SHINE BOLDER, BRAVER & BRIGHTER AT LAWRENCE ACADEMY
MISSION
Lawrence Academy recognizes you for who you are, inspires you to take responsibility for who you want to become, supports you as you learn, and empowers you to take action for the greater good.
A transformative education arises from a just community grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
RISE EXPRESSES OUR COMMITMENT TO ...
Recognize the distinctive qualities of each student and provide opportunities for growth;
Inspire intellectual curiosity, commitment to learning and knowledge, and student leadership;
Support students through teaching practices focused on who they are, how they learn, and what they experience socially and emotionally; and
Empower students to exercise their strengths, elevate others, and contribute to the world.
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Prospective Students:
EXPERIENCE
Lawrence Academy’s head of school since 2012, Dan Scheibe grew up on the Wesleyan University campus in Middletown, Conn. He earned his B.A. in literature from Yale University and advanced degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Wesleyan University. Dan has worked in independent schools as a teacher, coach, dorm head, and advisor for more than 25 years, beginning at Jakarta International School. His first work in a residential environment was at Blair Academy, and he worked at Middlesex School for more than a decade immediately preceding his tenure at Lawrence Academy.
Distinct from many of our peer schools, Lawrence Academy is centered on YOU, the student, through our mission. The student is the entire point of our work captured in RISE: we seek to recognize, inspire, support, and empower YOU. It is rare for a school to live by such a statement, but that is the experience of Lawrence Academy. Nothing is more important to us as a school than the experience of our students.
Lawrence Academy was founded more than 230 years ago to bring the transformative power of education to the young people of a young country. Our school’s modern expression continues this commitment: we believe education arises from and builds toward a just community. The work we do to elevate, empower, and enliven through learning starts with our students and continues into the world.
This broad sense of mission depends on the attitude we have toward YOU, toward our students. We care for young people with generosity, optimism, and interest. The connection that arises from a commitment like this is powerful: it helps you thrive, contribute, and prosper. For life.
We warmly invite you to find this sense of purpose and meaning — unique to YOU — at Lawrence Academy.
Dan Scheibe Head of School Lawrence Academy
6-8 STUDENTS PER ADVISORY
ADVISORY PROGRAM
The advisory system is at the heart of the Lawrence Academy experience. Each advisory consists of one faculty member and 6–8 students from different grade levels with different backgrounds and varied interests. These groups meet formally every school day and are designed to foster strong, supportive relationships between students and their advisor. Advisors play a central role in monitoring students’ emotional well-being and academic progress, and they serve as the primary point of contact for families.
Advisory is far more than just a daily routine check-in. Advisories are close-knit communities within the broader school environment, built on trust, care, and personal connection. These groups provide a supportive space where students can gain confidence, find inspiration, and feel safe sharing both their triumphs and their struggles. Advisors and fellow advisees offer guidance, encouragement, and authentic friendship, and often celebrate birthdays and other meaningful milestones together. In essence, an advisory group serves as a second family on campus, deeply rooted in care and connection.
From the beginning, advisory has set the perfect tone for my time on campus. It is my safe place. Anything and everything — my advisor is there for me.”
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
In keeping with our mission to recognize, inspire, support, and empower students, faculty at Lawrence Academy strive to truly see each learner for who they are — both in ability and in potential. They intentionally design classroom environments that offer the right balance of challenge and support, fostering spaces where students feel safe to take academic risks. Through consistent, individualized feedback, students are encouraged to learn from mistakes, reflect on their progress, and take ownership of their growth.
At Lawrence Academy, students grow in knowledge, confidence, and independence, supported every step of the way by faculty who serve as mentors and guides. Whether practicing essential skills, exploring new content, or making meaningful analytical connections, students are immersed in a learning experience that is both rigorous and deeply personal. When they graduate, they leave LA empowered — equipped with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to find success on whatever path they choose to pursue.
5:1
WHAT COURSES DOES LA OFFER?
Lawrence Academy’s academic schedule is thoughtfully designed to support students in acquiring both knowledge and skills. Students take a maximum of four academic classes per day, with each class meeting for 75 minutes. Academic classes are never scheduled back-to-back; instead, intentional breaks — such as advisory, lunch, or office hours — are built into the day. These breaks provide students with time to reflect on their learning, meet with faculty, and ensure they understand the material before moving on to their next class.
Students are required to complete courses aligned with the graduation requirements outlined on the opposite page. Once these core requirements are met, they have the opportunity to explore a wide range of electives, including computer science, economics, visual arts, and advanced physics. Beginning in 10th grade, students may also request permission to enroll in honors-level courses, which offer a deeper exploration of subject matter at a more rigorous academic pace.
