<p>Hello everyone. I am the Dad of an only D and I am new to this message board. This is a great site for parents like me, trying to learn any and everything about boarding schools. My wife and I are considering boarding school for our D. She is a special student, like so many other students I read about on this site. She is an 8th grader with straight A through primary and middle school. She is part of the Johns Hopkins gifted and talent program which she scored 610 verbal and 550 math on the SAT as a 7th grader to qualify. She was a finalist on a national merit scholarship. She is a very strong swimmer and even stronger running (runner of the year 6th and 7th grade). She took the ISEE this past weekend, so no scores yet. She is also African American with an outgoing personality.</p>
<p>Our Lawrenceville visit went very well. My D and wife are sold and she has applied. As a father, I want to learn as much about boarding schools and Lawrenceville as possible before I will send my D away to any school.</p>
<p>Please help me gain any information about Lawrenceville.</p>
<p>I do not have any first hand knowledge of Lawrenceville. But there have been a few student posters on this board last year and before who applied and were accepted. Try a search of this forum to find them. You'll be able to send them a request for additional info. Good luck to you and your family.</p>
<p>Shelley14 thanks. We have done a ton of research on Lawrenceville, which all looks good to us. However, what I realize is a forum like this provides that "between the lines" view; personal experiences, first hand knowledge, commentary, etc. That is the kind of input you will not find in school literature.</p>
<p>I have a very good friend who went to Lawerenceville over 30 years ago and still won't be quiet. In a way, that should say a lot, he sure does. Where else are you looking?</p>
<p>30 years ago, good, you sound like you are from my generation:-) In addition to visiting several local private schools (which are great schools) we have visited Andover and Episcopal. Andover…what can you say? It is a great school. My D had a very good visit and has decided to apply. However, my wife and I do not like the thought of her being a plane trip away (Andover), we would prefer a 3-hour (or less) drive (Lawrenceville). </p>
<p>The family equates Lawrenceville to Andover, based on our visits, research and other school literature. Therefore, that is why we all are leaning heavily towards Lawrenceville.</p>
<p>But Dad needs to learn more about boarding schools, Lawrenceville in particular. I do not want to break my D’s heart if she is accepted and I am not ready.</p>
<p>My daughter also did CTY (won the state award three years in a row), can I ask what is the national merit scholarship you are speaking of.
Thanks,
Ryan</p>
<p>I'm guessing your in the Maryland area, have you considered St. Andrew's in Delaware? Much smaller (abt 265) than Lawerenceville and just as good. No, you don't want to break her heart , especially now that you/she has opened the door and seen what these schools have to offer. There are others here on CC who are much more gifted and articulate than I in detailing the benefits of a BS education. In a nutshell, I will say that for her, it will be an educational experience that will last a lifetime. You will have the satisfaction knowing that you provided the best education available which is the real key to a happy and successful life.</p>
<p>Yes, we did look at St. Andrews and visited during the summer. We love the proximity but did not think St. Andrews was the right fit. It is a great school of course, but she is set on Lawrenceville.</p>
<p>The major issue with St. Andrews is the size. It was too small in terms of student body. She attends a very small private middle school where the graduating 8th graders number around a couple dozen. My D is looking for an environment with more kids.</p>
<p>The first thing I will say is all of the schools we looked at, including St. Andrews, are incredible. So it is hard to compare one to the other. I do not think you can make a mistake choosing either. As far as St. Andrews, the academics were impressive (matriculation is fantastic). The campus looks like something off of a post card. The lake is really nice and the front lawn is beautiful. When we were there it appeared they were renovating one of the major buildings, so there was a lot of construction. I assumed that was completed by September.</p>
<p>St Andrew's is superb. I very much wanted my S to look at it but he got too much peer pressure for New England. SA gets the cream of the crop down there and no walk in the park either. Next time around, I hope SA will be on the list. I have to wait awhile though, I'm in no rush. Mtime go with Lawerenceville, it is an excellent school.</p>
