Boarding Schools  Lawrenceville School

Lawrenceville School www.lawrenceville.org

Lawrenceville’s 700 acres is located in the heart of the Eastern Seaboard. The town of Lawrenceville is located midway between Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey, 55 miles from New York City and 40 miles from Philadelphia. Lawrenceville is “the best of both worlds.” On the one hand, we are large and diverse enough to offer students a broad array of challenging opportunities. At the same time, because of our unique House system, our collaborative Harkness approach to teaching and learning, and the strong commitment of Lawrenceville faculty to get to know students, Lawrenceville is a friendly place, with a warm sense of community more typically found in small schools.

The mission of Lawrenceville is to inspire and educate students to be responsible leaders, so community service and international travel are also integral parts of the Lawrenceville experience. Each year, students volunteer at more than 90 area social service agencies in the greater Princeton-Trenton community, and over the past few years hundreds of students have traveled with classes and campus activities to every continent except Antarctica. We have also recently introduced formal leadership training opportunities.

 Academics

Students are challenged to be well-prepared and to participate in class discussions. Classes become personal, alive and creative. Students challenge teachers, express themselves, and risk being wrong. “There’s a feeling of intellectual camaraderie,” says one student. “Sometimes we even gang up on the teacher and find ourselves going way beyond where we thought we could go with our ideas.” As one student puts it, “Our teachers won’t let us get away with saying ‘like’ and ‘you know’. We have to explain exactly what we mean and support our ideas with evidence.”

 Special Highlights

House System. For nearly two centuries, the House system has been an important part of Lawrentian life. Each House is a small group within the larger School community that fosters pride, responsibility, and respect for the contributions of others. Lawrenceville works to establish a sense of belonging and cooperation in the Houses. Each has its own dining area and House flag.

The Island School (Semester Program*). Located on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, The Island School offers a semester-long program based in tropical marine science, English literature, history, anthropology, studio arts and mathematics that allow students to integrate classroom learning with practical primary research.

 Top colleges attended by students

Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, NYU, Columbia University, Yale University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Trinity College, Cornell University

 What the school looks for in students…

“Our students are all bright, but we really look for students who are deeply passionate about something, whether it be sports, art, music, community service.”