<p>I'm just curious to know if Lawrenceville is more english or math and science oriented. I already realize that Lawrenceville is an amazing high school overall, but I just wanted to know what it more geared towards. Thanks so much!:)</p>
<p>this is also a question that I would like to find out!</p>
<p>We are more humanities-oriented from what I’ve seen.</p>
<p>I would say that like all good schools, it provides a well balanced education for all, and allows individual students to specialize to the degree that suits them. We were very impressed at visit-back day last year. The more we looked at the school, the more we liked it. Good luck!</p>
<p>Lawrenceville is definitely humanities oriented! It’s a good school but if you are one of those who wants to go far in math or science you"ll be disappointed. I know of current kids there who are considering leaving because the math is just too easy there. They don’t separate math classes into levels based on your ability and as a result teach to the standard of the lower 3rd. You can always be self disciplined and study on your own though.</p>
<p>“They don’t separate math classes into levels based on your ability and as a result teach to the standard of the lower 3rd.”</p>
<p>This is wrong. Students do get sorted into classes based on their ability. I, for instance, know some sophomores who are taking Calculus.</p>
<p>They sort kids into different groups based on what they have already learned, ie. geometry, algebra 2, pre calculus, calculus BC. However, they teach the same material to all the kids who are in, say, algebra 2, regardless of their level. And algebra 2 is a HUGE group and if you find the material too easy for you there is nothing you can do about it.</p>
<p>Well, there are Regular PreCalculus and PreCalc BC, Calculus AB and Calculus BC, which is higher and more accelerated. If Algebra 2 is too easy for you then you probably should have requested to move to PreCalc after the first week of the term. I agree that the lower math courses are not as good in terms of quality compared to the higher ones, but everything gets better as you begin PreCalc. After completing Calculus you can move on to Infinity, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus, Number Theory etc. I honestly don’t see anything lacking in the higher level courses of our Math program. All in all, if you’re interested in pursuing Math or Science you’re probably already good enough to be placed in at least PreCalc sophomore year.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot, MBVLoveless! My experience was mostly based on lower level math, from several sources. Glad to hear that things get better once you move to PreCalc and beyond.</p>
<p>Oh man, so if I’m looking for a STEM-oriented school, should I go to Lawrenceville? I’m not a big fan of humanities, and will I get REALLY bored if I learn Maths here? Thanks for any answer!</p>
<p>Hamburger110, I don’t think so. I live pretty close to Lawrenceville although I never attended (I’m applying this year). I don’t think at any selective boarding school, would you ever not be challenged enough. My tour guide told me how when she entered in 10th grade, she hadn’t taken biology yet, but L’s curriculum said she was supposed to take chemistry with a pre-requisite of biology. They gave her a separate biology class that met during non-class periods (she said class has happened in the morning around 6 AM and later around 8 PM). I didn’t inquire too much about the class times so I don’t know when they regularly met. Either way, I see it as L will do everything they can to challenge you and keep you on track.</p>
<p>Thanks PxAlaska. Im applying this year to. Grade 10. But I would love an insight from a Lawrentian!</p>
<p>What math are you currently taking?</p>
<p>I doubt you’d be really bored. The average grade in my PreCalc BC class is B/B+. Remember that you’ll have taken a placement test before being enrolled in a course, and you can always ask to be moved if the class you’re taking doesn’t challenge you enough (as I did).</p>
<p>@MBVLoveless:</p>
<p>I don’t really follow your logic. If a math class doesn’t challenge you that much, it doesn’t make sense to just get moved to the next math class. You could easily be missing important concepts that are necessary for your ongoing math learning. What you really need is a class that is moving through the topics either at a faster speed or to a deeper level. That’s why math is the subject that is most likely to have honors classes available.</p>
<p>Back in my day at L’ville (the 70s - yes, I know that’s ancient history), the school seemed well-balanced between math/science and the humanities. I was definitely a math/science student and my V Form year (senior year) was the very first time that they offered a course for students after BC Calculus. Before that, the occasional student who had taken BC Calculus before senior year would go up the road to take multivariable calculus and linear algebra at Princeton. Our class covered some mulitvariable calc, but also a smattering of topics that Hal Wilder (who is still teaching there) considered interesting.</p>
<p>Lvillegrad, I entered as a new sophomore, and was initially placed in PreCalc. I asked to move to PreCalc BC because, as you said, it “is moving through the topics at a faster speed” than PreCalc, and teaches several additional topics.</p>
<p>This wouldn’t have happened had I been placed in Algebra II, which has only 1 level. This is why I said the lower Math courses are more of a “miss” than PreCalc and beyond.</p>
<p>Also, it is all about balance and opportunity course. Coming from a totally different math background, there is some material in Algebra II my old school’s curriculum hadn’t covered (e.g. imaginary numbers), but it just would not make sense for me to take Algebra II when I already knew how to solve trig equations and want to take Calculus in my junior year.</p>
<p>On a side note, Mr. Wilder is great.</p>
<p>@MBVLoveless:</p>
<p>That certainly makes sense. You basically were moved from a regular class to an honors class covering sort of the same material. I’m guessing from the name of the course you moved into, you’ll be in a position to take the BC Calc AP at the end of IV Form rather than the AB Calc AP. </p>
<p>Math was structured rather differently when I was there. We were on a trimester system. If you started calc in the spring trimester, you would take the BC exam after 4 trimesters of calc. If you started calc in the fall trimester, you would take the AB exam after 3 trimesters of calc. When I started in II Form, I was on the path to start calc in the first trimester of IV Form. So, I took one trimester of calc one-on-one with a math teacher over the summer between II Form and III Form (I was a day student so could do that with a L’ville master) to line-up with the better math students.</p>
<p>Basically, two trimesters of math equalled a year of math at most schools. That was possible because, believe it or not, we only took four classes at a time. I have a son in 11th grade and he’s taking 8 academic classes now (40 minute classes - ours were 1 hour back then).</p>
<p>I was driving near campus last weekend so I detoured onto campus for a few minutes. In a moment of vanity, I checked to see if the plaques with my name in the math building were still on display. They were. :)</p>
<p>@MBVLoveless. So since I’m in 11 now, I’m taking Calculus AB, BC, solid geometry, probability.</p>
<p>@Lvillegrad: Just curious, but are you going to send any of your children to Lville? :)</p>
<p>No. Since we live in NYC, we have a number of excellent choices available here and they are able to still live at home. I was fortunate enough to live close enough to L’ville to be a day student there.</p>
<p>I enjoy your input Lvillegrad, and I’d be interested to know what you have to say about the boarding school experience. I live close to Lville, but just barely far enough to be a boarding student. They said I could apply as either. I chose to be a boarding student because I felt like the living away from home experience was necessary. What do you think?</p>