<p>My daughter got accepted at Lawrenceville, Peddie and Hotchkiss. We loved all three schools when we visited them earlier. We live within commuting distance of Lawrenceville and Peddie so she will be a day student in her freshman year if she chooses to go to either of those two. Lawrenceville has the additional advantage of having her sport as a varsity sport which is not the case with Peddie or Hotchkiss. My daughter is passionate about visual art and language arts and all three schools appear to be very strong in these fields. Hotchkiss and Peddie also came across as very warm and a good fit for my daughter.</p>
<p>Of course we will go to the revisit days of all three schools but I would appreciate comments from parents whose children are already there at one of the three schools.</p>
<p>HK is really different from the other two because it has a lower day school composition–of the three it’s the only true boarding experience, I think. Being at home for BS is the best of both worlds in my view. The students get the unparalleled academics and facilities, but still have parental support. That is worth quite a bit. BTW, none of these schools are particularly “warm.” They are full of talented uber-students and the pressures are immense. Another reason why some support from parents living at home is a good idea. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>My impression with Lawrenceville for day students – and families – is that they’re fully integrated into the experience. I’ve seen local families actively engaged in the school community – which may be an important factor (for better or for worse) in reaching your decision. I don’t want to create false impressions, so I’d suggest you talk to local families yourself to see how they are involved with the boarders and how day students end up being integrated into the boarding life. Policies change, too, so it may be different now from a few years ago when a family friend told us how often their son stayed over with friends after working on a project or staying for dinner, etc. It’s definitely not the same as boarding…but it is a “boarding-enhanced” experience which is up to you to decide whether it’s what you’re really after. Even before the revisits, I suggest you connect with day families at both Peddie and Lawrenceville to get the flavor of what that will be like as I’m not so sure how much emphasis you’ll get on that during the revisits.</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>As a day student at Peddie, I can honestly say I feel that Peddie is warm. I was scared to enter such a big school (big from the 30+ kids in my grade last year), and loved Peddie ever since my sibling was accepted. The community feel is simply unbeatable…seniors that I don’t even know say hi to me even now! The fact that community spaces on campus can hold the student body is a nice touch.</p>
<p>Alumni are very loyal to Peddie, and the facilities are quite nice. I hope you consider it…PM me with any questions!</p>
<p>My daughter is at Lville and has a best friend at Peddie so I know a little about both those schools. We also live locally. My daughter loves Lville and really likes the house system (which day students are a part of) as she feels helps day students become more integrated into the boarding community. She has a lot of friends that are boarders. Both Peddie and Lville have strong visual arts departments but if I were you, I’d do a quick sample schedule to see if your daughter is able to take advantage of the classes. We did that with each of the schools my daughter was considering and it was eye opening to realize how little flexibility there really is. There are a lot of requirements which requires a student to narrow their focus. My daughter loves Math & Science as well as the performing and visual arts. She found that she had to make tough choices and that it wasn’t possible to take a lot of math and a lot of art AND a lot of acting. Choices needed to be made. In the end she is incredibly happy at Lawrenceville and has loved all of her classes. The Harkness table is a wonderful way to learn and Lville’s teachers are incredibly supportive and really do their best to help my daughter grow and mature. I am also very appreciative of the sports requirement at Lville. Being part of a team helps her to make friends outside of her classes and has also been wonderful for helping my daughter become more fit. Without the requirement she would probably not have participated in sports (choosing performance perhaps instead) and I think both aspects–fitness & friends–have been really good for her. Two things to look into: the possibility of boarding if that is your daughter’s interest. I think it’s easier to board at Peddie than at Lville if you’re a local. Becoming a boarder at Lville is not easy if you live locally but it does happen. Another thing to check: I hear that honors/AP classes at Peddie are taught in a lecture format because there is so much material to cover. At Lville–the honors classes are still taught in a Harkness format, which I personally like better. Another difference: Peddie has a one strike you’re out policy. Lville has a 2 strike policy. I appreciate the two strike policy because I think kids are kids and should still be given the chance to learn from their mistakes, but I’m sure there are others who like the 1 strike policy better. Lastly: I think all three of your daughter’s choices are great. Let her make the decision by which school feels the best to her. They’re all three great schools.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your well thought of comments. While my daughter will have to make her own choice, it surely helps to hear the opinion of families who know more about the schools or have kids studying there.
Princetonmum, is it ok if I PM you with more specific questions ? Thank you for replying to my post in such great details. Great tip about the sample schedule. As a day student, what are her school times like? What time do you usually pick her up in the evening?</p>
<p>I must differ about the lecture-style at Peddie. My daughter is a top student taking all of the most challenges classes offered at Peddie and her classes remain small (no more than 12) and harkness style is intact. The AP classes are definitely challenging, but in a very good way. I have never seen a class focused on “covering material.” Actually, my daughter has experienced the exact opposite. </p>
<p>Grades are not inflatedand honors/AP classes are demandingbut in a very good way.
There are so many good things about both schools (my D had a tough time choosing between L’ville and Peddie), but I do know more about Peddie as my D has been there for several years. The EXP Science program is one way that the two differ (Peddie has several Signature Experience Programs that you should look at). My D is taking part in this program. I have a relative who is a big-time scientist, and she is truly impressed by what is happening at Peddie. PM me on this topic if you want as I have a lot to say about this department. If it is possible, I think I a have gfallen in love with the entire science program at Peddie! :)</p>
<p>I do think that Lville offers more as far as their English and history options (electives, etc.). The two school have very similar daily schedules as well as school 6 days a week. And, of course, remember that there is a limit to how much you can do at either school-especially if you are on the track to go to the most competitive colleges, etc.-as once you begin prep school you are also beginning your resume for the next big challenge (getting into college).</p>
<p>In addition, if you are interested in studying Chinese, then you need to do some research into Peddie’s Asian Studies and Signature Experience programs.<br>
I have plenty more, but that is enough for now!</p>
<p>My brother went to Lawrenceville, and my son is now at Hotchkiss. Both great schools. I know nothing about Peddie. </p>
<p>If there are any differences of note between Hotchkiss and Lawrenceville, they are, IMHO, as follows: (a) THS offers more classes per student than L’ville; (b) the endowment per student is greater at Hotchkiss than at L’ville; and (c) the list of renown THS alums seems a little more impressive and deeper than the Lawrenceville list. That said, you can’t make a wrong choice if you are deciding between Lawrenceville and Hotchkiss. Deem yourself most fortunate.</p>
<p>Troy111: no problem sending me a pm. Happy to give an opinion on specifics at Lville.</p>
<p>You say that your daughter is “passionate about visual art and language arts”. As a former teacher at Peddie and having a son, too, who could potentially be a freshman there in September, I would suggest trying to meet several persons at one of the re-visits. In the visual arts, I think very highly of Cathy Watkins (!!!), Jon Holmes, and Andrew Harrison, who all are interesting in many ways beyond being great artists and teachers. They, and these language arts teachers, go way beyond the transactional and transform lives. In the English Department, Paul Watkins (creative writing, Writer-in-Residence) and Pat Clements stand out for me through extra time I spent getting to know them. Other long-time greats are John Stahl, Bill McMann, Catherine Rodrigue, Eric Gustavson. Try to meet and talk with any of the above and see if you don’t think that your daughter’s core academic interests would be well served by collaborating with these fine teachers!</p>