ACADEMIC BLOCK SCHEDULE
OUR DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS
English
Math
Science
Complete a year of English for every year at Lawrence Academy.
Complete Math 3: Precalculus.
Incoming ninth-grade students: Complete physics, chemistry, and biology. Students entering after the ninth grade:: Complete chemistry and biology.
History Incoming ninth-grade students: Complete three years, one of which must be U.S. History. Students entering after the ninth grade: Complete two years, one of which must be U.S. History.
Foreign Language
Art
Winterim
Community Service
Complete two consecutive levels of any one language (Chinese, French, Spanish, or Latin), regardless of the level at which the student begins their ninth-grade year. Non-native English speakers may not use courses taken in their native language to satisfy their foreign language requirement.
Incoming ninth-grade students: Complete two years of art, one of which must be Artistic Expression. Students entering after the ninth grade: Complete the equivalent of one term of art for each year attending Lawrence Academy (i.e., a term course each year they are enrolled).
Complete a two-week Winterim for every year at Lawrence Academy.
Complete six hours of community service for every year at Lawrence Academy.
A minimum course load is generally five courses. Ninth-grade students are students are enrolled in six year-long courses, while sophomores, juniors, and seniors will take five or six courses. Academic Office approval is required to take fewer than five year-long courses or more than six classes in one term.
12 STUDENTS PER
CLASS AVERAGE
ENGLISH
At Lawrence Academy, English teachers aim to help students think independently, express their own ideas, and engage thoughtfully with others’ perspectives. English teachers guide students as they develop their own academic identities through ongoing feedback and self-reflection.
Over the course of four years, students practice and refine five key academic skills: reading, writing, thinking, speaking, and listening. Our spiraling English curriculum begins in ninth and 10th grade by building reading confidence, developing literary analysis skills, and experimenting with the
40 ADVANCED AND HONORS-LEVEL COURSES
foundations of creative writing. Each course encourages students to explore their academic identities through guided choices in reading, writing, and discussion.
As students grow and gain confidence in their abilities, they have the opportunity to delve deeper into English studies in 11th and 12th grade. Through both standard and honors course offerings, students can pursue their passions for literature, writing, and critical analysis.
I have grown in the LA English department because of how willing my teachers have been to push and challenge me to do my very best. Whether it’s meeting outside of class or emailing me revisions late at night, my teachers have always given me the opportunity to strive for greatness by always being there for help when I need it.”
HISTORY
We encourage Lawrence Academy students to do the intellectual and investigative work of historians. By determining the meaning of an important idea or answering a complex question for themselves, they are working to understand the human condition, past and present.
The Lawrence Academy history department believes in bringing the material alive. Teachers emphasize active learning, inquiry, and creative thinking with a focus on depth of knowledge over breadth. After all, history is not a spectator sport.
“
The best thing about the LA history department is the way it allows you to expand on your previous knowledge and learn new ways of thinking. The history department works to teach LA students new ways of viewing historical events and lets each student examine history in ways that feel most intriguing to them. This individual approach to learning allows for better conversations and discussions, which is why the LA history department has helped show me that learning and analyzing events and then discussing them with others is the best way for me to learn.”
LANGUAGE 12 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
We believe in learning languages through immersion. Students will learn to communicate in the target language as early as possible and work towards aural, grammatical, and oral fluency. The LA language department encourages students to take risks and make mistakes so they can learn to trust themselves and gain confidence.
Offering the modern languages of Chinese, Spanish, and French, as well as the classical language of Latin, LA provides students with a range of options. In addition to learning modern languages, students will also dive into the languages’ cultures while engaging with teachers and peers who speak the language natively. Students enrolled in Latin will learn to read and analyze the works of ancient Roman authors through close reading and discussion of grammatical constructions.
By graduation, the Lawrence Academy language department hopes students see themselves as global citizens with open minds and new perspectives.
The LA language department has pushed me beyond merely memorizing vocabulary and toward greater comprehension. Teachers do not teach language merely for the sake of language. They use language to communicate ideas or cultural history.”
MATH
Lawrence Academy’s mathematics department aims to give each student an integrated, personalized, and practical experience. Students will find comfort with numbers and mathematical ideas, and perhaps even an excitement for and love of the subject.
All Lawrence Academy, students must take Math 1, Math 2, and Math 3: Precalculus. In these required courses, students learn algebra, geometry, and trigonometry through a blended and pattern-based approach, spiraling foundational skills to develop a deep understanding of functions and applications. Beyond the required courses, students have various options in calculus, statistics, computer science, and more.
