<p>I'm about to start my senior year of high school. I'm a girl and I am fortunate to go to a nationally ranked public high school. Until about January or February of this past school year, I was excited to go to college, mainly because I couldn't wait to get out of my home town and make new friends and have new experiences. I wasn't really dead set on a college. I figured I'd apply to a bunch and where ever I ended up, I'd adapt. I've always believed experiences depend on how you approach it.
However, then I discovered Sarah Lawrence College.
It's the opposite of what I thought I wanted, but I absolutely love it. The top-notch education, the location, the research opportunities, the heavy reading/writing, self-made curriculum. It's just incredible.
The thing is, now I'm just hoping and praying I get in. I think I have some chance because I consider myself a pretty good writer. I know my recommendations will be very good and I think I can write a good essay. I just wish I had applied myself more in my high school. My GPA is a 3.2 and I've got a bunch of extra curriculars.
Then there's the matter of tuition. The only thing worse than not getting in is the very real possibility that I'll be admitted and unable to attend because I won't receive enough financial aid. I'm from a middle class family and college in general will be a financial stretch, so SLC would be an especially huge leap.
The last thing is receiving a liberal arts degree. I kind of prefer this because it won't box me into a career, but this could also be a problem. I'm not naive to the job market, and I question how I'll be hired, even with the concentrations that Sarah Lawrence offers as part of the degree.
Anyways...ASDFGHJKL;-that's pretty much how I'm feeling right now.
Anybody experiencing similar emotions and having these thoughts? Any perspective appreciated.</p>
<p>Have you used the EFC calculator on their website? That will give you a basic idea of what kind of aid package you’ll receive in terms of financial aid.</p>
<p>Last year, I thought there was no way I was going to get into my college of choice, much less be able to afford to attend. However, both hurdles came and went with surprising ease. Good LAC’s and research privates give out much more financial aid than you might think, in my case it was $7,000/yr more than the EFC had predicted (meaning I have to pay 7k less) plus some merit aid. Apply and believe you can get in/go!</p>
<p>Thanks for the info and encouragement luminalcoin8 !</p>
<p>Hello HSsenior12,</p>
<p>I realize this is a very delayed response, but in looking through these threads, your question caught my eye. I am a current sophomore at Sarah Lawrence and I hope my answer will be valuable to yourself and others who find this.</p>
<p>First off, I believe your findings on Sarah Lawrence are very accurate in terms of academics! Although you have most likely already applied to SLC, you will have a breadth of opportunities if you are to be accepted and enroll as a Sarah Lawrence student. For me, one of the strongest segments of the SLC pedagogy is our conference system, where you will be able to meet bi-weekly and work one on one with your professors to create an independent research project on any topic tangential/in addition to your course work. This project may culminate in a variety of forms, ranging from something traditional like a 20 page paper to a creative memoir and accompanying experimental film-- through any medium you feel will best allow you to express your ideas (as long as your professor approves it). You also mention that you have a 3.2 GPA but that you are also a great writer. The writing and seminar based program here is probably one of the best ways that you are able to express yourself even if you enter SLC with an average GPA . Sarah Lawrence, an extremely writing intensive institution, places an emphasis on qualitative forms of academic review over numerical grades. Using our evaluation system, you will receive a unique written review from each of your professors, marking your growth as a student in terms of investment in your project, ability to carry out thorough research, commitment to working consistently, and the strength of your final works (among other varied factors). With a medley of assignments in addition to your conference project, your teacher will be able to both encourage and constructively criticize you, allowing for growth specific to the way you work and think.</p>
<p>Now,in terms of affording SLC, this is a reality that is pertinent to many who apply here. However, although SLC appears to comes with a hefty price tag, the Office of Financial Aid is very interested in supporting you financially. Nearly 60% of students at Sarah Lawrence receive some sort of institutional gift aid (which you do not have to pay back), with the average grant being around $36,000 a year. In combination with various federal and state grants, loans, work-study (if you qualify) and outside scholarships, an education at Sarah Lawrence is very affordable. For many, there will be difficulties in affording this education, but the staff in the Office of Financial Aid works with families individual circumstances to find multiple avenues through which you can make SLC an affordable reality.</p>
<p>Although we live in a very market-oriented nation, particularly when it comes to attaining at college education, the pedagogy at SLC prepares students to become extremely creative thinkers and doers. We are taught, especially through our research projects, how to be thorough, analytical, enthusiastic, creative, curious to be proven wrong, and open to many possibilities. In a market that values tangible skills, this is met with a need for innovators-- for people who can think in a non-typical way. If you push yourself in multiple ways using the pedagogy at SLC, you will be able to market yourself in well-rounded ways, making you a strong candidate for jobs you may apply for.</p>
<p>I hope this helps!</p>