It’s common sense (and was also expressed by a former Hotchkiss college counselor). The AI is based in part on gpa, and it is just easier to get an A at a school where not everyone is in the top 5%*, the way they are at a school like Lawrenceville.
*made that percentage up, but it’s probably not far off
Put another way, Lawrenceville, and its peers don’t hand out A’s like candy. Unlike the LPS, there is not the level (if at all) of make-up tests, extra credit, etc. It is far more common for a top student to not have a 4.0 GPA vs at the LPS. While admissions understands grading differential, the AI is strictly a formula; there is no equivalency saying a 3.7 at a BS is the same as a 4.0 elsewhere
Lville is not handing out As and they have moved away from the ability to get an A+ that was sometimes given during covid /right after. The new policy now requires department approval and review of work. A(s) are not easy to get either. Homework cannot be done during just study hall.
Students need to find other pockets of time throughout their already busy day. The work keeps getting more intense as the child progresses through the forms. Lville values students being apart of its community as do the students. House Life is a central part of student life and there are many events that each student is expected to be at. The great programs that the school offers requires time.
You seem to really have a vision for what you want from your child’s tennis career. I think you have to decide on the priority and focus on that. Even if your spectacular child can do it (and please note spectacular students are a dime a dozen at Lville), they may not be happy. At what cost should they be put in this situation?
I agree that a lower stakes school where your child can shine, still get a fabulous education and have the flexibility to play the level of tennis you want them to do is worth a consideration. Lville is truly amazing, but something else may suit your needs better. Trust this very informed group that is trying to counsel you.
I do not have a child at Lville but have one at an equally competitive boarding school. Two hours of time allotted to homework is not enough once you get past the first year if your daugther is going to take the higher level classes. Also keep in mind that there is a certain amount of group work that needs to get done. Weekends are a good time to catch up but the pace can get very intense and work can’t wait until the weekend.
I would adjust the expectation for the homework portion and prepare for your daugther to be up some nights much later (again this may be more the case starting in sophomore year). Not getting enough sleep can then bleed into the next day.
Agree. Even for freshman year. While some nights may be two hours- those are the easy ones and MANY are way more than that.
Some of my kids classes regularly require 1hr of homework. I agree that it can add up if you take a lot of high level, particularly STEM, classes.
How many Saturdays per trimester/year are class/commitment free for day students?
There is a big difference between class free and commitment free, as sports are still held on no class Saturdays.
Didn’t Lawrenceville do away with Saturday classes? I know there was talk of it.
Fyi, according to my DS, there are 8 seniors at PDS who just got admitted this week to Princeton, 2 into Harvard, 1 into Duke, via Early Action/ Decision, out of a class of 100 or so. Net net, college matriculation at PDS or Lawrenceville or Peddie or PRISMS or other local private schools don’t seem to be an issue. The question, if any, is more about specific subjects/ teaching, individual interests/ learning, overall educational/ athletic/ social experience. Good luck with your daughter’s decision!
Which is nuts, considering how the other schools did so far this cycle. But the number I heard was “4 or 5”
Still, you can’t use that for comparison. Every year is different. No one should choose a school thinking they are more likely to get into Princeton.
Also, these numbers alone tell you nothing. Particularly as it pertains to Princeton as many in the area have relationships with the school.
Yes - many many faculty children at all princeton area high schools
Admissions to Princeton from local schools varies but is quite high in the aggregate given that almost all the children of Princeton employees are enrolled locally. There are also alums in the area and athletes who may have established relationships with coaches years ago. Of course, it will vary from year to year.
The main take-aways are that Princeton has no qualms about student preparedness from any of these schools AND that these #s should not be interpreted to be relevant to unhooked students.
Not about prestige. We are a family of multiple Ivy degrees in different fields with a large number of our friends from those connections. Can’t say prestige of the schools we went to have had much significant impact on the degrees of our life satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
Thanks for providing so much perspective on Lawrenceville. Has any of your children gone to Lawrenceville? If so, may I ask when? I remember looking into LV in 2018 for our eldest and doing another deep dive for our youngest this year. And what I can share is that LV today seems markedly different from 2018, especially after the 2022 incident.
No, ultimately decided to attend a different school. We have several family friends whose children go there and a few friends who work for the school.
We are a currently lville family. I suspect the school is vastly different. There are still the commitments to harkness and home, and many of the time honored traditions as one of the oldest boarding schools. Lville continues to be an academic powerhouse, but it has made a huge focus on health and wellness and trying to strike the right balance for the community. They had one of the highest donation campaigns to support faid, faculty/staff and the campus and maintain n impressive endowment. The tsai center (dining/sports/gathering)complex is stunning and additions like the big red park are great for casual play, not to mention larrie, the adorable bulldog that students visit at the deans office during the day. These are just a few of the items. Feel free to dm me any questions. We love the school and are happy to help or try to point you in the right direction for accurate information.
Hi, I wonder if you meant to say that the administration are now allocating more resources to ensure mental health for the kids? Any other areas where you felt that the school has changed in the past few years? Thanks!
Agree and in addition you have to consider legacy (donor level) and athlete admissions. There is an excellent podcast that discusses that when you take away the “distinguished students” (which means among others faculty kid, legacy or athletic recruit) the chance of admission is not much greater coming from the elite private schools. There is a “bump” but not significant for the normal student (i.e., not “distinguished”).
The school has done more than hiring more therapists, and a dedicated administrator for wellness. It has made dramatic changes to the way in which students experience academics, as well. Three 80 minute classes per day with generous buffers in between classes. No more Saturday classes.
For us, in selecting schools to apply the first screen was eliminating those that offer 50 minutes per class x 5 per day.
It’s not 100% there yet, for sure. In order to have that you would need top 75% of board members and administrators to leave. I’ve had interactions with some administrators who seemed stressed. My daughter spoke with a couple of students regarding athletics who were outright mean and discouraging. Organizational culture takes time to change, and there are bound to be kids who feel entitled at these schools. Not sure if it is my daughter’s #1 choice still. Her interactions w folks both adults and students at Exeter have been stellar. So we shall see how it shakes out on M10.
Hi: Note there are Saturday class about 2x a month. On those days they have 1/2 day Wednesdays. Sad to hear about your interaction as that has not been our experience. change does take time, but we do feel it immensely in the lower grades classes, kids.
Good luck finding your fit