Admissions | Lawrence University

Still Changing Lives

When he published his groundbreaking work, Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope encouraged prospective students and their families to consider what really matters in a college—and it has nothing to do with rankings or selectivity.

It’s all about fit.

He identified 40 colleges that he believed did as good a job as (if not a better job than) Ivy League or other "name-brand" institutions at transforming students by pushing them a great distance. Hence the title.

Lawrence University is proud to be included in every edition of the book, including the new edition written by author Hilary Masell Oswald.

We are also a proud member of the non-profit organization that the book inspired, Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. (CTCL). You’ll see us, and the other colleges in the book, at special CTCL events all over the country and the world.

Quick Facts

Founded: 1847 (one of the first American institutions to be founded coeducational)

Mailing Address: Lawrence University Office of Admissions, 711 E. Boldt Way; Appleton, WI, 54911-5690

Location: Appleton, Wisconsin (pop. 72,000; metro pop. 250,000)

Campuses: Main campus—an 84-acre campus situated on a bluff overlooking the historic (and northward flowing) Fox River, adjacent to downtown Appleton. Björklunden vid Sjön, a 425-acre estate on Lake Michigan in Door County, Wis., serves as the university’s northern campus, hosting weekend student retreats and seminars throughout the academic year. Lawrence London Centre accommodates 24 students each term.

Student Population: about 1,500 full-time undergraduates from nearly every state and 50 countries; students are required to live on campus for all four years.

Academic Calendar: Trimester (three 10-week terms)

The Admissions Blog

“Why Lawrence?” Let our applicants tell you (in 47-ish words)

7 hours 9 min ago

On our application for admission, we ask a fun little question: “Why Lawrence? It’s a short question seeking a short answer. 47 well-chosen words—give or take a few—should work.” We appreciated some of the early questions from students about how to answer the question, along with their adherence to instructions. “Can I go with 48, […]