Sarah Lawrence College 2024-25 Supplemental Essay Guide

Sarah Lawrence College 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations 

The Requirements: 1 Optional Essay of 250-500 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Activity, Community, Diversity

We know that there may be elements of who you are as a person and student that you may not feel are conveyed fully in the other sections of this application. If you wish to showcase a little more about your particular interest in Sarah Lawrence College, please select one of the prompts below and write your essay in the text box. If you do not wish to respond, select the prompt “I will not be submitting this optional essay”.

Sarah Lawrence students are often described as hyphenates: filmmaker-sociologist-historian, environmentalist-photographer, psychologist-novelist, economist-poet. In 250-500 words, tell us about seemingly disparate interests you have brought together, or hope to bring together at Sarah Lawrence.

You’re a multifaceted person with a bunch of different interests and passions, right? Right. Admissions wants to know how you’ve married two or more of those interests or how you plan to do so as a Sarah Lawrence student. Think about words you would use to describe yourself or the range of hobbies that you enjoy. Maybe you were able to fuse your sweet tooth with your passion for accessorizing by creating your very own candy jewelry. Are you a confectioner-fashion designer? Perhaps you love identifying and painting the local flora and fauna you see in the woods behind your apartment building. Are you an artist-botanist? If you have yet to combine two or more interests in a cohesive way, focus on your intentions and explore Sarah Lawrence’s website, so you can illuminate for admissions exactly how you will bring two interests together by taking advantage of their offerings, clubs, and other exclusive SLC opportunities.

Students at Sarah Lawrence are asked to design their own research questions directly with faculty, and then answer them through intensive semester-long projects that frequently inspire a blend of intellectual rigor and creativity. In 250-500 words, tell us about a text, problem or topic you would love to explore over a semester or a year, and what you would hope to achieve through that work.

This prompt is for those of you who have a pretty clear idea of your academic goals. If you choose to respond to this question, we recommend introducing the text, problem, or topic that you’d like to explore, and then digging into the why and how of it all. If you’d love to spend a semester or year exploring the ways in which global warming is impacting public health in tropical regions, for example, be sure to explain why this topic is important to you, why it is imperative to study, and what you’re hoping to accomplish by dedicating a semester or year to exploring it. Your research question should be related to the academic area you’re pursuing in some way, and your response to this prompt should reveal new information about your motivations, interests, and convictions. 

In the syllabus of a 2023 majority decision of the Supreme Court written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the author notes: “Nothing prohibits universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected the applicant’s life, so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability that the particular applicant can contribute to the university.” Drawing upon examples from your life, a quality of your character, and/or a unique ability you possess, describe how you believe your goals for a college education might be impacted, influenced, or affected by the Court’s decision.

Sarah Lawrence was one of the first schools to introduce a supplemental essay prompt in direct response to the Supreme Court’s decision to end Affirmative Action in 2023. Applicants who choose to respond to this prompt likely have something in mind to say about the ways in which the Court’s decision to end affirmative action will impact their goals for higher education. Since you only have 250-500 words at your disposal here, our advice is to focus on you: your reaction, your goals, and your experiences in environments where initiatives to combat systemic injustice and inequity are being actively attacked and dismantled. This is an opportunity for you to address how race has played a role in your life and the ways in which you have continued to rise above the obstacles set in your path. Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, draft, and revise your response, as writing about topics such as these can be challenging, even for adults who have spent twice, thrice, or four times as many years on this earth as you. We have no doubt that you’ll be able to write a concise, meaningful story about the kind of person you are, the qualities you possess, and the ways in which you would positively contribute to any college community in a post-Affirmative Action era.

Residential colleges and universities are opportunities to live and learn with peers from very different world views. Think about a time that you encountered someone with an opinion or a position that you felt was contrary to either your belief or understanding of a topic. Describe the situation, and if the encounter did not end with a mutually agreed upon resolution, how might it have?

When you go to college, you will inevitably meet people who are very different from you. Admissions is hoping you’ll engage with a diverse range of students, faculty, and other community members on campus and, understandably, they are curious to hear about a time when you encountered someone with a different worldview. So, tell them about a fitting situation or encounter and describe the resolution or conclusion accordingly. Maybe you challenged your cousin’s beliefs about climate change over Thanksgiving dinner. Or, perhaps, you questioned your uncle on his remarks regarding reproductive rights during a game of mini golf. Whatever conversation you decide to write about, remember to describe each party’s viewpoint accurately. Admissions knows that these conversations are rarely resolved and wrapped up in a bow, so don’t feel pressured to sugarcoat the ending. Instead, reflect on how the encounter may have been resolved differently. This means reflecting on your own actions, as well. Perhaps next time, you’ll try to ask more questions rather than sharing more of your own opinions. Maybe, if a situation like this presents itself again, you plan to make more of an effort to communicate your point, since you usually shy away from confrontation. Show Sarah Lawrence that you are not afraid to consider new ideas, advocate for topics that are meaningful to you, and engage with others about important issues.