New Student Enrollment

First-Year Studies (FYS) courses at Sarah Lawrence College provide an essential foundation for students' academic and intellectual growth, emphasizing close mentorship and critical thinking through intensive writing and discussion. Anchored in the College’s distinctive pedagogy, FYS cultivates deep inquiry, personalized learning, and strong faculty-student relationships from the start of each student’s college journey.

Assignments to FYS courses are made during the summer, by the Office of the Dean of Studies, on the basis of the first-year studies selections and the student’s college admissions application.

First-year students must take courses in three different disciplines and are encouraged to fulfill distribution requirements in their first year. Two five-credit creative arts courses are not allowed for first-year students; however, with permission of the relevant department, a one-credit craft course in dance or music is permitted. Incoming transfer students with 15 or fewer eligible credits are required to take an FYS course.

Donning is an essential component of a student’s academic life at Sarah Lawrence College. In order to facilitate the student-don partnership, new transfer students are enrolled in a five- or 10-credit New Transfer Seminar (NTS) for their first semester or first year. The faculty member teaching this seminar also serves as the student’s don. Prior to the start of their first semester, transfer students are invited by the Office of the Dean of Studies to participate in the selection process for their NTS. Once enrolled in their seminar, transfer students are required to meet with their don in order to participate in course registration. Incoming students with 15 or fewer eligible transfer credits are required to take a First-Year Studies course, as described above. Transfer students may enroll in a maximum of 15 credits in their first semester. Directed studies are permitted after the first semester.

Prior to registration, new transfer students receive their transfer credit evaluation from the Registrar's Office. Transfer students should be aware of the distribution, lecture, and other degree requirements in order to plan an appropriate program of study. Questions about transfer credits may be directed to the Registrar’s Office. Students who transfer to the College with 60 credits must earn all of their remaining credits at the Bronxville Campus.

Under exceptional circumstances and after discussion with their don, matriculated students may request part-time enrollment (fewer than 12 credits) for one semester. Students are only permitted to request part-time enrollment twice unless on an approved reduced course load. Reduced course loads are initiated by the student through the Office of the Dean of Studies via the Reduced Course Load Request and approved by the Health & Wellness Center, Access and Disability Services, or Title IX Office. See the Reduced Course Load section of this handbook under the Special Arrangements header.

Apart from possible interruption of advancement toward degree completion, part-time status has significant implications in multiple areas, including visa eligibility, external scholarships eligibility, loan repayment, athletic-team participation, and health insurance. Students are advised to discuss these implications with all relevant parties before making a decision. A Request for Part-Time Enrollment form, located on MySLC, must be submitted and approved by the Office of the Dean of Studies. Part-time enrollment reminders:

• The request must be made by July 31 preceding enrollment for the fall semester and by December 1 preceding enrollment for the spring semester.
• Unless granted a reduced course load, first-year students are not permitted to be part time.
• Students must be enrolled in at least 10 credits to reside on campus.
• Part-time students may not enroll concurrently at another institution.

A personal leave of absence may be granted, one semester at a time, upon student request up until the end of the 10th week of the semester. Ideally, students should request a leave of absence prior to the start of the semester. The student should first discuss the leave with their don and complete the Change of Status available on the Dean of Studies Forms page of MySLC. Once approved, the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may be notified. Communication with the don is encouraged during the leave of absence. First-year students who take a leave of absence during their first semester are required to reenroll in a First-Year Studies course in the fall semester following their return.

A subsequent semester of leave of absence may be requested from the Office of the Dean of Studies by completing the Change of Status available on the Dean of Studies Forms page of MySLC. Leaves of absence may be requested for up to four consecutive semesters, after which time the student is withdrawn from the College. Students are contacted by the Registrar’s Office prior to their expected return; those who do not return from leave of absence for the expected semester are withdrawn from the College for failure to return and must follow policy as outlined in the Withdrawal From the College section of this handbook. Students may request to extend their leaves beyond this period by speaking with their class dean.

Students who request a leave of absence but are subsequently suspended for academic reasons must apply for reinstatement, as outlined in their suspension letter.

Students who are ready to return to the College from a leave of absence must submit a Change of Status, available on the Dean of Studies Forms page of MySLC. Deadlines are November 1 for a spring-semester return and April 1 for a fall-semester return. Students who do not return from leave of absence for the expected semester are withdrawn from the College for failure to return and must follow policy, as outlined in the Withdrawal From the College section of this handbook.

