Sarah Lawrence College

Our first week back East will be filled with tours of distinguished colleges and universities. One of these schools is Sarah Lawrence College. Located in Bronxville New York, Sarah Lawrence offers an alternative to many of the more conventional East Coast colleges. Sarah Lawrence College is a liberal arts school that places an emphasis on the humanities and visual and preforming arts. The college attracts creative, driven individuals who think outside of the box.

Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence was originally established with the intention of providing instruction in the arts and humanities for women. Although Sarah Lawrence became coed in 1968, the female to male ratio is three to one.

The landscape of Sarah Lawrence is hilly and green with more than 100 types of trees on campus. The prevailing architectural theme on campus is English Tudor. The founders of the school believed that there should be little separation between work and play, so many of the classrooms and dorms are housed in the same buildings.

Students who attend Sarah Lawrence College have a huge amount of academic freedom. To graduate, it is required that students complete 120 credits in at least three of the four academic areas. Every student designs his or her own program, so there is virtually no competition. Classes are designed around a seminar system, where engagement is key to success. A small student to faculty ratio insures that professors and students know one another. One of the greatest differences about Sarah Lawrence College from other schools is that there are no formal grades. Instead, twice a year, professors write in depth evaluations for each student.

Academics at Sarah Lawrence are rigorous. Students take only three classes per semester so there is no room to fall behind. Professors meet with students weekly and help insure that everyone succeeds.

Not surprisingly, applying to Sarah Lawrence College is different than most schools. Sarah Lawrence does not consider SAT or ACT scores in their application process and instead places a large emphasis on essays.  In 2010, the acceptance rate at Sarah Lawrence College was 62%. I’m sure everyone who was accepted was thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in such a unique and innovative academic system.