The greatest strengths at Sarah Lawrence College "are the small class sizes, the highquality of ...relationships between students and professors, and the freedom to create an academic major." Students attribute this to SLC's seminar-conference courses, which "allow students to endlessly customize their academic experience, as independent study is required of every student every semester." Beloved examples include "a literature class on disability that incorporates community service at a local elder care center" or being able to write a paper "in my calculus class about connecting calculus to crochet."
Students also take pride in the close relationships fostered by one-on-one conference courses. "Professors treat us as academic colleagues," explains one senior. "One professor, in a class on Roman and early Medieval art history, regularly brought his own actual artifacts to class" raves another fourth-year." While coursework at Sarah Lawrence often comes down to "research and analysis," students value both their creative control and outside-theclassroom experiences. "I took a class called 'Pattern' that explored the geometry within art and patterns. It was technically a math class, but we took a trip to a gallery and I was able to assemble a portfolio for my final project."