Hi all - I’m a parent of a junior who is looking at Lawrence. This board looks like it has been so quiet as of late. Any Lawrence students or parents want to weigh in on their recent impressions or how they are liking Lawrence? Thoughts on the conservatory? Anyone else do a fall open house there and have thoughts? We were just at the open house last week.
DD is a freshman at Lawrence, though not with the con. She is really enjoying her time there. She loves the campus and is able to have meaningful interaction with her professors. She is also very happy to be able to be on a sports team as this is a large part of her social group right now.
If you have any specific questions, let me know.
Best of luck,
–S.F.
My daughter is senior in hs this year. Lawrence is her #1 choice at this point. We actually just got back from a visit. It is a pretty magical place…especially if you a music kid.
Hi everyone,
Our daughter is a freshman and not in the conservatory. She is , however, on the swim team. She chose Lawrence over 9 other schools, including those in Southern Cali. Absolutely loves it. Classes are challenging, enjoys the diversity of ideas and people on campus, and the City of Appleton (pop. 80,000). By all reports, professors are accessible and supportive.There is an arts and intellectual vibe, but the students have a great deal of fun too. She is enjoying being on a team at the school and the time commitment is reasonable. She hopes to participate in some arts areas along the way. Currently, tutoring a middle schooler at a local middle school. She is a biochem major. It does strike mean a place that you need to visit. Please feel free to message me.
@MusakParent , my daughter is a dual degree student at (BM performance/BA math) and an athlete and will graduate this June. I would be happy to answer any questions you have going forward. It is a very special place and she has loved her time there.
Thank you! My junior is looking at lots of schools but Lawrence is definitely one of mom’s favorites. I may just take some of you up on that one of these days. 
One question I do have for you @clarinet13mom since your daughter is a performance major, did she get to pick her private music teacher? Did she have the same teacher for 4 years? My son is very much about connecting to approachable music teachers!
@swimsoc2013 Our daughter has been accepted to Lawrence and it is currently her top choice. She’s also a swimmer; what can you tell me about the coach and the swim team in general?
You’re Welcome, @MusakParent ; I am happy to answer questions any time. I agree that having the right teacher is a big consideration for music students in making their selection. My daughter had a trial lesson with her studio teacher prior to her audition at Lawrence and connected with him right away. He has been her teacher her entire five years. The studio is very tight knit. After her lesson, he had arranged for her to have lunch with some of the other clarinetists and it was something that stood out to me as a very personal touch. As a performance major, students have weekly lessons and prepare for recitals in their junior year (which is 30 minutes-so usually combined with another student to make for an hour concert) and their senior year (1 hour solo program). The recitals are awesome because lots of students attend as well as professors. It’s a big deal. I remember when I went out for my d’s junior recital, it was like she was Queen for a Day. Walking around campus, there were posters up advertising it and students passing by saying, “I can’t wait for your recital tonight!”. Sometimes I just shake my head because you really can’t imagine that at lots of schools. Anyway, I think that most professors at Lawrence are very approachable and that is a hallmark of the school.
So sorry I missed this. The swimming program is wonderful. Coach Fleek works with every swimmer to their maximum potential. The kids really support each other both inside and outside of the pool. The coach is congenial and really knows each swimmer. As well, the team did well this year and broke some records. I’ve never seen swimmers drop as much time, as they did at Conference. Our daughter loved it and had her best season ever! Please feel free to message me.
Lawrence is a great school. Daughter chose Lawrence over a host of other good schools and does not regret it all. Graduating this spring. Its very strong across a host of disciplines not to mention music. Very unique institution in the state of WI.
My son is a freshman this year and I must say I often worry and wonder if he made the right choice because he actually chose Lawrence over at least one school that was higher ranked and even slightly cheaper! Then I look back over all of his small triumphs this past year and realize they must be doing something right up there! He traveled all the way from Texas to attend Lawrence, and he is not even a music major! There was just something about the school—the friendliness of the students + the helpful and efficient staff—that made it seem like the obvious front runner. Once painfully shy, my son has done things socially this year that have blown me away. I was afraid he’d be a hermit playing video games in his room, but he has really come out of his shell and is always very busy with social activities. I’m thrilled. Academically, Lawrence is challenging but at the same time they are very good about providing support for students who need it. They have high standards (as they should), but they want all students to succeed. Now that I think of it, I can’t imagine him anywhere else. It’s like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears…it fits “just right.”
2 Likes
@Basbleu Thank you for your post. My D will be a freshman next year. She also has a tendency towards shyness. Our interactions with Lawrence so far have been great. It feels like the right place for her. I hope her first year goes as well as it has for your son!
@basbleu @3gigglinggirls Our daughter will also attend Lawrence in the fall. She choose it over ‘higher ranked’ schools and also has the tendency to be a bit of a homebody. We are so excited to be a part of the Lawrence community. Our daughter is confident in her choice. Once she set foot on campus all of us had the feeling that this was / is the right place for her. We look forward to what the next four years will bring for her in terms of experiences, friends, academic interests and pursuits.
@megawillmae Happy to meet another new Lawrence mom! Is your daughter doing music at all? My D will be a 5 year with voice performance/theatre.
May I interject with a question? We are looking for schools for my D19, and for a number of reasons, Lawrence sounds like it could be a good fit for her. However, she is not interested in music at all. Would that make her an oddball on campus?
@Bubblewrap666 She should like music and theatre enough to want to go to her friends’ performances (most on-campus event tickets are free), but there are plenty of non-musicians on campus.
@AroundHere LOL, yes! She loves both theater and (listening to) music but her personal involvement is limited to singing (off key) in the shower.
@3gigglinggirls Our daughter is a ‘stem’ kid interested and will most likely study biology with current intent to go to medical or vet school. She also will be a member of the swim team.
Hi,
This goes out to Bubblewrap666. She will fit right in with not having an interest in music. That being said, there is lots of good music on campus. In fact, at parties when there is a band, it is usually students who are playing! Although our daughter sang in high school, she is not involved in the music program but on a sports team. She is a biochemistry major. Like others on this thread, she chose Lawrence over a number of other schools and couldn’t be happier. Lawrence is a place where you can really contribute and there is so much to do, outside of music.
A coworker of mine has a son at Lawrence. Really enjoys it. Is not a music major, but I believe swims and a spring sport (baseball?). Him not being a musician is not a big deal, I think that is overblown.