This school caters to a very specific crowd: families who can afford a $70k+ price tag for the illusion of prestige. If your child is self-driven, a little precocious, and you're fine with paying top dollar, it might work. But if your kid's still figuring things out or needs more direction, steer clear. There are far better--and far less expensive--options that offer a strong, supportive education. read more

Did a tour here and they refused to show us a dorm room. The buildings smelled moldy and were not updated. Tour guide was really not helpful in answering our questions as she said she was a commuter student. Library was the worst library I have ever seen. With all this money spent on tuition, where is the money going. Other college tours, you could see the updates in technology, science, dorms and facilities. And they all showed us a dorm room. read more

Sarah Lawrence was VERY MUCH almost where I went to college. It was in my top three after Hampshire College in Amherst, MA & Emerson College in Boston, MA. I LOVE SLC: the campus, the proximity to NYC, the academics and the study abroad options were ALL to my liking. For me, I wanted to be further away from home (which was Brooklyn, NY) and I wanted to go to college up in New England on a more rural campus. However, SLC was solidly in my top three for sure. I would have made it work out for me. read more

Oh, Sarah Lawrence, how I love thee. I went to school there from September '86 to May '90, and I received a BA in Liberal Arts. I believe my SLC experience has made my life far richer and more interesting. If you went to a fabulous high school (I didn't), then it might not seem so revolutionary (mine was pretty lame). FYI, I studied creative writing, economics, Italian, and art history. SLC tends to be a place that people either love or hate. There are way more of the former or it wouldn't still be around. I'll try to address the issues in a pros and cons format. **Pros:** --SLC has an extremely low (= great) student-to-faculty ratio (it was 6:1 when I was there). The vast majority of classes are seminars, which have a maximum of 15 students sitting around the table with their professor. Most of my classes had 6-10 students and I only had one lecture class my entire undergraduate education (that's typical, by the way). A student pretty much can't be invisible at SLC--there's no where to hide (in class anyhow!). --The conference system is completely amazing.Students get to meet with each of their professors one-on-one every other week and in those meeting they design their own class that they pursue by themselves with the professor's guidance. Those bi-weekly conferences with my professors were simultaneously terrifying and completely (eventually) ego-boosting. Sometimes I didn't think I'd have anything intelligent to say (especially first year), but I gained confidence in myself over time. An example of a conference topic that came out of a seminar was my study of how England held back Ireland's economic development in the 1800s. I did that topic with Professor Mieke Meurs my freshman year, while I took her class, "Political Economy of Developing Nations." --Amazing professors. From Grace Paley to Alan Gurganus to Joseph Campbell, SLC has incredible people teaching in the classrooms. And folks don't go to SLC to publish, they have to want to teach. --The don system: Patterned on Oxford College's don system, SLC puts first-year students into small classes taught by a professor who will be their guide/mentor/don for all their years at SLC. It's a special relationship. --Great study-abroad programs: I spent my junior year in Florence, Italy. Wow--what an experience. I highly recommend the program. There are also great programs in Paris and Oxford (and probably some new ones--check out the SLC web site). I studied studio art, Italian language, Italian theater history, and Italian literature that year. --Creative freaks can get their freak on here: For folks who didn't hit their peak in high school (non-Homecoming Queen types, etc.) and have a strong creative/independent streak, this is a great place to go. (There are tons of writers, dancers, artists, musicians, etc., here.) This could obviously be a Pro or a Con--for me it was great. I dressed in black, shaved my head, and fantasized about being the next Sylvia Plath. It was a safe space for me to be weird-ish during my early adulthood and has made me so much more comfortable with all sides of myself and all kinds of people. Why be normal?--especially during college! **Cons:** --It's a very expensive school (it was second most-expensive when I went there, after Bennington). Unfortunately, SLC doesn't have a large endowment (I do my part--I give every year--really!) Also, because it has a low ( = great) student-to-faculty ratio (I think it was 6:1 when I was there), it spends a fortune on faculty salaries. I put myself through school, which was pretty brutal--I worked very hard in the summers and P/T during the school year and took out loans and got grants. I managed to pay off the loans in good time. It was well worth it for me. --There are no fraternities or sororities at SLC. (That's actually a pro for me, but I sneak it in here!) --It's not a big "team sports" school. When I was there the crew team was doing really well, but there's no football or basketball team or any "big" sports teams. There is a kick-ass sports facility there now--that's new since I went to SLC (I am so jealous!). --People spend a lot of time in NYC (it's 20 minutes away) and many upperclassmen live in the city and commute so there can be a pull for students between the campus and the city. I don't think that's much of a con, though. read more

