Lawrenceville School review by Cornell University student.
The bedrock of Lawrenceville School's attraction lies in the strength of its academics. This strength comes as a result of the teachers each student interacts with both inside and outside the classroom. The quality, diversity, and accessibility of the faculty and staff at Lawrenceville are second to none. I developed relationships with many teachers that continue to this day 4 years after my graduation. Judging by the reunions I've seen in the past, this is not an isolated or recent phenomenon. I frequently went to the houses of my teachers for evening classes, tea, or even dinner with their families. I chose Lawrenceville over many of its peer schools because of the subtle differences in its academic atmosphere. While Lawrenceville is undoubtedly a challenging and competitive environment, the atmosphere is also a cooperative and without the hard adversarial edge you can feel at other similar schools. Lawrenceville does not publicize class ranking and teachers focus more on your performance relative to your ability rather than your performance relative to the rest of your class. This atmosphere is fostered a large part by the "Harkness system" of education. Classes are small (I found most are between 8-10 in the Humanities, maybe a few more in Science/Math) and take place around a large wooden "Harkness" table in an effort to foster class discussion. This style of learning is one of the strongest elements of a Lawrenceville education. I found the strongest academic department at Lawrenceville to be History and English, which had both amazing teachers and a strong curriculum. I found the weakest to be Math, where the teaching was weaker, although from what I understand it is much improved in the time that I've been gone. The workload is demanding but Lawrenceville's strong support system makes it manageable. Lawrenceville, in partnership with Exeter, Harvard, and Princeton, created the AP program decades ago. Since then, however, the program has become more of a curricular straight-jacket for the teachers. As a result Lawrenceville has reduced the emphasis on these exams, allowing the school to focus more on its own teaching methods and less on "teaching to the test".
Lawrenceville has a rigorous college counseling office with competent staff willing to work closely with.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Lawrenceville School as experienced by former pupil and Cornell 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...
The admissions process at Lawrenceville is in line with what I found it to be.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Lawrenceville School by former pupil and Cornell 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...
Lawrenceville is a rich and vibrant community closely in tune with the needs of its students and their parents. The student is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and socio-economically - one of Lawrenceville's strengths. The "House system" is one of the pillars of the Lawrenceville education. Students live in close-knit communities in "Houses" complete with their own flags, intramural sports teams, and live-in faculty known as "House Masters". These Houses provide an powerful support system for students and were one of the highlights of my Lawrenceville career. Another element that sets Lawrenceville ahead of the pact is the strong and.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Lawrenceville School as experienced by former pupil and Cornell University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review