Lawrence Academy’s math classes do more than just ask students to memorize formulas. Students learn
to think mathematically, apply learned strategies to new problems, and build their mathematical toolbox. Both independently and collaboratively, students discuss problem-solving strategies, experiment with different approaches, and learn to recognize patterns. They learn to think critically, enhance their reasoning skills, and gain confidence with the subject through careful analysis.
The best thing about the math department at LA is the atmosphere of curiosity that teachers bring to the classroom. They bring energy and excitement into the room and show everyone how fascinating mathematics is. Thanks to the teachers I’ve had, I always look forward to my math classes at LA.”
SCIENCE
We want Lawrence Academy students to learn to think like scientists by looking at the world with both curiosity and skepticism. LA students discover the skills of scientific reasoning: gathering and connecting information, analysis, and evaluation. They will come to appreciate these skills for both scholarly pursuits and daily life in a modern world influenced by science and technology.
The LA science department’s focus is on understanding over memorization. We use the scientific method as a way of thinking. Students will see the relationships between their scientific skills and all of the other disciplines they study. LA students must complete physics, chemistry, and biology to graduate. Once they complete these core classes, students can choose between electives such as environmental science, research in astronomy, or marine science.
The science department at LA has really helped me to develop strong analytical skills. I have learned how to research topics and how to ask meaningful questions in order to further my understanding."
ARTS
The LA arts department is committed to the arts as an academic pursuit in a welcoming and inclusive environment that fosters curiosity and creativity. Students will learn the creative skills needed to express themselves, along with the technical skills needed to communicate their vision effectively. They’ll work with integrity, independence, and an open mind to develop an awareness of themselves and the world around them.
All Spartans will dig into their creative side as part of their required coursework, in addition to having opportunities to engage in the arts through afternoon co-curricular options. Students entering the ninth grade take a required year-long Artistic Expression course. All students must take an additional three terms of art after ninth grade to graduate.
CARNEGIE HALL
In 2024, the Lawrence Academy Singers traveled to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall for the fifth time since 2014. LA students join peers from across the country for this high-profile performance opportunity.
LEARNING SUPPORT
At Lawrence Academy, we recognize that every student learns differently, and we believe these differences strengthen our community. When individual learning differences present academic challenges, we offer a variety of supports to help students reach their full academic potential, including personalized attention from teachers during class, as well as additional help during weekly office hours and study hours in the library.
For students who need extra assistance, our learning support program provides targeted help. Students in this program meet with a learning coach for 35 minutes once or twice a week during the academic day. Sessions with a learning coach may focus on reviewing assignments, organizing materials, planning long-term projects, and reviewing completed work. Our learning coaches’ goal is to meet students where they are and promote growth in areas of need, setting them up for success at LA and beyond.
Additionally, students may qualify for academic accommodations if they provide up-to-date testing documentation. When a student chooses Lawrence Academy and seeks accommodations, the director of learning support will guide families through the process of requesting and implementing the necessary accommodations.
APPROXIMATELY 1 IN 5
LAWRENCE ACADEMY STUDENTS USE LEARNING COACHING
THE FEEDBACK SYSTEM
At Lawrence Academy, students receive written comments from their teachers every two weeks. These comments, reviewed during advisory, provide students with timely feedback on their performance in each class. They highlight areas of strength and areas for growth, but their primary purpose is to offer a clear path forward. Teachers provide actionable suggestions to help students improve both their approach to learning and their understanding of skills and content.
Because the comments are written directly to students, the process encourages ownership of their learning, with support from faculty and their advisor. The consistency of bi-monthly comments also gives advisors valuable insight into shifts in a student’s performance that may signal early concerns. A single comment can prompt a one-on-one conversation, a broader team discussion, or a call home. These regular check-ins create opportunities for timely interventions — often resolving issues before they escalate.
THE OMNIBUS PROGRAM
Lawrence Academy students, like all 21st-century teenagers, are faced with sometimes-overwhelming realities as they begin to understand who they are and how their identity intersects within their local, national, and global communities. We set aside time within the school day to discuss larger community priorities, including identity, wellness, life skills, and other social and emotional topics. The goal of this
program, known as Omnibus — meaning “for all” — is to help students learn more about and process these issues in the comfort of a safe and open environment. Programming includes small and large group meetings, school-wide assemblies, speakers, and affinity spaces.
MEET VERONICA
Veronica knew Lawrence Academy was special the very first time she stepped on campus. She was nervous when she arrived for Accepted Student Day, but, she remembers, “I got compliments from random students walking by, and the faculty members knew my name.”
