Hi, I am a 8th grade student from NYC and I recently got accepted into the Lawrenceville School with a full ride and also got accepted into The Bronx High School of Science. These past few months it has been extremely hard for me to decide which one I would like to attend next year. I have been told that The Lawrenceville School would not get me into a top university compared to what Bronx Science has to offer, I doubt that this is true. I would love to get some advice, if anyone has any suggestions that could help me make this decision easier please feel free to comment
Am I right to assume that youâd be a boarding student at Lawrenceville and would live at home if you attend Bronx Science?
Have you visited either or both?
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Living away from home vs. taking the subway home at night ⊠seems like a pretty substantial difference right there. How do you feel about this?
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Youâve been told wrong.
In any case, colleges admit students, not high schools. Either will prepare you for college, but both are very different schools. Whatever parameters you use, college matriculation should not be one of them.
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They are not only different schools, but your LIFE will be different.
Are you ready to move out? Are you excited at the thought of being in a small residential community vs. home? What do your parents think?
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Why donât you look at the schools where recent Lawrenceville grads will attend.
The kids I know who went to Lawrenceville attended Cornell and West Point (2). Seem pretty âtopâ to me.
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I think that you have been told something that is mistaken.
In my experience undergraduate students at top universities come from a huge variety of high schools. Some (such as my freshman year roommate at MIT) come from lousy high schools, but excelled at these schools. As a freshman at MIT, I did know someone who had graduated only 7th in their class at the Bronx High School of Science. I do not think that 7th in the class would have gotten a student into MIT from most other high schools. However, if the same student had attended a different high school, I expect that he would have been higher ranked in his high school that 7th, and his chances of getting in MIT would have been the same.
I think that top ranked universities are looking for excellent students, that excellent students come from a very wide range of high schools, and that university admissions are very good at adjusting a high school record based on the particular high school that a student comes from. This includes international students, some of whom come from high schools where the grading scales are quite different compared to high schools in the US.
My experience at a highly ranked graduate program, and the experience of other people who I have known who studied at different highly ranked graduate programs, is similar. The students come from a huge range of undergraduate universities and colleges.
What you do is way more important than where you do it. Also, you are comparing two very excellent and academically demanding high schools.
When choosing what high school to attend, look for a combination of a school that is a good fit for you, and a school that you can afford.
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You can view the colleges popular with Lawrenceville graduates in this site:
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You can get into a top college from either, so that shouldnât be part of the decision-making. These two will offer vastly different experiences both inside and outside the classroom. The main similarity is that your classmates will be, for the most part, very capable, engaged students.
At Science, you will be commuting, so thatâs part of the day. At Lâville, youâll wake up minutes from class. At Science, youâll sleep in your own bed wherras at Lâville, youâll need to take the train home on weekends. Classes at Lâville will be smaller and used Harkness. If you do ECs, theyâll be on campus (and free) at Lâville. At Science, itâs common for clubs to have to fundraise. At Lâville, your classmates will be around most of the time, including weekends.
Iâd really focus on what the day will look like for you at both and take it from there. For many students, having everything available on the campus where they live allows them to do a lot more of what they like, and for them boarding is ideal. But itâs an individual choice.
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In terms of setting, there might not be a school of its type thatâs more suburban in atmosphere than Lawrenceville.
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Yes, I would be a boarding student at Lville and would have to commute to Bronx Science. I have visited both schools and I really enjoyed visiting Lville. For me Bronx Science was never a place where I wanted to go. I have always have wanted to do go to a boarding school. But after what that person said I started to rethink what I should be choosing.
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I think that if Lâville was what you wanted, thatâs your answer!
You want to go to the place that will allow you to be the best version of yourself. That is SO much easier when you are enthusiastic.
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I have always wanted to go to a boarding school, I think I am ready to live away from home and have always been thrilled by the idea of it. On the other hand, I wouldnât even have to take the train to get to Bronx Science I could simply walk home. I know that Lville is what I want but I am afraid that what this person said is going to end up being true and I am going to regret saying no to Bronx Science.
Have you considered that âthat personâ may be ill-informed?
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âThis personâ might have been saying that every person who goes to Lâville doesnât get to go to his #1 choice, or top choice. Thatâs correct, everyone canât go to Princeton, or Yale, or Harvard. But read the list of where they did go and youâll see a lot of top schools.
Same with Bronx Science. All who want to go to Columbia arenât being to be able to do that, but some will, and the others will all go to fine schools too.
I say go for it. If you donât, it is unlikely you can transfer TO Lâville, but it may be that if you later decide you donât like Lâville, you may be able to transfer to Bronx Science (others transfer out, it is in your neighborhood, you were accepted for next year, you donât need financial aid).
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Why have you always wanted to go to boarding school ?
To be within walking distance could be a huge benefit.
One reason that some want to attend boarding school is to avoid repeated long daily commutes to private schools in large cities. You donât have that issue with respect to Bronx Scienceâan outstanding high school.
Many enter boarding schools as sophomores rather than as freshmen so attending Bronx Science in the upcoming year does not rule out boarding school for the following years.
Nevertheless, a full ride to the Lawrenceville School is a very attractive option.
I do know that this person is ill-informed about Lville. But even if I put aside what they said, it is still hard for me to choose between the two schools.
They are both excellent schools, and no matter which you choose, you are walking away from something else that is good.
Most of the people I know who have been faced with this choice have NOT had a free ride at BS, so they are looking at Science for free or paying a lot for boarding school. In their case, they consider that the tuition saved by attending Science can pay for elite sports, music lessons, and college counseling, and itâll still be less.
In your case, your cost is LESS at Lâville because sports, clubs, college counseling, meals, etc are all included. Thatâs worth considering.
Iâm guessing that you donât have much time to make this decision, so I would remember that neither is a bad choice. You canât make a mistake â you can only optimize, and you can only do that for you.
Perhaps @confusedaboutFA , a recent Lâville grad, can answer your specific questions.
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If you would like to consider the type of college you might attend if you were to choose Lawrenceville, think Georgetown, NYU, Princeton, UPenn, Lehigh, Harvard, Cornell, Tufts, Brown, Colby, Bucknell, Wesleyan, Colgate, Middlebury, Davidson, Union, Williams, Hamilton. You can determine whether or not you regard these as top schools.
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Congrats to your acceptances to both schools! A family member went to Lawrenceville and received an excellent education. He especially liked the Harkness method.
As some of the posters mentioned, going to Lawrenceville with a full financial package is a huge benefit. Many who attend are full pay students. There are also many international students. Overall the classes are top notch and the students receive a lot of support from the staff and the school as whole. Many are encouraged to participate in school activities via clubs and sports teams.
In the beginning, living away from home as a young teen can be challenging. There will be an adjustment period. Looking back at his years at Lawrenceville, my family member has very fond memories, not because everyday was easy, but his experiences helped him grow in many ways.
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