Do I have to live on campus?

Lawrence is a residential college--by design and policy--and students are required to live on campus. Exceptions are granted only to fifth-year students (including those starting their fifth year after high school), married students, students with a documented domestic partner, and/or students with dependent children.

Can you evaluate my transcripts before I apply?

Domestic Students: Domestic Students: If you are completing coursework at a college in the U.S., you may submit a request for a transfer credit estimate. Start the process.  

International Students: Lawrence requires a Course by Course Evaluation Report directly from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). If you are an international student completing coursework in the U.S., you may email an unofficial transcript to the Director of International Admissions for review.

Please note that this informal assessment is provisional and not binding.

Are transfer students eligible for scholarships?

Transfer students are eligible for merit-based scholarships up to $31,000 per year! Phi Theta Kappa scholars will receive a scholarship of $32,000 upon admittance. Learn more about the financial aid offered to transfer students at Lawrence and see the financial aid checklist.

If I applied to Lawrence before, must I reapply?

If you completed an application to Lawrence within the past year, you may reactivate your previous application folder by writing or emailing the admissions office. There is no application fee required for reactivation. Refer to the checklist to see what items you anticipate we still need to complete your file. Otherwise we will notify you of any outstanding documents.

Will I still have to take a First-Year Seminar Course?

If you are awarded 54 or more Lawrence units with no more than half from a single department and at least one course from three out of the four academic divisions, you can expect to have the First Year Studies requirement waived. 

As a Transfer Student, you are highly encouraged to take Studies in Liberal Arts, an equivalent to First- Year Studies, as the course has been a cornerstone of the Lawrence curriculum for more than 70 years. Instead of endorsing a single point of view, the course embraces works from many different traditions and fosters an appreciation of different approaches to knowledge, allowing students to join in the life of a larger intellectual community.

Do I need to complete a music theory placement exam? 

To determine placement into the required music theory course sequence, all incoming conservatory students complete a three-part placement exam process before starting at Lawrence (preliminary assessment, optional e-course, and official placement exam).  If you have significant music theory experience or have taken two years of music theory at your current institution, please contact the Associate Dean of the Conservatory, to potentially waive the music theory requirement at Lawrence.

I am attending another US university, can I transfer my visa when I transfer to Lawrence?

Yes! If your current visa is still valid, at the time of admission we will send you a new Lawrence I-20 to transfer your visa without paying the I-901 fee again.  If you do not currently have a US visa, we will help you apply for one at the time of admission.

I attend a university taught in English, do I still need to send a TOEFL?

If you are applying to transfer from a college or university whose language of instruction is English, your proof of English proficiency may be waived.