“It made me feel seen, and it made me feel special,” Veronica adds. “Knowing that I would be in a community where I am acknowledged and known as a person, it made me sure I wanted to come here.”
Now a senior at LA, Veronica fosters that same welcoming spirit as an Umoja club leader, on the volleyball and track & field teams, and in her dormitory. The Jersey City, N.J., native has found a second family in her advisory group.
“My advisor is always there for me: she checks up on me, and she makes sure I have everything I need,” Veronica says. “My advisory group isn’t all the same age or in the same grade, but even outside of advisory, we still connect, we still talk, we still maintain that family bond.”
It’s LA’s Black Box dance studio where Veronica feels most at home on campus. A longtime dancer, she felt “an immediate connection” to the space during orientation.
“Our dance director was able to push me and get me out of my comfort zone, and he inspired me to branch out and become more creative,” Veronica says. “I’d definitely say I’ve improved as a dancer — I think more outside the box, and I get to explore more.”
“KNOWING THAT I WOULD BE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE I AM ACKNOWLEDGED AND KNOWN AS A PERSON...”
Veronica Fortune, boarding student from Jersey City, N.J.
MEET KAVAN
Lawrence Academy has changed Kavan. The senior boarding student from Newton, Mass., says he’s not only “a billion times more mature” than he was when he started as a freshman, but he’s also found new academic, athletic, and artistic interests.
“LA has helped me grow more than I’ll ever know,” Kavan says. “I wouldn’t be the same kid without Lawrence Academy.”
Kavan felt the students’ sense of pride in their school and welcoming nature from his very first time on campus. “Every kid I saw was wearing LA clothing. I didn’t see anyone sitting alone. Every single time we walked by someone, the admissions rep said their name and told me all about them,” he remembers. Since then, Kavan's advisory group, lifechanging Winterim experiences, and classes with teachers who have pushed him to give it his all have shown him the full depth of that supportive community.
“There’s love from students; there’s love from faculty. There’s a certain happiness around campus that’s really hard to find elsewhere, and it doesn’t leave you,” Kavan says. “You feel the LA culture every day. When you’re here, you know it.”
Kavan is passionate about making sure younger students feel that culture, too. In addition to playing varsity football and being a Men’s Club member, he is captain of the varsity boys’ tennis team, a proctor in an underclassmen dorm, and student body vice president.
“LA’s a great school,” Kavan says, “but it’s a better home.”
“LA IS A GREAT SCHOOL, BUT IT’S A BETTER HOME.”
Kavan Daftary, boarding student from Waban, Mass.
WINTERIM
For five decades, Lawrence Academy has embraced the idea of experiential education through Winterim. The two-week mini-term in March is a central feature of LA’s educational program, breaking students out of their normal routines and encouraging them to open their minds, bodies, and hearts to new experiences. For some, Winterim is a cool, fun, and unique experience; for others, a Winterim program will end up influencing their chosen path of study in college or their future career.
Roughly 30 Winterim options are offered each year, with each course falling into one of five areas: cultural immersion, academic field study, service learning, crafts and skills, or outdoor adventure. In keeping in line with our mission, all Winterim programs align with a focus on taking action for the greater good.
Students can stay on campus and in the Groton area for Winterim or venture out of state — or even out of the country. They are encouraged to take advantage of the diverse areas of study and explore a variety of options throughout their time at Lawrence Academy.
Students learn alongside teachers and come to understand that learning is confined neither to the classroom nor to academic institutions, but instead is a lifelong adventure best achieved by doing.”
- Tony Hawgood, director of affiliate programs
2 FACULTY MEMBERS PER GROUP
AVERAGE OF 12-14
STUDENTS
PER GROUP
FIRE AND ICE: CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN ICELAND
While Lawrence Academy’s Winterim offerings include many tried-and-true courses that run every year, new options occasionally emerge. In 2025, one of the latter was Fire and Ice: Climate Change and Sustainable Living in Iceland.
“Iceland is severely ahead of other countries in their sustainability efforts,” says Lawrence Academy's assistant dean of students and director of community engagement, who first dreamed up the idea for the trip while in Iceland as a tourist. “What they were doing. I was like, why are we not doing this at home? It was really interesting to me that they just have a way of prioritizing sustainability.”
Two LA teachers used the two-week mini-term to show Spartans Iceland’s “love of the land.” The group of about a dozen students learned how climate change is affecting the country; visited lagoons, hot springs, and national parks; and saw sustainability efforts firsthand at a power plant, a dairy farm, and other facilities.
