Lawerence University WI - Page 2

world changer · 05-04-2008, 07:55 PM

They totally paid you to say that.

Kidding. But really, as nice of a school as it is, I wouldn't say that the academic or social environment is necessarily better than any other small private school. The OP's daughter could potentially find better fitting schools that offer an equally nice experience.

Also, flutemom - I'm answering your PM right now.

MilwDad · 05-04-2008, 08:42 PM

I have to say I'm puzzled by the suggestion that Lawrence does not fit the OP's daughter. It seems like a very good potential fit to me.

As for the academic side, it's simply as good as any midwestern LAC. I know that will rankle the ratings nuts but I believe it absolutely. I have a friend who is a Lawrence grad and also was a high achieving graduate of Harvard Law. He once told me without hesitation that the education at Lawrence was better.

And flutemom, your daughter has a great resume. Congrats.

barrons · 05-04-2008, 08:57 PM

Put Lawrence in New England and you'd have a Top 20 LAC. It's better than just equal to any other midwest LAC. It would be in the group right after Grinnell, Carleton, Oberlin and a couple others maybe.

MomofWildChild · 05-04-2008, 09:18 PM

It's a good regional school.

overseas · 05-05-2008, 12:55 AM

word changer, Ha, Ha. Actually, I think I am so over the top since my experience is being a parent who had no idea about schools outside of California and then a few european ones. It is kind of like being a reformed, I don't know what. If I have learned nothing but this: there are many great quality schools out there.

dbwes · 05-05-2008, 09:06 AM

Momofwildchild -- Is there a subtext to your comments that I'm missing? Lawrence is a very good LAC -- how can you be so sure it is not appropriate for OP's daughter?

MomofWildChild · 05-05-2008, 09:16 AM

I think Lawrence is a fine school. We are always talking about the best fit on this forum, and I think Lawrence is an excellent fit for many, many students. I just happen to think the OP's daughter can find a safety that is a tier up from Lawrence. I am NOT trying to diminish the strengths of Lawrence. It is simply not going to be where this girl attends unless there is a huge merit award and the distance from home feels right. I see this kid more at Rice or Oberlin. I'm sorry, but I simply think this student can shoot higher for a safety.

gadad · 05-05-2008, 09:28 AM

Flutemom - You need to call Lawrence and ask whether the conservatory is a place where a non-major can participate in music for pleasure. A conservatory is designed as pre-professional training for musicians pursuing their life works, and I would think that performance opportunities would largely be reserved for the conservatory students. It may be like someone who enjoys playing recreational basketball choosing to go to Duke because they're well-known for basketball.

MilwDad · 05-05-2008, 10:20 AM

"I see this kid more at Rice or Oberlin. I'm sorry, but I simply think this student can shoot higher for a safety."

Hmmm.

I prefer direct information. My friend who is a Lawrence and Harvard Law grad has a son who recently graduated from Oberlin. Lawrence would have been perfect for him but he wanted to blaze a trail a little further from home. I asked him about Oberlin. "Great school; as good as Lawrence."

That said, Oberlin is in fact more of a "cornfield" school, as compared to LU or some of the other suggestions herein.

overseas · 05-05-2008, 11:57 AM

My son has many friends at Oberlin in fact he visits them. But Oberlin was not his kind of school. Lawrence and Oberlin are different. That's where visits come in. By the way, non-majors can participate in music activities at LU. Getting in touch with the admissions people is very important at any school. I can say this from experience: the conservatory and school work as a unit. They are not distinct. This may be something new. I don't know. But it's helpful when considering the future direction of each student.

missypie · 05-05-2008, 02:43 PM

My neighbors are both alums. The husband was a music major. Both of their daughters went there. The youngest enjoyed it. The eldest left after a year. This is the part that will be of interest: She was a music major, concentrating on trumpet. Lawrence essentially had one faculty member in trumpet. She didn't like him; her dad (professional trumpet player) also didn't like the way she was being taught by him.

SO.....make sure you and your daugher meet the flute faculty before making any decisions.

dbwes · 05-05-2008, 07:05 PM

Absolutely, missypie -- visit, ask questions, see if it's for you. But just based on stats, I don't see how you can rule Lawrence out. Lots of smart kids there.

shennie · 05-05-2008, 07:14 PM

It is much easier to participate in the music programs at Lawrence as a non-major than it is at Oberlin.

Flutemom · 05-05-2008, 08:20 PM

MilwDad, thanks for the compliment for D.

gadad, I will take your advice and call the school to see about opportunities for non-music majors.

Thanks to everyone for the great discussion. It has been much more informative than I had ever hoped. We will visit and see what D thinks and what kind of feel she gets there. We now have an idea of what we should be looking for regarding a safety school in relation to stats and have added a few more schools to the list for her to look at.

Thanks again to everyone for the great input.

idic5 · 05-11-2008, 01:06 AM

Flutemom, please tell me how how the talks turned out with admissions. D wants to play violin and we have been getting unclear and inconsistant answers from admissions about the chances of doing this. You can PM me if you want.

This lack of info is VERY disconcerting since I can say with you about my d...

Quote:

She does want a school though that has a good music program so that she could participate in an orchestra or ensemble.Music has been a big part of her life....6 years of classical flute training, masterclasses, pit orchestra, marching band etc...she would feel lost without music being part of her life.

also, momofwildchild, I noticed that you said that you did not think there would be a good fit right after the OP numbers were posted. Was is the high 30 something ACT? LU mid 50 is 26-31, with 52 pct submitting an ACT. So it would be higher than the 75th pct-ile, and so wd be a candidate for merit money. My lookseeing into LU can attest to an academic vigor, and rigor.

I have attended a class and the sample I had was very impressive academically. Students were all engaged, with active discussion, even this big ol' football player looking guy. On the day I was there a pair of kids did an oral presentation./ power point. presentation was very poised and articulate.

LU also has a a very fine and well thought-out freshman intro course call Fr Studies, which all students must take as FR. From what I heard from the pgm's designers, it is more than a mere fr gateway pgm; it is organically referred to and used throughout the four yrs at LU. I saw this in action in the soph class I attended. A kid contributed a connection to Wordsworth, which they had studied at the start of the yr (per the sylabus which the prof (also very interesting guy) gave me. they were studying MAnsfield Park by Austen. The interconnections between disparate bodies of knowledge is what liberal learning is and what the Fr studies is about.

pope's colleges that change lives has a chapter on LU, btw