St. Lawrence University
- 4 Year
- CANTON, NY
CollegeGrad School
St. Lawrence University Reviews
Rating 3.63 out of 5 782 reviews
St Lawrence was a well-rounded institution with excellent academics and many opportunities for students to get involved in campus life, clubs, sports, etc. One thing I will note though is that the student population is diverse but the professors were not, so hopefully that changes
Had the best experience that you could possibly have being in the middle of nowhere starting in the middle of the pandemic. Obviously towards the end of your 4 years you know everyone and everything, but that drew me to this small of a school and the community feel was strong, especially because we're an on-campus type of school.
I enjoy St. Lawrence University. Even though there isn't a lot in the town the campus makes up for it. There are a ton of campus clubs and activities happening everyday and a lot of room to do your own activities. The professors are super kind and the class sizes are perfect.
St. Lawrence is known to have a tight knit and fun community. That comes from the culture of campus groups/ housing and many long standing traditions. It makes sense that any alumni you ask raves about SLU. However, as a current junior it is hard to believe some of the stories of SLU being a fun and inviting environment. The current administration, led by Kate Morris and many more non alumni, have made an obvious and aggressive effort to dismantle any party culture, traditions, Greek life and theme houses on campus. Sure in todays climate many schools are looking to minimize risk, but there is absolutely no regard given to student life by the current president and clearly only a focus on maximizing profits. Without the classic traditions and culture that the school is very quickly taking away, I can’t see the draw of attending SLU. I loved living in Canton my first years because campus was fun. Now it is a boring school with cold weather, in an incredibly quiet town.
St.Lawrence is one of the most corrupt and dishonest school in the nation. The administration lies and tries to manipulate students. They only care about money/alumni donations. SA cases are sweep under the table and there are more of that here then any college I have ever been around. It is sick. I know St. Lawrence has a lot of fans from older alumni and I understand that. From what I hear this was an amazing school up until recently. New administration was brought on my freshman year. All non alumni and they have completely destroyed the St.Lawrence name.
My experience at St. Lawrence University has been very interesting. I came here when Covid-19 regulations were still in place. This meant that we, as students, were wearing masks, our interactions with one another were limited, and some of my classes were online. Despite how hard this made starting college, I still went on to make incredible friends, and have amazing experiences. As a senior, I would like to see some changes done to make student lives better.
I recently graduated out of SLU and four years in Canton included some ups and downs. But as doing my master's degree in a similar institution in NYS, I realized how well things at SLU are. Professors were great and genuinely wanted to help you to succeed in many different fields. Over my four years, I had such a great relationship with my advisor and other staff members. Dining services were great with different options and locations, especially Time Out Cafe in the Athletic Center was a clutch as a student-athlete! Athletics were also well organized, and our facilities were well taken care of. However, the student body is mostly rich New England kids and if you don't like to party, you might feel a bit left out. Dorms, besides Kirk Douglas Hall, are outdated and would need more than cosmetic repair. For me, SLU was the right choice, and really got a lot out of my time there.
St. Lawrence is a very niche school. Most people love it, but some might find its location to be challenging. This, however, is seen as an advantage by most students here. We all stay on campus for a majority of the semester (though there are plentiful trips to take off campus every week sponsored by clubs on campus) and this keeps us all close. The wet campus policy (anyone can have open containers anywhere on campus property) allows students to not exclude others from social events and nightlife. This school is a great party school and it is a huge part of our culture, but we are all academic weapons (for the most part). Work-hard play-hard is our mentality and the alumni value that. This is why we are ranked #4 for alumni outreach. People know what type of person goes to SLU. You will make friends here. You will have fun here. You will learn well and be academically challenged here. You will live a successful life post-grad by going here. The choice is yours.
Was the best place I could have chosen. There are definitely some preppy people, but the school provides a niche for all types of people (i.e. outdoorsy, crunchy, etc.). Like any place, some professors are awesome, some are not. Overall, the community there is amazing. Alum of SLU LOVE St. Lawrence and are really fantastic at connecting people in the real world (think jobs, finding roommates, making friends with strangers whose only connection to you is SLU).
I have had a great experience at St. Lawrence University. Small class sizes lead to great relationships with professors and really enable you to learn. It is a small school which creates a really close community on campus. There is also ample opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities. There is something for everyone.
They seriously need to reevaluate the individuals on committees and boards. The amount of unhinged people who go on racist, bigot tangents is appalling. And they’re the ones on boards. Disgusting.
I love SLU!!! St Lawrence has such a strong and loving community, it is the perfect college for me!!
There was not enough communication between staff and the students about social events. It was hard to learn about ways to connect and meet people. However the staff was very accommodating when I had problems or needed help academically.
St. Lawrence is a very niche school for a specific kind of person. Very outdoorsy culture. Party culture is also pretty big at SLU. It's not a party everyday type school but Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays (for Seniors) are the big days. As someone who only goes out once a month, I can say for certain that it is a little more difficult to make friends in the beginning. That being said, there will be someone for everybody--it's just a little harder to find them if you don't it into that very specific niche.
For academics, I think St. Lawrence is very good. Of course, you have professors who may not be the best ever but all of the professors I have had have been absolutely wonderful. Of course, I'm only in my 2nd semester but overall, I'm satisfied. Many professors are accessible outside of class and the majority seem to genuinely care about their students.
My only two big complaints are the cliquey culture and the location. Canton, NY is a little boring.
For academics, I think St. Lawrence is very good. Of course, you have professors who may not be the best ever but all of the professors I have had have been absolutely wonderful. Of course, I'm only in my 2nd semester but overall, I'm satisfied. Many professors are accessible outside of class and the majority seem to genuinely care about their students.
My only two big complaints are the cliquey culture and the location. Canton, NY is a little boring.
2010s alum here. Sometimes the FYP doesn't work out and freshman year is tough, but once you find your people and major SLU is great. Anyone expecting that the north country will have a lot to offer off campus is nuts. It does have awesome nature though, via the Adirondacks. Sometimes campus life can feel a little insular or intense because it can be a pretty small bubble at times due to size and location. On the flipside it is very safe, and really feels like home by the time senior year rolls around. With that said I miss the brunches, java concerts, hockey, stupid house parties, shenanigans, special topics courses in my major, wasting time over a bucket of blue at the hoot owl, small classes, being goofs exploring the "catacombs" at night, studying in the treetops in ODY... I also liked my professors and had a solid rapport with them. Post-grad I got my master's degree and have a good career with solid skills/knowledge from SLU, though I wouldn't describe my career path as linear.
As a Covid generation, the experience of online study in SLU had a lot of positive and negative factors. SLU is a welcoming and caring institution that even during Covid tried its best for freshmen to feel involved. However, some of practical issues such as diversity in ethnicity, location, and student assistance need to be improved.
I love St. Lawrence! I work in the admissions office, compete on the riding team, and am majoring in statistics and public health. The only reason I don’t rate a 5 is because of our class registration system