%
Hispanic 2%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 85%
In-State 15%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
New York 15%
California 12%
New Jersey 8%
Massachusetts 8%
Pennsylvania 6%
Percent of Students International: 2%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 65%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
$ 34,042    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 33,270    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 772    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 4,705 11%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 2,148 9%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 19,072 46%  
Student Loans:
$ 2,130 44%  
Any Aid:
  65%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 45% (Highly Selective)

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 60.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Recommended
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Not Required

College Advice

Yahoo

Question: PLEASE HELP! Very stressed - Sarah Lawrence College!!!?

How competitive is admission to Sarah Lawrence College? I have a 3.5 GPA average right now and I'm a sophomore. Writing is an extreme passion of mine and English is a course that I've taken much interest in. During freshman year I took English 9 Honors and am taking English 10 Honors right now. I plan to take an AP English class next year and an AP English class senior year. I also want to take English/writing classes over the summer at my state college. I have a feeling I will do well on both the PSATS and the SATS. Will good/high scores on both (especially in the Critical Reading and Writing sections) be a plus? I really, really want to go there. Am I not good enough?!
34 months ago

Best Answer

Sarah Lawrence has made the SATs optional, because they don't believe they are a good predictor of success in college. However, most applicants still submit them. If you score well (above 650 or 700 on each section), then submit them. If you don't, then don't submit them. Taking a creative writing course over the summer is a very good idea. Also, taking AP English courses is also wise. You should also take other AP courses as well. You will want to strive for As in all your English courses, and develop relationships with your teachers, as their recommendations will be important. I also recommend that you volunteer in your community, perhaps in a capacity that involves writing. Tutoring young children in literacy, working at a library, or designing a creative writing program for youth would all be great ideas. Sarah Lawrence is a wonderful college. I wish you every success!

Question: Anyone go to Sarah Lawrence College?

If do you, what are the best things about it? The worst? Your favorite class? Is the male to female ratio really that dense in the female part? I want to apply there because it's so writing-oriented, just like me.
34 months ago

Best Answer

If If you like the idea of Sarah Lawrence, make sure you investigate small, liberal arts schools that have similar approaches --- you will write a LOT no matter where you go if you study the humanities --- and at the undergraduate level, there's no such thing as "best school for writing" -- unless you include Iowa in your considerations... because it has BY FAR the best MFA in creative writing, their undergrad program is bound to be affected too -- but not by too much... don't apply to a school because you like a field they do particularly well in until you apply to grad school -- it simply doesn't make that big a difference at undergrads. instead, look at atmosphere, setting (rural or city?), size of classes and overall size, attitude toward learning and teaching, whether it's a college or university (in a college you will have ZERO grad students teaching your classes, while at a university they will have to get their students some experience in teaching in your classrooms), consider all of these things and look at at least 20 different schools in depth. then visit five of them and see where you feel most comfortable. attend that school. but seriously, very serious advice -- do NOT pick a school because they are "writing-oriented" -- you will be ignoring about a hundred other variables that will affect you much more than their attitude towards writing! my "keepin it real" 2c

Question: sarah lawrence college vs. brown university?

which is better? which is better, in detail? can't decide, lol!
44 months ago

Best Answer

Brown has a better overall academic reputation in most disciplines, except for the arts. Therefore, if you intend to major in theatre, film, or studio art, Sarah Lawrence may be the better choice. However, between these two schools, you really can't go wrong. Both are academically challenging, and have great campus cultures.

Question: If you had the choice between Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Vermont, what would you pick?

I was all ready to go to UVM..sent my $300 deposit in and everything, thinking I'd nevvverr get into SLC. Then today I found out I was accepted into BOTH. SLC is way more expensive, but a way better school...What do I do?!
45 months ago

Best Answer

UVM and Sarah Lawrence are two very different schools. Completely different atmospheres, different approaches to teaching, different types of locations - I think that you need to sit down and think about both schools in terms of which you think will be a better fit for you. At this point, if you haven't already done so, I think you need to pay a visit to each school. With that said, I'm intrigued by the program at Sarah Lawrence. As you said, academically overall, it's a more rigorous program, and it's a bit untraditional. UVM is much more traditional, and overall is somewhat less academically rigorous, but there are some very strong courses there - you could certainly craft a very challenging experience there, if you want it. The two schools are just so different from each other; I really think you need to decide based on which school is a better overall fit for you.

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Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, NY 10708
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