Sarah Lawrence College

Academics

The historic Sarah Lawrence campus is home to approximately 1,450 undergraduates, each of whom receives a rigorous, personalized liberal arts education composed of small seminars and bi-weekly, one-on-one student-faculty conferences. The college offers "an enriching experience in the classroom, around campus, and in the surrounding area," and strives to produce graduates with the analytical and practical skills needed to act independently. Classes "place a lot of emphasis on roundtable discussion rather than lecturing" so that "there's more of a chance to ask questions and engage with the material being presented." The open academics are built around direct faculty participation in students' learning, which means that rather than having majors, students "choose courses from a wide variety of disciplines" and work with a faculty adviser to plan their course curriculum. "We get to study exactly what we wish to and aren't forced to spend time...filling non-applicable general education requirements," says one.

Undergrads applaud the relative lack of "restrictions about what you're allowed to take," and note that this freedom is further enhanced by personalized study projects, which they get to design each semester, and "often give students the chance to be creative with their learning." One enrollee's example: "For a history class this year, I wrote a history play rather than a research paper." Work like this "definitely makes Sarah Lawrence unique," and the option to choose a project that incorporates "anything that interests you related to the class" is a huge plus. "Who else has the opportunities to go into depth about a topic they love with a professor before graduate school?" says a student.

Student Body

This unique school looks to attract intellectual, creative thinkers who wish to take academic and artistic risks: "the student body definitely is very artsy and expressive." The school began as a women's college, but now has a population that identifies as over 75 percent female and where everyone "accepts people regardless of their identity." Most people here "are passionate about social justice issues and are creative souls," and "are also very open about their mental health issues, but not in an oversharing way." Almost everyone "loves a good book or short story," and "students are always talking about readings or class discussions in the dining halls and dorms." Many here "tend to be more on the reserved side socially" but "aren't afraid to voice their opinions and express themselves."

Campus Life

More than 75 percent of students live on campus, and these "quirky, unique, and wonderful" students love to take advantage of "all the literary journals and fun events that the activity council holds, like trivia and bingo" or dance and casino nights. The beautifully landscaped campus seems designed for both work and play, with students calling out "big lawns that people sit on to do schoolwork [and] spend time with friends." Speaking of play, many enrollees also observe that the party scene is very subdued: "It's mostly large groups of friends rather than campus-wide or dorm-wide parties." The arts are a big part of Sarah Lawrence life, whether that's "multiple student-led organizations that produce shows" for theater lovers, or traditions: "The Princess Bride viewing party [is] always fun." For those seeking additional culture, Sarah Lawrence is just a 40-minute train ride from New York City.