Social scene- kinda tough. sharp, creative minds abound- but it is true that you might meet someone at a party and have a great time and great convo- and for whatever awkward SLC reason- you simply ignore each other the rest of the time. But- the academic settings, the teachers- the education is what it's all about. You can learn and grow and create beyond your wildest dreams- as long as those are your intentions. Otherwise, you can get bogged down in the uncertain social scene. read more

Someone else: YOU went to Sarah Lawrence? Me: Yes. SE: ....but you don't look like a Sarah Lawrence student. Me: ...is that a compliment, or an insult? SE: You just, it's just, you don't look like a feminist! Me: I wasn't aware you had to be a "feminist" to go there. Sarah Lawrence is not an all girls college, not everyone is a feminist and contrary to popular belief, not everyone who goes there is "very liberal", but I'll let you jump to whatever conclusion(s) you want. This was my dream school and even though few people supported me, I got in. As of Friday, I can officially say goodbye.... I had many ups and downs with SLC in the 2.5 years I went there, but right now as I write this review I'm getting teary-eyed remembering all of the great moments I had there. Even though I don't have my degree from SLC, I know I'm not going to regret any of my student loans. I'm currently finishing up my degree back home and all I can say is, THANK YOU SARAH LAWRENCE! I'm in a program similar to SLC, but it's just not the same. The donning system...well it's one of the best things about this school. I remember when I thought I'd take computer programming as a freshman and 3 weeks later realized I was going to crumble and needed to get out. I'm freaking out in my don's office and say something to the extent of "I don't care what I take as long as it's not religion" and he replies with, "wait, now let's talk about that." What do ya know, I end up in a religion class that I absolutely loved. Here are some of the reasons I fell in love with SLC: Komozi Woodard - I met him when I visited the campus as he was my host's don and I knew at that moment that I needed to come here and take one of his classes. His class is the only one I've ever kept all of the books I had to buy. Our conference time was the last of the day and we almost always went over by at least a half an hour. I always looked forward to the stories he'd tell in relation to the class discussion and I'm so happy that I was able to take one of his classes. SLC's ECC - Whenever I would send out my resume, this is frequently the first thing interviewers ask about. I remember finding out I was going to be with the 2-year-olds and thinking "but I work better with 4 and 5 year olds". This "job" is what really solidified that I was pursuing the right career path. The psychology department - Look at how many faculty members are in this department. I bet it's a lot more than you would have thought. Most people focus on taking writing classes, theater or dance (and with good reason), but not me. My don (a member of this department) had to sit me down and tell me to start taking classes in other departments before I ended up not being able to take any psychology class. The campus - It's gorgeous and small. I finally requested my official transcripts be sent to my new school and it was a bittersweet moment for me. I am so close to graduating and I finally realized the extent of what I gained from coming here. I remember sitting in a class freshman year when I piped up with, "I feel like I haven't learned anything. When am I ever going to get to put this information to use?" Moments later, everyone else said the same thing, but before I knew it I was bringing in material from previous classes to back up what I said in another one. If there's one thing I should have done, it was those worksheets. It would have made backing up my points a LOT easier. Oh well, lesson learned. Thank you Sarah Lawrence, for everything. Even the 9:30am classes that were at the bottom of the hill. read more

I first attended SUNY Albany and then SUNY Purchase for my undergraduate. I came here for my master's in teaching. It's an expensive school, but the experience is exactly what you want college to be: lots of things to do (activities, clubs), lots of music, art, interesting people, close proximity to the city, and great guest lectures (Temple Grandin, for example was amazing). The Art of Teaching program was wonderful. The professors help you develop what I'll call a golden confidence that allows you to keep your sanity in the face of challenging elementary school administrations/teacher evaluations. Since graduating, I have landed jobs working at public, charted, and private schools. Many schools recognize an SLC diploma as something very valuable and unique; for good reason. I can't stress enough the great experience I had while attending this school, and I recommend it to anybody who wants a well-rounded education. read more