A $400 matriculation fee is charged for each full semester of a personal leave of absence. View the Tuition & Fees page on MySLC for more information. Students with loans or grants who are planning a leave of absence should consult with the Office of Financial Aid about any financial implications of their leave. While on leave, students are not permitted on campus and may not participate in any College-sponsored/affiliated activities without advance written permission from the Office of the Dean of Studies.

A medical leave may be requested by a student for health/medical reasons that interfere with the student’s ability to function academically. The deadline to request a medical leave of absence is the end of the 10th week of the semester. Students should discuss their request with their class dean, complete a Change of Status on the Dean of Studies Forms page of MySLC, and schedule a meeting with one of the Health & Wellness Center directors at healthservices@sarahlawrence.edu. A medical leave may also be required by the Office of the Dean of Studies if the student has a health condition that cannot be reasonably accommodated by the College. Due to the health/safety matter, the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may be notified.

During the medical leave, the student is expected to obtain treatment for the condition that warranted the leave and subsequently demonstrate that the issue has been sufficiently resolved to allow resumption of studies.

The request to return from a medical leave is reviewed by the Health & Wellness Center in consultation with the Office of the Dean of Studies. Students initiate the request using the Change of Status available on MySLC. For spring-semester returns, requests are due to the Office of the Dean of Studies Office by November 1, with clinical documentation submitted to the Health & Wellness Center by December 1. Fall-semester requests to return are due to the Office of the Dean of Studies Office by April 1, with clinical documentation submitted to the Health & Wellness Center by May 1.

International F-1 students must contact their designated school official concerning their leave of absence in order to determine whether they are eligible to stay in the United States or they must leave the United States. In circumstances due to health-related issues, international F-1 students may be permitted to be enrolled as part-time through a reduced course load approved by Health & Wellness and the Office of the Dean of Studies. International F-1 students must also obtain permission from their designated school official and apply for reduced course load I-20 for that semester only. If more than one semester is required, the student must apply again before classes begin in the following semester.

First-year students who take a medical leave of absence during their first semester are required to register for a First-Year Studies course following their return.

A medical leave may be requested for up to four consecutive semesters, after which time the student is withdrawn from the College. Students are contacted either by the Registrar’s Office or Health & Wellness Center prior to their expected return; those who do not return from a medical leave of absence for the expected semester are withdrawn from the College for failure to return and must follow policy, as outlined in the Withdrawal from the College section of this handbook.

While on medical leave, students are expected to absent themselves from participating in or organizing on-campus activities, as well as off-campus College-sponsored/affiliated activities, and to visit only with permission, provided in advance, by the Office of the Dean of Studies. Failure to abide by this expectation may adversely affect the decision to readmit. Students who are on a medical leave but are subsequently independently suspended for academic reasons must first apply for reinstatement.

The Course Withdrawal period begins once Add/Drop ends and continues through the 10th week of the semester. Students who experience a significant issue that impedes their ability to successfully complete a course may request withdrawal. Students must first discuss the withdrawal with their don and the instructor and then seek approval from the class dean, who approves the Course Withdrawal Request. Ceasing to attend a course does not constitute an official withdrawal. Failure to officially withdraw from a course results in a grade of F on the official transcript. Official course withdrawal results in a grade of WD on the official transcript.

Course withdrawal may impact a student’s enrollment status, which may impact financial aid, housing, visa eligibility for international students, and eligibility for external scholarships. Students are advised to consult the Financial Aid Office, the designated school official, or relevant parties before withdrawing from a course. View the Part-Time Enrollment section of this handbook for further information.

The Course Withdrawal period for summer and intersession is between the first and second class meetings. Students may withdraw from a summer directed study until June 1. Students may withdraw from an intersession directed study within one week of the end of the fall semester. There is no reduction of tuition charges for fall or spring courses dropped once the Add/Drop period has ended, unless the student takes a leave of absence or withdraws from the semester. First-year students are not permitted to withdraw from a course and should reach out to their don or the first-year dean to discuss academic concerns. Only one course withdrawal is permitted over a maximum of two semesters.

