Questions about SLC

<p>Hi, I applied to Sarah Lawrence under RD in early December. I never received any acknowledgement from them (I applied to 9 other schools, as was acknowledged by all of them), and I am yet to receive an ID/password in order to track my application. I have contacted the admissions office twice about this, once in late December, and once about a week ago. I am yet to receive a response. I understand they're busy at this time of year, but I find it a little rude.</p>

<p>Besides that, I am very interested in SLC. I'm not sure it's my first choice, but I have a few questions:
- What is it like for Music/Africana Studies? (I'd like to become an ethnomusicologist)
- How is Financial Aid, are they generous? I need near full aid.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>A very good friend attends Sarah Lawrence, and from what I’ve heard, the SLC admission office is pretty understaffed. Just be patient; I am sure they have your application. Try calling.</p>

<p>While I have no idea about SLC’s Music/Africana Studies program, I will tell you that SLC’s financial aid is not generous. If you are a solid applicant with mostly A’s and an appealing personality, the chances that they will meet your need are high. If you are admitted ED, again, SLC would try to make it realistic for you to attend. Otherwise, you will probably get in, but they will give you bad aid. This information is from a current international student btw (not me). lol</p>

<p>Ok, thank you. I will do!</p>

<p>I do have mostly A’s and I… at least like to think I have an appealing personality? Lol. If they give bad aid, then I’ll definitely have to turn them down should I be accepted. Faaaar too expensive for my teeny tiny budget. Thanks for the reply. :)</p>

<p>Hello LRockinLDN,</p>

<p>I am a current sophomore at Sarah Lawrence and I am a student who both takes classes in the Music Department and concentrates in Africana Studies! </p>

<p>In reply to Music at Sarah Lawrence-- SLC has a very strong music department in which you study as a ‘Music Third’ with a combination of components (courses), structured to create a seasoned course of study where theory meets practice. This third (5 credits) is one of the three courses (which altogether make up 15 credits) you take in any given semester. When registered as a Music third, one is required to take a minimum of four courses (which meet less frequently than an academic seminar or lecture)-- Individual Instruction (instrumental, performance, composition, or voice), Music theory/history, a Performance Ensemble, and attendance of various on campus concerts. Although I am registered as a Theatre third, which allows me to take classes in Music and Dance (and as a Music third you may also take Theatre and Dance classes), my experience of studying voice individually with a professor has been extremely valuable and tailored to my specific needs as a singer. From the many friends I have in the music department, they are extremely excited by the course offerings and their ability to create a program for themselves with structure, allowing them to become diversely informed musicians. Since you are interested in Africana Studies, it is worthwhile to note that the department offers classes in Ethnomusicology, where you can bridge music theory and performance with critical ethnographic studies of music among various Native American populations, various West African ethnic groups, the Caribbean, Ancient Greece, various Latin American cultures, and more. </p>

<p>In reply to Africana Studies at Sarah Lawrence-- it is certainly a popular area of study at Sarah Lawrence, which is reflected by the broad selection of courses offered. Africana Studies is not one department at SLC, but considered a cluster, where various fields of study (History, Psychology, Sociology, Literature, Language, Geography, Anthropology, Music, and Politics, among others) come together to create understanding from multiple perspectives. Through a combination of multiple fields of study, one really comes to understand the intricacies of the African diaspora not only in the US and African nations, but also in the contexts of the Caribbean and Latin America. Through the selection of courses that I have undertaken, I have become deeply interrogative of the historical roots of contemporary systems of class and racial inequality in the US, the constructions of racialized social structure (in the US and other nations too), and education in various African ethnic groups (in my case, combined with my passion for Theatre). Through your conference work, too, you can delve further into class materials or explore a topic tangential to the course that piques your fascination. For example, in my Gender, Education, and Opportunity in Africa course this semester, I am looking at post-colonial cultural reclamation through theatre, which is a vital part of many African cultures. This is one of many routes that one can take, allowing students to come away with a well-rounded understanding of African cultures and diaspora.</p>

<p>PS-- In terms of Financial Aid, Sarah Lawrence is extremely generous. About 60% of students at Sarah Lawrence receive institutional aid, averaging around a $36,000 grant per year. In addition there are resources such as work-study (if you qualify), various Federal grants and outside scholarship resources, and federal or private loans, making a SLC education affordable. As a student who receives significant amount of financial aid, I can say that the Office of Financial Aid is also very understanding and responsive to individual circumstances. If you explain your situation in detail, Financial Aid will find every way to make affording your Sarah Lawrence education manageable.</p>

<p>Sounds great! I had an interview with an alumni, and SLC has certainly gone up in my rankings. Fingers crossed.</p>

<p>(& thanks for the incredibly detailed post.)</p>

<p>LRockinLDN - Just curious if you ever got that student ID/login? My D applied RD as well and received a form letter yesterday thanking her for her application and giving her a FA brochure, but no ID/Log in. Thanks. </p>

<p>I did eventually get that ID/login. When I applied for an interview, a lady called Annalei contacted me about setting up a meeting with an alumni here in London. I then raised my concerns about the ID/login, and she forwarded them to me. I can pm you her email?</p>

<p>Thanks. I think we’ll call too (after first being sure that it didn’t land in spam).</p>

<p>In other unrelated news, does anybody know when decisions are being mailed?</p>

<p>Decisions are out - check your portal. I was waitlisted… which is probably for the best in my case! Good luck to you all.</p>

<p>LrockinLDN, I’d appreciate the email address </p>

<p>@laplatinum, for the waitlist?</p>

<p>oh, no, lrockin, the question was regarding how to get to MySLC. DD had to write to them and get the information as for some reason she never received the email regarding the portal info. Alls well!</p>

<p>Oh, I’m sorry! Glad you got it sorted.</p>