Sarah Lawrence College = some of the best money I've ever spent. I received my M.F.A. here, and while some people may argue that you don't need an M.F.A. to be the next Sylvia Plath (which you don't), I still found SLC to be a safe haven for me. It was challenging yet nurturing, and I left it an entirely different person than I was when I first walked onto its leafy, lofty, black-squirrel infested campus. I started my time at SLC at the tail end of a very difficult period in my life, and although I didn't quite realize it at the time, this place was a soothing balm. When I graduated two years later, I was more sure of myself, my writing and my place in the world than I'd ever been before, and I was exposed to all kinds of literature that my traditionalist self had never read before. I was a book snob, and not in a good way. The faculty are absolutely wonderful, the classrooms are safe havens of constructive criticism, and the conference system is great. I rarely had the opportunity to actually talk to my professors in college - I always got the sense that I was somehow annoying them, at least the upper echelon ones - but that's not the case at SLC. Your teachers want to talk to you about your work, your life and the way your view of the world influences both. It's so nice to feel as though you matter as a student. My outlook on the campus is kind of bittersweet, and that's mainly bound up in my internal host of regrets that I didn't get to go here for undergrad - I begged my parents but they wouldn't let me apply because they told me that they couldn't afford it (which was probably true - SLC is one of the most expensive schools in the country). I guess that they didn't want me to be disappointed if I got in and they couldn't send me. But all that really matters is that I got to SLC eventually. When I graduated with my M.F.A., my parents couldn't stop praising the campus, the warmth of the graduation ceremony and the quality of the speakers. My mom told me that if she had to do it all over again, she and my father would have found a way to send me to SLC for college. If that isn't a testament to the quality of SLC, then nothing is, my friend. You know when you belong someplace. If you have the opportunity to go to SLC, take it. It will change and brighten your life. read more

This school is simply brilliant... you know when i come to think of it this school is so awesome that i dont even mind the food at the pub... If you are someone who wants to get to know yourself... and want to experience the freedom to think and then practice it... this is the place for you.... read more

I took a class at the Writing Institute so this review is for that. I had a several classes one with Sara Saffian and one with a professor who was absent for moth of the semester because of family issues. First and foremost the Writing Institute pulls people from the surrounding areas who have been out of the classroom for many years and it often results in, at least in Saffian's class, little to no classroom control. It was not like any college class I had ever experienced. Beyond students in the classroom stating that they did not agree with something and discussing the logistics of homework in class, I found Saffian to be lacking in ability to be helpful and insightful of student work and somewhat rude. The other instructor was great, although absent most of the semester. I think it may be hit or miss and if your interested before you sign up for a class read the reviews in rate my prof on each instructor. read more

totally AWESOME yo!!! 100% absolutely worth the 120+K. now i have the value and respect with which i can demand to work at excellent, reputable and well established companies such as mcdonalds or even, just imagine it... walmart... for the rest of my worthless and trivial life. sarah lawrence... where our school colors are black and black... a place where one uses bic lighters to open bottles of rolling rock purchased illegally from the mobil gas station down the road to enhance the mystical and ever enlightening experience of making out with gay boys and performing cunning linguistics on straight girls high on yellowjackets, adderal and ritalin while simultaneously learning about the horrors of how we came to be in our current hell state here in this life. seriously tho, it was pretty dope, and not just in that heroin kind of way... when you have been privileged enough to have great teachers who exemplify passion and honesty, and who care enough to share their tremendous wealth of knowledge with you, anything in life is possible.* things you once thought concrete begin to breakdown and deconstruct, and become slowly rebuilt in a painfully harsh light. a new, more precise and elevated logic is formed and you are forever changed. *exceptions may include the prevention of genocide, hate crimes, the ruining of our earth, karen k. getting published and making bank, a future with no clean water, homelessness, domestic violence, idiots being elected into office, etc. read more

