Prospective Student HELP!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Sarah Lawrence College
1

<p>Hi!
I really hope some current (or former) SLC students are present, because I have some questions/concerns. I am REALLY interested in the alternative program Sarah Lawrence offers, however, I have always attended traditional schools and I am a little apprehensive.</p>

<p>So far my mother is supportive, but at some point I think it is going to take some convincing to justify my attendance. Perhaps I need some convincing as well. </p>

<p>So here goes.
1. Is the "Don" program more intense/easier/no change? Or does it just take some getting used to? I would really appreciate it if you could tell me about some experiences you've had regarding this aspect of the curriculum. Has anyone ever had a BAD experience with a don?
2. I am really excited about the Oxford programme! How difficult is it to maintain a 3.5 GPA? And how do they calculate it if there aren't technically "grades" just feedback sheets? What kind of students get to go each year?
3. One of the most appealing aspects of SLC is its location. I would like to do some internships in NYC, and I notice that the website has some pretty impressive ones listed. Did students acquire these internships through the career counseling department or through their own personal connections?
4. Please disprove any common misconceptions about your school, especially the ones that bother you. Especially those that claim the school is full of heiresses and reckless alcoholics...<br>
5. Have students gone into the fashion industry after graduation?
6. PLUS: any advice for admissions? </p>

<p>Please reply soon :( I will be going on a tour next month</p>

2

<p>bump bump bump bump =)</p>

3

<ol>
<li>I’m not sure what you’re comparing it to, but the don program is unlike anything you have probably experienced in high school. Having a don is great support and you can talk to your don to just about anything. Your don is also the teacher of your first year studies class. If you don’t like him/her you are able to change.</li>
<li>As of this school year you can now access your letter grades online. I’ve never heard of someone getting denied to go to an exchange program. Most people go their junior year, so you have awhile to think about it.</li>
<li>For the most part, people probably pursued the internships on their own, but the office does host internship fairs and what not. Internships are usually unpaid so I wouldn’t advise doing one your first year.</li>
<li>No one really flaunts their wealth here, so no to the heiress thing. You’d probably find people more like that at BU or USC. It is true that people get hospitalized for drinking and can be somewhat reckless, but it isn’t an out of hand problem and honestly people binge drink at every school in the country. Also, the student body is much more diverse than people make it out to be. Not necessarily in terms of race (it’s still predominately white) but there’s all sorts of different people who are not the indie black-wearing New Yorker stereotype that’s attributed to the school. However, if you’re totally opposite of that, you might have a hard time adjusting to the social scene. </li>
<li>Well, there’s Vera Wang.</li>
<li>Your analytic essay is really important. As you probably know, the school doesn’t even look at SATs or ACTs so don’t bother sending them. I think they’re basically looking to see that you are an enthusiastic learner who would fit well in the non-traditional academic setting.</li>
</ol>

<p>Good luck! Seriously there aren’t very many SLCers who go on this site for all the obvious reasons, so I wouldn’t use the internet as the best place to look for the inside scoop. I just felt like dispensin’ some knowledge. The academics here really are amazing, you just have to know that you won’t be getting the traditional college experience of football games and frat parties.</p>

4

<p>Thank you thank you thank you! I didn’t expect anyone to reply here, but I had to try! I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be stuck with a don you hated for four years. Thanks for clearing all that up for me. </p>

<p>I’m certainly not looking for a typical college experience (although I am applying to BU…). I have an artistic mind and I’m sure I would fit in intellectually with SLC students, my only issue is that I <em>look</em> mainstream. Even so, I won’t let that get in the way of my ultimate decision. Even if I am accepted I will have to think seriously about attending, the highly rated academics are a definite draw, but they do seem extremely taxing.</p>

5

<p>Nice to see some postings here though as lollege notes, the very nature of SLC means this type of forum will never attract widespread participation by its students. Lollege made some terrific points – just wanted to clarify that bit about exchange programs – the year in Oxford is the most competitive and I understand people do get ‘denied’ from that particular program. . There is a minimum GPA to qualify (yes, there is an SLC GPA!) and a cap on the number of students who can go. </p>

<p>Lotus815, there are LOTS of students on campus who <em>look</em> mainstream, as well as many who succeed in making amazing statements with their appearance. That was my front line observation at the recent Family Weekend … And, Lotus 815, please try to post a trip report after your visit. Thank you!</p>

