Sarah Lawrence College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Sarah Lawrence campus

Andrew Lichtenstein / Getty Images

Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 56%. Founded in 1926 and considered one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the country, Sarah Lawrence is located just north of New York City in Yonkers, New York. The college has an impressive 9-to-1 student/faculty ratio.

Considering applying to Sarah Lawrence College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Sarah Lawrence had an acceptance rate of 56%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 56 students were admitted, making Sarah Lawrence's admissions process competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2017-18)
Number of Applicants 3,325
Percent Admitted 56%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 23%

SAT Scores and Requirements

Sarah Lawrence has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Sarah Lawrence may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required to do so. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 46% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 640 730
Math 600 690
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Sarah Lawrence's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Sarah Lawrence scored between 640 and 730, while 25% scored below 640 and 25% scored above 730. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 600 and 690, while 25% scored below 600 and 25% scored above 690. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1420 or higher is competitive for Sarah Lawrence.

Requirements

Sarah Lawrence College does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Sarah Lawrence participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Sarah Lawrence does not require the essay section of the SAT.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Sarah Lawrence has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required to do so. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 26% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Composite 27 32

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Sarah Lawrence's admitted students fall within the top 15% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Sarah Lawrence received a composite ACT score between 27 and 32, while 25% scored above 32 and 25% scored below 27.

Requirements

Note that Sarah Lawrence does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, Sarah Lawrence participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Sarah Lawrence does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2017, the average GPA for incoming Sarah Lawrence freshmen was 3.71. This information suggests that most successful applicants to Sarah Lawrence College have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

Sarah Lawrence College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
Sarah Lawrence College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Sarah Lawrence College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Sarah Lawrence College, which accepts over half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. However, Sarah Lawrence also has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay, optional supplemental essay, and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. While not required, Sarah Lawrence offers optional interviews for interested applicants. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades are outside of Sarah Lawrence's average range.

In the graph above you can see that most admitted students had high school averages of "B+" or higher (the green and blue dots represent accepted students). Standardized test scores also tended to be well above average. Admitted students typically had SAT composite scores above 1200 and ACT composite scores of 25 or higher.

Note that there are some red dots (rejected students) and yellow dots (waitlisted students) throughout the graph. Some students with grades that were on target for Sarah Lawrence were not admitted. On the flip side, some students were accepted with grades a bit below the norm. This is because admission to Sarah Lawrence is based on much more than numerical data.

If You Like Sarah Lawrence College, You May Also Like These Schools

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Sarah Lawrence College Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Grove, Allen. "Sarah Lawrence College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/sarah-lawrence-college-admissions-787223. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 28). Sarah Lawrence College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sarah-lawrence-college-admissions-787223 Grove, Allen. "Sarah Lawrence College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/sarah-lawrence-college-admissions-787223 (accessed March 28, 2024).