Lawrenceville School review by Columbia University student.
The school's main strength lies in its academics. Every discipline, for the most part, was well-equipped with very competent faculty members. I would say the air of Lawrenceville was competitive. Being in the top 5 boarding schools in the nation, the thought of edging out the competition for a place at Princeton was a definite thought looming in the back of our minds. With that in mind, I think Lawrenceville undoubtedly prepares all their students for college. By Junior year, most people are taking Advanced Placements courses that are equivalent, if not better, than some college entry level classes. Lawrenceville's academic approach prepared for college. Lawrenceville's class dynamic focuses on dialogue to be the nexus of the class. We sat Harkness tables with about 12 students per class so everyone could participate in class discussion-- in fact, in most class, discussion was a factor in our overall grade. Though Lawrenceville was hard at times, teachers were always available. The thing is Lawrenceville is not a school, it is a lifestyle-- Teachers did not just teach, they coached us, advised us, even lived in the same dorms as us so academic help was accessible.
I began my official college search in my Junior year. I already knew my.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Lawrenceville School as experienced by former pupil and Columbia University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
My admissions process was quite smooth because I applied through a scholarship foundation. I was.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Lawrenceville School by former pupil and Columbia University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
Quality of life, in general, became better with the years. As a freshman, you eat in a tiny dining hall, live in dank little rooms, and had early check in. Seniors had much larger rooms, could sing out to the library, could go into as they pleased,had private dining facilities within proximity, and enjoyed a much later check in. The campus is very safe-- no need to worry about that, the most harm done to a student's well-being is most likely another student. The surrounding environment was quite well-to-do. Lawrencevile is approximately 10 mins from Princeton by car so we.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Lawrenceville School as experienced by former pupil and Columbia University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review