<p>I am concerned about the statement "the family equates Lawrenceville to Andover". I am not at all sure that this is correct, Lawrenceville is certainly a peer school of Andover but it is both academically and spiritually a very different place--as are St. Paul's, Groton and Exeter. As a parent whose daughter was over 2000 miles away from home, the distance from home is much less important than the academic and spiritual 'fit' of the school. I would encourage you therefore to look closely at other schools to optimize fit. You can only do that by walking the ground, talking to staff, talking to other parents and by getting a sense of what kind of community your daughter will be part of. In the end it is a question of love--she simply will have to choose the place she is determined to love. A book that helped us get a feel for SPS as a community was Lorene Carey, Black Ice. It is actually a great afro-american coming of age story about a young girl leaving home to go to SPS.</p>
<p>I was afraid I would give readers the wrong impressive, and it sounds like I did just that. Choosing a BS was a very long and taxing process for our family (and I am sure this is true for most…as it should). We did not take this process lightly, trust me. It first started at my D's middle school. We are blessed to have administrators and teachers there who have experience with BS’s and also know our D. From there, we started researching schools using school literature. We moved to the school visit stage, with was an enjoyable experience. During this process, we narrowed the list down to 3, Lawrenceville, Andover and Episcopal. </p>
<p>My earlier statement was a gross summary of this process. I just wanted to say that the BS's we looked at were all very nice. But after analyzing the results of this process, my D, wife and I put Lawrenceville at the top of the list.</p>
<p>My Uncle and my cousin went to Lawrenceville in the '40s and '70s respectively. My Uncle was an immigrant kid and Lawrenceville not only changed his life but changed our entire family. Basically my whole generation went to independent schools and finished our college degrees, as a result of his incredible experience at Lawrenceville. We now have family members who are famous academics, heads of departments at other BSs etc. etc.</p>
<p>I know something of Lawrenceville because I went to Princeton Day School and the two schools are sports rivals, share some programs, and students sometimes move from one school to another. I can't say enough good things about Lawrenceville. It might not be an issue for you daughter if she has been at an independent school for her whole educational career, but for what it's worth I believe Lawrenceville's commitment to diversity is longstanding and deep. They had a program to find talented kids like my Uncle in the Trenton, NJ public schools as early as the 1940s. He was eventually the boy of the year there, and on the cover of the Lawrentian. We wound up getting an alumnai magazine because both his brothers left money to the school in their wills, and they are continuing to do a good job of seeking out the brightest kids where ever they are to be found and giving every student a great education. I think the values are solid there. Every independent school has its country club aspect, in my experience as a student, teacher, and parent at such schools, but the education you get at Lawrenceville is incomparable and more than makes up for any clubbiness that might still persist. Your daughter sounds very bright and this kind of education can really set you on fire. </p>
<p>My daughter spent a summer at Andover a few years ago and also was a student at School Year Abroad, which they founded. Andover is also totally amazing in our experience but I understand the urge to be within a short drive.</p>
<p>Erlinda, this is the type of response I am seeking and ultimately lead me to join this site and start this thread. This is the type of editorials that you can NOT get anywhere else, but from people like yourself with direct experiences with Lawrenceville. I thank you for your time. Your response is now part of our equation.</p>
<p>There was something about Lawrenceville that I can not articulate, which makes me feel that it is the school for my D. She is being recruiting by several of her top pick day private schools in out city. But I just think she would have a much better experience at one of the nation’s top BSs.</p>
<p>I pray to God that he helps us make the right decision.</p>
<p>There are so many wonderful things about Lawrenceville. I think the town itself is charming. Then there is the public transportation which can take you a few miles up the road to Princeton with all of its wonderful shops, restaurants, and, of course the university with many different cultural offerings. Then just a few more miles away is the Princeton Junction train station with both New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains.
If your daughter does go there, she will be at a great school and in an ideal location.</p>