Dear young 18-whatever age year olds considering (or not considering) Sarah Lawrence, I wrote a no holds barred, name naming review/guide to Sarah Lawrence on Epinions and I would like you to read it. http://www.epinions.com/review/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-Sarah_Lawrence_College/content_497328098948?sb=1 During my time at Sarah Lawrence, I amassed a lot of knowledge about the school. To start, Sarah Lawrence is not a (creative) writing school, neither is it a school for the "creative arts," poetry, theater, music, or dance. Other untrue ideas: It is not all girls, but rather has a 70:30 female to male ratio which is even harder for women than all girls schools, believe it. Neither is it particularly dark and gothic (despite the "even the squirrels wear black" t shirts, that died in the 90s along with the heroin era)... Hipster is the new stereotype visible around campus, neither was it as activist/feminist as portrayed, unfortunately (It was a more lax/apathetic time in 2004-2008, I hope that is changing now.) It is a liberal arts school, academic in nature, for those who want to have the freedom to study different subjects in great depth without a required core curriculum or a major, i.e. delve into Literature, Urban Development, and Biology at the same time. Its strongest subjects and professors are all informational and academic in nature, regardless of whether it is in social sciences, humanities, or even physics. It is also for those who want small (15 person) seminars and need a discussion in class/personal contact with an eccentric and phenomenal professor. If you are a self motivated person who likes to steer their own learning and challenge their own self, you will derive maximum benefit if you can also integrate what a professor tells you into your thought process, if you are a rabidly interested, but somewhat unsure person, you will still reap value from Sarah Lawrence. Do you know why the 15 person seminars, conference work with professors (meeting with your professor every two weeks and developing a written or non-written thesis) are its strongest sell? Because the PROFESSORS are why you will stay. After the lonely lack of available men, love/hate attitudes of "one foot in and one foot out" negativity on campus toward the school, hard social life, inept administration, clunky academic structure, doubtful application to the professional world, the elite level squad of Sarah Lawrence professors (hopefully supplemented by your own motivation to steer your education's course) will give you the mind expanding education you never dreamed of and protect you from the various problems and inequities. Sarah Lawrence has a cadre of many great, most good, few mediocre, and even fewer bad professors that you will want to get close to. They will enthrall you, change your understanding, infuriate you, rearrange your mind, and impress you with their brilliance, craziness, prickliness, and caring. Most people can count on their fingers the amount of great teachers they've had in their life. I overstep 15. (Incidentally, the Oxford program study abroad is also a selling point for the rigorous academic training the PROFESSORS give one on one. It is a valuable experience and a crucible.) In my epinions guide, I wrote my thoughts on what professors I particularly recommend. Those that are feted all stars with years of reputation who understand the system and love to teach students. Put your ear to the ground. I think that the humanities, particularly the literature department, are the strongest because they have the best great to good professor ratio and most variety of subjects. (Addendum: Sara Rudner for dance.) One thing I will tell you is that if you are not careful, SLC will IN NO WAY teach you the creative problem solving, logic, and entrepreneurial ideation skills you need to synthesize, create, or learn something completely new at work. Every work environment presents new problems. No one can teach that. Problem solving and analytical skills not related to those in writing are just as creative (i.e. the tech boom). Neither will you have the resources to learn professional writing like cover letters. But, life eventually teaches people who leave the nest the skills they need to get by or perish and college isn't leaving the nest. Self starting, flexibility to change, leading and managing people, etc. Some schools teach the bare minimum to survive in a job and this is a disservice to the 18-25 year old growing brain, but here a student can pitch a no-hitter in terms of education (wow, baseball metaphors.) Few people know what they want to do at 18, (why people change majors) but, with a strategic course load, professor guidance, and meaningful internships, you can carve out a path of a career that also appeals to your passions. SLC experience is valued in the workplace, whose values are even more unexpected than you think. read more