Second-semester seniors are eligible for a partial course load (and prorated tuition) in their final semester only when the College has official transcripts of all of their prior degree credits and if their residence, lecture, and distribution requirements have been fulfilled. The transcripts must be received by the Registrar’s Office by December 1 for May graduates and September 1 for December graduates. Special arrangements cannot be made on the basis of transcripts expected but not received.

Seniors who register for a part-time semester are billed only for enrolled credits and must receive approval from the Office of the Dean of Studies by December 1 for spring completion and May 1 for fall completion. International F-1 students who need only a part-time course load in their final semester must also request permission from their DSO (designated school official) in compliance with visa regulations. In applying for a part-time load, students should consider implications for scholarships, loans, health insurance, and housing, some of which may require full-time status. Seniors who register for a directed study over the summer to complete their remaining credits are billed for those credits.

Second-semester seniors who are enrolled full time may take one additional course (excluding directed study) beyond the 120 credits required for graduation without charge if they were a full-time student the preceding semester. To receive this benefit, they must register for the additional course during the second week of the semester. Seniors who enroll in more than 126 credits are billed for each additional credit.

Sarah Lawrence College offers undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in this combined five-year degree program. If accepted into the program, students spend three years (six semesters) at Sarah Lawrence followed by two years (four semesters) at Columbia University. Students accepted into this program prior to what would be their fourth year at the College must forward the Columbia acceptance letter, as well as their acceptance into the program, to the Dean of Studies Office. Subsequently, the enrollment status is reflected as a combined program off-campus for the following two academic years. Students are permitted to participate in one commencement ceremony in either their first or second year at Columbia.

At the completion of each graded semester at Columbia, students must send an unofficial transcript to the Registrar’s Office to maintain the combined program off-campus enrollment status. Upon successful completion of the combined program, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from Columbia University, are earned. At the completion of 30 engineering credits, pending successful completion of Sarah Lawrence degree requirements and upon receiving a final and official transcript sent directly to the Registrar's Office, the Bachelor of Arts degree is conferred.

Students in their final year who have met the residency requirement may request to complete their degree at another four-year, degree-granting institution. Requests for part-time study at another institution are approved by the Office of the Dean of Studies, and full-time study is approved by the Office of Global Education. Seniors studying abroad in their final spring semester may request to participate in Commencement, provided an official pending successful completion letter or unofficial transcript is sent from the host institution directly to the Registrar by April 30; degrees are conferred in August, pending receipt of official transcripts and successful degree completion. The Senior Finishing Off-Campus Request is available on MySLC and must be submitted by December 15 for the subsequent spring semester and by July 15 for the following fall semester. Submission of the form and appropriate approvals are required to ensure accurate enrollment status and transferability of coursework. The host school’s semester dates determine graduation conferral date for which a student is eligible. An official transcript must be requested by the student to be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office for credit evaluation. See the Transfer Credit section for details on eligibility criteria.

Students in their final year are expected to submit a Degree Application to the Registrar’s Office to ensure a degree audit is completed to review graduation requirements. Students who have completed requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree during the academic year are invited to participate in the Commencement ceremony in May.

Students who are within five credits of completion at the end of the spring semester and have plans to finish during the summer may request participation in Commencement. If final requirements are completed during the summer, the students are eligible for August degree conferral. Seniors studying elsewhere in their final spring semester may request participation in Commencement, but degrees are conferred in August pending receipt of official transcripts and successful degree completion. These students should submit the Request to Participate in Commencement form available on MySLC. 

Students may request a complete withdrawal from the College up until the end of the 10th week of the semester. Students not withdrawn by this date for the current semester receive grades and evaluations for courses in which they are enrolled. Students may request at any time withdrawal from the College for future semesters. For a temporary departure, view the Leave of Absence section of this handbook. Withdrawn students lose access to their Sarah Lawrence email and MySLC portal within a semester after withdrawal. To ensure their email records are transferred appropriately, students considering a withdrawal should contact the Help Desk prior to the withdrawal.

Students who withdraw from the College and seek to return within two years of that withdrawal may request to do so through the Office of the Dean of Studies. Students who have withdrawn from the College and seek to return after an absence of more than two years must complete a readmission application available through the Office of Admission. Students seeking to return are asked to provide transcripts for any college-level work completed and to detail what activities they have been involved in during their time away from the College. Applications are reviewed by the Office of Admission and the Office of the Dean of Studies.