Hello all. My D has been accepted into Lawrence for the dual degree in the Conservatory and University. We haven’t visited yet, but we’ve heard rumors that the area of Appleton is unfriendly to POC. This would be a deal breaker for us if it’s true, because Lawrence seems like the perfect fit for her. Lawrence has such a good reputation musically and it would be a shame if the surrounding area was unfriendly towards her. Does anyone have any insight on this?
No insight here, but since no one else has responded, I would recommend asking the admissions office to put you in touch with a student to get on-the-ground feedback.
We were able to to visit in September. Based only on appearances, we found the school to be more diverse than Appleton. My daughter commented on it. Outagamie County was in the midst of a pretty severe COVID outbreak so we spent less time than we would have liked on campus and zero time downtown.
For what it is worth, Lawrence University racial/ethnic demographics are shown here: College Navigator - Lawrence University
Compare to the US, the state of Wisconsin, and Appleton from the Census: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US,WI,appletoncitywisconsin/PST045219
For SES, the Census information indicates that Appleton median household income is slightly lower than that of the state of Wisconsin or the US. Lawrence University has about 25% Pell grant students (approximates bottom 40-50% income levels), so its students’ parental income is probably skewed somewhat higher than that of Appleton, the state of Wisconsin, or the US.