Sarah Lawrence is a small liberal arts college that is a thirty-minute train ride north of New York City. Home to less than 2,000 students, the college offers an intimate and immersive college experience known for conversation-based classes, a deep commitment to the performing and fine arts, and a tradition of academic exploration and discovery. Also, just in case you don’t know already, it’s co-ed.
Sarah Lawrence is not really a ‘sports’ school. It isn’t known for athletics, and is one of those schools that doesn’t even put sports on the main navigation of their website homepage. But it has some very strong teams in the NCAA Division III program, and the college attracts athletes who don’t want sports to dominate their college experience. And the college has great teams with a strong community culture (Go Gryphons!), including men’s volleyball, which despite being one of the top sports for men globally is rare in the United States. They also field an equestrian (riding) team and rowing, alongside more standard offerings like basketball, soccer, and softball. Athletes at Sarah Lawrence benefit from a 48,000 square foot indoor athletic center, including top-tier facilities including indoor rowing tanks.
Sarah Lawrence has not published an acceptance rate in recent years, but in 2021 the acceptance rate was under 50%, making the college a fairly selective option for top-performing students.
If you are interested pursuing your academic future and athletic passions at Sarah Lawrence, in this post we’ll break down everything you need to find success.
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What is Sarah Lawrence looking for in Student Athletes?
When it comes to what Sarah Lawrence is looking for in student athletes, it’s pretty simple. They want students first, but awesome if you’re an athlete. Sarah Lawrence provides top athletes with opportunities, access, and, at times, advantages, but you have to show up as a student every day regardless of how you’re performing on the court, field, or in the pool.
Recruited Athletes
First, you should check your NCAA eligibility if you haven’t already. As an NCAA Division III school, athletes are expected to maintain NCAA eligibility and they recommend that you create an account with the NCAA as early as you can because this is an important step in the recruitment process.
After you’ve confirmed your eligibility, Sarah Lawrence makes it easy to access information on recruitment. The number one thing is that, if you want to be considered for recruitment by Sarah Lawrence, you need to reach out proactively to the coaching staff and let them know. Luckily, they make this easy (many other schools don’t make this information so available).
There is an interest form for prospective athletes that you’ll need to fill out, ideally long before applying. If your sport doesn’t show up as an option on that form, though, it’s probably going to be here — so check both. The form is short and easy, but don’t just fill it out on a whim. We recommend taking any and all communication with coaches, like admissions officers, very seriously. It needs to be treated professionally, and planned well in advance as every piece of it will be looked at closely. These types of forms are things we’re experts at, but, if you’re going it alone, be sure to draft, edit, and ask a parent or mentor to proof-read.
Walk-Ons
If you aren’t excited about the idea of going through the recruitment process, but still want to explore the option of playing your sport (or more than one, even) in college, there is the possibility of walking onto the team. In most situations, any student is welcome to try out for a varsity team. There are some exceptions, though.
If you are interested in playing a sport at Sarah Lawrence, we recommend reaching out to the coaches and filling out the form even if you want to try walking on once you’re on campus as a first-year. They may not be able to accommodate you as a recruit, but that doesn’t mean that there may not be a spot on the team for you outside of the recruitment process. In the end, recruitment has limitations and coaches have quotas, but walking on is more accessible.
Intramurals
Ok, so you love sports, but if the idea of recruitment, or even walking on, are really stressing you out — that’s ok! There are lots of other fun ways to engage with sports and fitness at Sarah Lawrence, including fitness classes like ballet and yoga. Just want to kick a ball around? You can regularly find students playing a pick-up game on the college campus greens.
Inclusivity
Something really important to note about Sarah Lawrence is that they are very inclusive within the athletic department. Students can specify their preferred pronouns for use in team literature and media, and they are not asked to explain a reason for their choice. The program is also inclusive of transgender students within the NCAA regulations.
If all this sounds exciting to you, the next best steps are to contact the coaches, fill out the form, and — if you can — plan a visit. This is the best course of action even if you aren’t certain whether you’d like to play your sport in college. Explore opportunities, communicate professionally, and keep your options open.
Applying to college is hard. Navigating the athletic recruitment process while applying to college is even harder. When it comes to navigating all this mess, we’re experts. So, send us an email.