Lawrence University (International Student Information) - Overview
An Introduction to Lawrence University
The administration and faculty of Lawrence University - the United States' only liberal arts college and conservatory of music both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education - believes that college should not be a one-size-fits-all experience. At Lawrence, you'll learn best when you're educated as a unique individual.
Lawrence University provides a personalized, meaningful education that gives you the flexibility to develop and combine your own talents and passions at a level few colleges can match.
Liberal Arts College Plus Conservatory Equals Lawrence University
Some people (mistakenly) think that, because Lawrence is a "university," it must have graduate students. You won't find any in the school's classes - or teaching them, for that matter; Lawrence is an undergraduate-only institution.
Lawrence is a university because it combines a college and a conservatory - home to 75 and 25 percent of its students, respectively - under one roof.
The Power of Individualized Learning
Like most private colleges, Lawrence offers a small student-to-faculty ratio (9:1) and average class size (15). However, unlike most private colleges, Lawrence teaches an extraordinary number of individualized courses - honors projects, tutorials, and studio classes - in which one student works directly with a professor. Of the 2,000 courses taught at Lawrence last year, nearly two-thirds had total enrollments of one.
By the time they graduate, 90 percent of Lawrence students will have had at least one individualized class.
Academic Diversity
With dozens of academic programs, hundreds of academic courses, and the boundless curiosity of a group of uniquely talented students, Lawrence University provides fertile ground for a garden of academic wildflowers. It's not unusual to find Lawrence students double-majoring in unusual ways: English and math, economics and percussion performance, or physics and studio art.
If you are interested in two or three (or more) majors or minors, you'll find that you're in good company at Lawrence, where the most popular academic interest is "multi-interested" (not "undecided"). Here you will have the options, encouragement, and guidance to explore your multiple interests, even as you discover new ones along the way.
Most Popular Academic Programs at Lawrence University
Lawrence University offers more than 30 majors, the most popular of which tend to be biology, economics, English, and psychology. The conservatory of music offers world-class majors in music performance, music theory and composition, and music education - all popular programs.
A Diverse Experience for a Diverse World
Lawrence's 1,400 students come from nearly every state and more than 50 countries to enjoy the distinctive benefits of this engaged - and engaging - community. It's a close-knit, residential, 24-7 campus filled with smart and interesting people who are comfortable being themselves - and comfortable letting others be themselves, too.
An International Hub
With about 12 percent of its students and 13 percent of its faculty coming from beyond the United States, Lawrence is one of the most internationally-diverse liberal arts colleges in the United States.
The university is based in Appleton, Wisconsin, a city of 72,000, which is the cultural and commercial heart of the Fox Cities (metro pop. 225,000). Appleton's airport, about 10 kilometers from campus, connects through to cities all over the world with direct flights to Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, and Cincinnati.
With easy access to Milwaukee (90 minutes), Chicago (3 hours), and Minneapolis (5 hours), Appleton is recognized annually by numerous publications as one of the safest and best places to live in the United States.
Life After Lawrence
You will find Lawrence alumni all over the world working in industry, communication, government, embassies, not-for-profit and service agencies, and education. You will also find that they are a proud group of people. Lawrence enjoys one of the nation's highest alumni giving rates (the percentage of alumni who donate financially to their college), which tells us not only that they love their alma mater, but that they are doing well enough financially to support it.
International Student Services
International Student services (ISS) supports all international students at Lawrence, including academic, personal, and visa-related issues. ISS also manages the Friendship Family program, which places interested students with local families to share cross-cultural experiences.
International House serves as a hub for student activity, and includes a kitchen where students gather to cook food from home, a television lounge for international programming, and a space available for Muslim prayer.
International student budget: $45,000, includes tuition, room and board, fees, miscellaneous expenses and transportation.
Financial Aid
Many international students receive merit scholarships or need-based financial aid. Scholarships vary from $7,000 to full tuition, based on academic or musical achievements, country of origin, and financial need.
Test Score Requirements
Standardized test results are optional, except for international applicants for whom English is not their first language. Lawrence University accepts the following standardized tests: ACT, SAT, TOEFL [minimum scores: 575 (paper), 233 (computer), or 90 (Internet)], or IELTS (minimum overall band score 6.5).
Application Fees and Deadlines
Lawrence University requires a $40 application fee. Early Decision: November 15; Early Action: December 1; Regular Decision: January 15. International applicants seeking financial aid may only apply through Regular Decision.