6

<p>Current SLC senior, just thought I’d add my two cents.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I’m not sure where you’re reading this from, but Dons are just a more ‘personal’ version of an academic advisor. Some students have very close relationships with their dons, especially if the two have similar academic interests; other less so. Although my don and I rarely meet, we get along very well and I had a very good FYS experience. Much of the reason we do not talk often is simply because I’m a particularly independent student who does not need very much guidance, and because my academic interests changed drastically from the subject of my First Year Studies (fiction writing) to what it is now (psychology/neuroscience). In some cases, other students in my position would have switched their dons to a professor they were more close with, but I didn’t feel it was very necessary.</p></li>
<li><p>I went on the Oxford Programme and loved it. It’s not too hard to maintain above a 3.5 at SLC, although it very much depends on the kinds of teachers you have and the kind of student you are. Most public school students will find the workload much larger than anything they did in high school; most private (particularly boarding) school students will be more or less accustomed to the expectations. Try to do well especially your freshman year, which is when most people’s grades are lowest, and your freshman grades won’t bring you down so much that you can’t make up for it by the end of your sophomore year.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I will correct people and say that you <em>can</em> get denied from the Oxford program, and a number of my friends did. They do not just accept you based on your GPA – they want to see that you have specific academic interests that could be met at a place like Oxford, and that you are a kind of student who could handle writing weekly 2000-word papers.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Internships can be acquired from a wide variety of places. Career Counseling is very helpful in almost all subjects (except for the sciences, but the internet is all you really need to do research internships). Some students also get internships through more ‘personal’ connections, but in general most institutions/companies are interested in your qualifications/resume/personal statement and less on whether or not you have some other affiliation.</p></li>
<li><p>There are people who drink inordinately here, but hey, its college, and there are also a substantial number of people who do not drink at all or who simply drink moderately (the vast majority). People rarely flaunt their wealth here, that would be very antithetical to the kind of hipster/progressive/fashionable/granola/starving artist/salt of the earth aesthetic a substantial number of students try to embody. Lollege is very much right about the diversity, though.</p></li>
<li><p>I know a few students who have gone into fashion, although more particularly the photography of it. Can’t help you much there, though.</p></li>
<li><p>Do not be afraid to give SLC a more unconventional application.</p></li>
</ol>

7

<p>I am an SLC grad ('08!) and I thought I might shed some light on your questions, if you’re still considering Sarah Lawrence. Before I say anything, know that if I had to do it over, I’d still choose SLC–it was my wild card school as a high school senior, but going to SLC was the best decision I’ve ever made. It was worth every penny.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>A lot of people love their dons and have very close relationships with them. I liked my don, but we weren’t buddies and we rarely spoke after my first year. I was an independent student, and you don’t need to be your don’s bff to succeed at SLC. If anything, the system lends itself to multiple friendships with lots of different professors because of the way the conference system works. </p></li>
<li><p>Grades are not the focus of the SLC system, so if you do your work and keep up with your reading, a 3.5 shouldn’t be difficult. I made the mistake of overloading my schedule with advanced courses in my first year, so I had to work hard to bring my GPA up after that, but had I not, it would have been easy to maintain a 3.5 or higher throughout. Teachers are more invested in you learning and interacting with the material than they are about quibbling over grades. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>In my experience, the kids who did the Oxford programme were generally a bit reserved and very studious. I have friends who loved going, but they admit it was very isolating. Keep that in mind, but you have plenty of time before your third year to think it over. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>I started interning in NYC my second year and it was a great experience. Career counseling isn’t the best resource, but if you thrive at SLC, you are probably fairly motivated and independent, so finding your own gig should be no problem. My internship turned part-time job as a senior, and then full-time when I graduated. A lot of students intern, and to be honest, it is a nice break from a small campus. It’s even nicer coming back to a gorgeous, quiet campus after a busy day in the city! </p></li>
<li><p>I think the most common misconception is that people are hippies, or that the academics are somehow so left-leaning that they aren’t rigorous. Both ideas are ridiculous, especially considering how much more reading and writing SLC students have to do compared to students at more “normal” colleges; however, the so-called “heiress” problem is a reality. A school like SLC can’t help but attract students that can pay a very high tuition, and there are a lot of students that come from very affluent homes. Class, like diversity, is an issue that SLC continues to work on, and if you decide to attend, you should be aware that these variables are constantly in flux. Regardless, I didn’t see heiresses running around snubbing their noses at people, so I wouldn’t worry about it.</p></li>
<li><p>Students go into EVERYTHING! Your future after SLC depends on your willingness to work towards something while you are still in school. If you want to work in fashion, you have to take the initiative to get involved. No one will hold your hand. I work in the media industry and people do love seeing Sarah Lawrence on resumes, but I wouldn’t try and rely on alumni for connections. </p></li>
<li><p>Just make sure your essay is STUNNING! SLC wants students that are talented writers and critical thinkers. They don’t really care about your GPA if you can prove that you will be a fine addition to classroom discussions and that you can write a great 25 page paper…</p></li>
</ol>