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Departments
A Lawrenceville education builds on a tradition of intellectual and civic engagement and prepares students to be responsible leaders in the 21st century.
Lawrenceville encourages close student-faculty interactions and deep intellectual engagement. Lawrenceville faculty members are experts in their disciplines and translate that expertise into rich learning experiences for their students. They work closely with students to help them discover and develop their intellectual passions and think critically and creatively about the world around them and about the challenges and opportunities before them.
Academic advisors help students choose their course load. These consultations focus on the overall degree of difficulty of the schedule, the rigors of the School’s curriculum, and students' commitments to athletic or extracurricular activities. In addition to traditional academic courses, Lawrenceville students are required to meet other important educational obligations, including the following:
Community Service
The School's Community Service Program encourages all Lawrentians to connect with the greater community, giving them the opportunity to engage with a variety of people outside the students' immediate world. Because we want students to have a common service experience that enhances their Lawrenceville education and builds community within and beyond the gates, the Community Service graduation requirement is not based on a certain number of hours that a student must complete. Instead, students participate in three different types of community engagement.
Humanities
Employing literature, history, art, and religion, this Second Form course enables students to learn how these disciplines interact and have a critical impact on the human condition. Students will look at a wide variety of cultures and epochs (Greco-Roman, India, and China) and develop skills in writing, grammar, reading, visual interpretation, computer literacy, and library research. In this foundational course of study, attention is given to developing the necessary skills and habits of mind to take full advantage of the Harkness Table. The Harkness Table has been a feature of the Lawrenceville classroom for over seventy years, but learning through discussion rather than lecture is a new experience for many students.
Personal Development Seminar
As a residential community, Lawrenceville takes seriously the concerns and challenges facing adolescents, and therefore requires Third and Second Formers to take a multi-week seminar designed to help them discuss issues ranging from friendship to sexuality to substance abuse to stress—with the goal of helping them make healthy decisions.
Reports
An essential component to student growth and learning at Lawrenceville is the feedback they receive from their teachers, both in person and in writing. Full academic reports are sent home at the end of each trimester; interim reports are sent in the middle of each trimester. Reports include comments and grades from each teacher, indicating the student’s accomplishment, effort, and attitude. Interim reports are brief evaluations of the student’s academic situation at mid-term without specific grades. In addition to the formal reporting system in the middle and at the end of each term, teachers relay information about a student’s academic progress, both good and bad, to the adviser, Head of House and the Academic Dean through reports called Academic Memos, sent at the discretion of each teacher throughout the term.
Academic Departments
Through a robust selection of courses, community service, and personal development, students discover who they are and what they stand for, strive to support a School culture of belonging, and contribute their unique intellect, passion, and drive to advance their communities. Our academic departments facilitate the development of a meaningful depth and breadth of knowledge that forms the foundation for future learning.