The party was fun and the food was great. Good music and chill vibes

Sarah Lawrence is not at all what it seems to be. I transferred after my first year because it was so bad; it's really going downhill. Here are my reasons why I think anyone should steer clear of such a school: 1. The administration sucks. They do not care about any student, or situation. If you need help, they are not going to make it better. I was in the big party dorm when I first arrived, and my RA was smoking weed and drinking right inside our apartment! I tried to switch rooms to a different dorm, and the administration didn't get around to it until after the first semester was over! I then told them I had to be in a smoke/drink-free room, and the roommate they gave me smoked pot every night with the window closed. 2. Everyone does every drug. They do pot outside on the lawn and in all dorms. Cocaine and heroine are done in the bathrooms and dorm rooms, ecstasy is taken at all the parties, and in the first semester alone there were over 10 near-deaths of students because of this. You think then that security or administration would try and crack down on it, right? Wrong. 3. Everyone smokes. There is supposed to be rules and limits on smoking, but none of that is followed. People will stand right in the middle of walkways and right outside of doors so there is no escaping the smoke. My biggest problem was they stood up against dorm buildings (when they're supposed to be 50 feet away) and I couldn't leave my windows open (even in the heat) or the disgusting smell of cigarette smoke would get in. Students roll their cigarettes in class and the teachers don't care either. 4. The parties are horrible. There are no fun dancing parties. A party at Sarah Lawrence consists of depressing music and people sitting around doing drugs together. If you call security to shut it down, they don't care one bit. I've seen a security guard walk into a dorm room where everyone was binge drinking and smoking pot, and just laughed and told them to keep it down. 5. There is no sense of community. Everyone is very cliquish or a complete loner. There are no big campus wide events or sororities/frats, and the school is famous for "Sarah-Lawrencing," which means ignoring someone when they say hi to you. People are rude to you, and if you don't drink or do drugs you get alienated. I felt so alone during my time there, and after speaking with others I've realized that many people get extremely depressed from the isolating environment. 6. There are so many weirdos. I'm sorry, but it's true. A lot of people seem to have personality disorders, and others just seem plain psychotic. It is not a normal, educated environment whatsoever. 7. Hill House is terrible. It's the main dorm for freshman, but it is about a 20 minutes walk from campus, right on the highway. There are people who live there who do not go to the school, but are residents of Yonkers and are extremely sketchy. This apartment complex is a party house with music and sex 24/7; there is always noise and smoke and filth everywhere. And it's so far from campus it's ridiculous! 8. The president doesn't care about anything. She turns a blind eye to all the problems with drugs and drinking and smoking and bullying, and pretends that nothing is wrong and that her school is perfect and running just as she wants it to be. When anyone approaches her with problems they have, she acts like we're making it up or just trying to ruin the school's reputation ourselves. 9. There are very few options to study. Everyone their first year is required to take a First Year Study, but people seldom get their first choice, and end up in a class that they hate. This happens a lot with other classes too; a majority of people get bumped and don't get to study what they want. Also, for creative writing students, there are very few good classes, even though that's for what the school is supposed to be known. For history majors, this school has only classes on modern history; there are no classes dealing with anything pre-1900s. 10. There's no major, and what's more, there aren't even real concentrations. For your three classes for the first 2 years, you are not allowed to take more than one class in one subject. Which sucks, because if you're interested in English, you can only take one English class, and your other two have to be in, like, history and science, or history and physiology... 11. The teachers are very brilliant, but a lot of them are too out of the box or weird to have any real connection with them. You have a Don, which is like an academic advisor, but they rarely are very helpful and the weekly check ins become monotonous and unproductive. A lot of them don't seem to seriously care about the individual circumstance of the student; you can tell that when talking with you they're just doing their job. 12. The size is so small there is no escaping any of what was previously mentioned. The population makes it so that there is no opportunity for any type of student diversity. read more

Best. College. Ever. Where else do students actually spend an hour a week with the PhD teaching their class? Where else do you never have a TA? It's all real teaching, real discussions, being inspired by your teachers and your peers. read more

I graduated in 1988 (JJ Abrams was in my writing class and we graduated the same year...) and I absolutely loved it there. I'm reading the rest of the reviews and realizing that here it is 25 years (!) later and evidently nothing has changed. I had this French don from Paris who helped me get ready to participate in the Paris program. Even though a lot of the students found her difficult to deal with I thought she was really awesome. I have to say, I don't know if it's because SLC or not, but I am definitely an independent thinker. I don't have to wait for people's permission to do what I need to do. I will always have really fond memories of my time there, and I will always miss it. read more