Sarah Lawrence College

Date: Aug 17 2010
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
I have read many reviews praising the quality of the academics at Sarah L., but in my experience, much is left to be desired. To put it bluntly, I do not consider it to be an education. The classes are easier than those in high school, and while the seminar-conference system sounds rigorous on paper, it is not implemented successfully. In my experience, rarely more than two students carry the seminar while the others remain quiet. Most seminars are spent on comprehension of the assigned reading. I have noticed that, at least for freshmen students, the topic and content of their conference paper is practically given by the professor. Content and reading lists are also sometimes rotated to students by them.

Another thing to be aware of is Sarah L.'s approach to education. They state very clearly that their degree teaches a

student how to think

, which is an euphanism for an education that values interpretation (Freudian, feminist et. al) over concrete knowledge. If you have taken AP courses, expect Sarah L. to be entirely opposite in philosophy. Read the article, The Truth about Harvard by Ross Douthat in The Atlantic to get a taste of what it will be. In my opinion, this type of education does not create knowledgeable or successful graduates. Also, you also have to be aware that most classes at Sarah L., excepting some social sciences and sciences, are year-long. With an allowance of only three classes at a time, that gives you 12 subjects more or less that you will be able to study. Mostly likely, you will not be able to take both music and theatre or dance at the same time becaues of the nature of the component system. Most classes meet once a week for a block of three hours, which I feel slows the pace, but to make up for the lack of rigour, a good amount of busy work is assigned. From what I have seen here, the weight of the busy work depends on your individual standards in academics. Some students work all the time, while others have a relaxed schedule, but the grades at the end are not hugely different. Also, I feel that professors tend to teach the same material for many classes, under a different name.

All this said, I feel that Sarah L. dumbs down kids, and I would advise that if you have academics primarily in your mind, look elsewhere. You will not learn things here, nor will you learn how to write - most students, including myself, do not at all know any grammar, vocabulary or style, which can be plainly seen in the school newspaper - but what you will learn is how to write an eight or ten page paper in a night.

As for the arts, I find them even more lacking than the academics. All the student theatre productions this year, excepting maybe one, had students on stage in brassiere and underwear, and had crazy sexuality. Actually, much of the campus is over-sexed, and you will find sex creeping into classes and taught material very frequently. Visual arts does not teach skills - how to draw, paint - but there are places in commuting distance like the Student Art League that will. The same for dance. Judging from the student shows, classes are more on composition than any technique at all (or even dancing posture).

I have met students who find Sarah L. a fulfulling academic experience, so I would recommend that you research the school carefully, look at student work and performances, and it might just fit you. I have also met students who think the education is a very easy, and who, I believe, account for the quite large rate of transfer students. Speaking from my experience, I feel that it is an unacceptable education, and feel cheated in time and money.