Which is a better school academically and socially, what are the dorms like at both colleges, and which college has less drugs.
Thanks to everyone who responds
If you are interested in both, I would recommend applying to both, and then if you get into both you can weigh these other issues to choose one of them. But for what its worth…socially I’ve heard that Sarah Lawrence has very creative students, and that students tend to be involved in NYC life – with internships, outings or whatever. Seems like Wesleyan would be very different, and probably much more academically challenging.
Thanks. I think I’d have to pay to apply to Wesleyan so I’d like to know before hand.
Wesleyan has a better academic rep overall.
Does it? I’ve noticed that Sarah Lawrence has more successful alum’s
In terms of rankings, yes.
And Wes is a NESCAC member. 
Bill Belichick is an alumnus, as is Michael Bay. hehe
I’m sure Sarah Lawrence is good too.
NESCAC? Is that a sports thing? I don’t care for sports, thank you all so much
It’s the conference that has most of the Little Ivies – Williams, Amherst, Wes, Bowdoin, Colby, Hamilton, etc.
Oh, I heard about that. What about the demographic in Wesleyan? How is the drug scene?
That I don’t know – I’ll leave it to a Wes student, or someone who has spent time there, to answer the “culture/vibe” questions. Good luck to you!
Thank you very much!
Check the press. There was a big bust regarding selling molly a few months ago.
I get that there will be drugs, that I know. I would just like to know how hard the scene is and whether the drugs there are basic like marijuana or harder/stronger
Academically, Sarah Lawrence is very focused on visual and performing arts, some humanities, and psychology, but may be lacking in many other subjects. Check the course catalog.
Both colleges have had high profile drug busts over the years. A good way to look at it is that Wesleyan is nearly twice as large as SLC. If, as some people believe, about half of Wesleyan students occasionally use pot and about half do not use any drugs at all, that means the number of students who do not use drugs at Wesleyan is nearly as large as the entire student population of Sarah Lawrence. Obviously, both colleges have a drug scene, but, at Wesleyan unless you are looking for it, it often comes as a surprise to many people that hard drug use exists at all.
I think that the Princeton Review named SLC as, basically, their “Most Hippy” school last year, which kind of gives you an idea what the scene is like there 
(For real, I considered applying, and I got the sense that there was a fairly strong pot presence, which was kind of a turn-off. Whether or not this is accurate is up for debate. I can’t speak for Wesleyan.)
Your academic experience will be very different at SLC. You’ll be required to design your own major. They have a lot of support in place, but this may not be for every student. Wesleyan, to my knowledge, is more traditional in their curriculum. But SLC offers access to NYC, and all the internships that are there. I don’t think you can go wrong with either (though SLC is notoriously bad with financial aid). It’s just up to what you want.
IMO Wes would likely be more academically challenging and would also provide a more typical college experience. Sarah Lawrence has about 1400 students and is over 70% female. Wes is a good bit larger at 2900 students and has a pretty even male/female ratio.
That said, I suggest you visit both. If you like the two schools apply to both of them (and others). See where you get in, what is affordable, and which atmosphere you feel you will thrive in.
While I doubt that Wesleyan would be more challenging, given Sarah Lawrence’s distinguished closeness between students and faculty, modeled after that in Oxford, you have to consider that Wesleyan is a wealthier school with more opportunities, and with much better financial aid. Another reason to consider Wesleyan over Sarah Lawrence is if you want to study the sciences. Sarah Lawrence has a remarkable alumni list, with careers mostly in the entertainment and publishing industries.
Alright,thanks guys.