“The kids really recognized that Iceland has such a unique opportunity to use their natural resources,” says LA’s assistant dean of students and director of community engagement, who encouraged the students to think about what small things they could do differently to make the way they live more sustainable. “I think that little bit of adventure tacked with that little bit of education, that’s what was so cool about it.”
WOMEN IN SPORTS: A HISTORICAL DEEP DRIVE INTO WOMEN’S INVOLVEMENT IN SPORTS
Lawrence Academy students have long had the opportunity to study sports journalism during Winterim, but the new-in-2025 Winterim Women in Sports: A Historical Deep Dive into Women’s Involvement in Sports not only gives students an inside look at the business of sports and the career possibilities beyond playing professionally, but it also highlights the transformative impact of Title IX and women athletes.
“We have a lot of girls who are involved in sports and want a future in sports,” says LA’s Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs: Director of Learning Support, who co-led the course, “but they also have limited training in what a future in sports can look like beyond being an athlete.”
Students in the Women in Sports course shared their experiences during the two-week mini-term through short, social media–ready vlogs that captured both the big ideas they were learning about and the stories of the incredible women they were meeting throughout Winterim: athletes, executives at a sports-focused television network, women working in college sports recruiting and on the corporate side of professional sports, and more.
“It was a really good mix of interviewees,” says one of Lawrence Academy’s learning specialists and the co-leader of the Women in Sports Winterim, “and so that sort of allowed it to be, yes, we’re learning about Title IX, but we’re also introducing kids to networking, which I think was a really cool aspect.”
CAMPUS LIFE
Boarding and day. Artists and athletes. Hometowns near and far. At Lawrence Academy, diversity isn’t just welcomed — it’s woven into the fabric of our community.
The LA community is not only diverse but also open and supportive. Students are encouraged — by both their peers and the LA faculty and staff — to step outside their comfort zones, all within a strong support system that celebrates their successes and motivates them to persevere through challenges.
Across all areas of school life, Lawrence Academy values and amplifies the voices of every member of the community. As a whole, the school strives to recognize and honor each individual’s unique qualities and perspectives — regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, ability, religious affiliation, or political beliefs.
100 PERCENT OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS
EACH YEAR
HIGHLIGHTS OF LA’S WORK IN THE COMMUNITY
• 10,000 meals packaged annually for Rise Against Hunger
• $5,000-$8,000 raised yearly for various service projects
• Every year, we collect:
– 100 bags of food every two months for our local food pantry
– 100 homemade blankets annually for Blanket Me
– toys for For the Love of Erica
– toiletries for Catie’s Closet
• 15 beds built for Sleep in Heavenly Peace
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING
At Lawrence Academy, diversity is not just about recognizing your own identity; it's about actively engaging with the diverse cultures and perspectives of others. It's about helping to create, participate in, and sustain a just, inclusive, and equitable community — both on campus and in the world beyond LA.
Faculty and staff want students to understand that, no matter who they are, they have an important role to play in this work. To support that, we believe it’s essential to foster an environment where people truly listen to one another. When individuals feel heard, they better understand how they contribute to building a community that reflects and respects everyone.
Lawrence Academy’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts encompass the full on-campus experience: a set of “community norms” guide how students, faculty, and staff interact with and treat each other. Programming throughout the year — including the Omnibus program and in-class discussions — bring these issues to the forefront and call community members into the conversation. Identity-based student clubs, known together as Concordia clubs, bring like-minded students and their allies together, both to create a mini-community and to involve students in each club’s chosen social cause. Concordia clubs all come together once per month as well, to encourage cooperation and explore how they intersect.
Our goal is to get students to understand that this work isn’t about diversity, it’s about community. In your ideal community, you want things to be equitable; you want people to feel included. They should see this as community work, because while today’s issue may not directly relate to them, tomorrow’s may.”
– Raquel Majeski, associate head of school
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
A student’s fellow residents form another mini-community on campus, strengthening the feeling of camaraderie. Each dorm includes at least one faculty-in-residence, as well as student proctors, to provide care and leadership. Day students, too, are encouraged to get to know faculty members’ on-campus families and participate in the residential LA experience — that is, until it’s time to go to sleep at night.
A full slate of on- and off-campus activities are available to Lawrence Academy’s boarders every weekend, and day students are welcome at all events as well, with no additional cost to any student. Student clubs are required to run two weekend activities per year, in addition to faculty-organized shuttles to nearby shopping areas, movie nights, trampoline park trips, dances, and more. Three times per year, Lawrence Academy hosts on-campus weekends, programmed with input from students.
SAMPLE OF WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
movies
dinner out at local restaurants
Topgolf
shopping
Roller Kingdom
community service projects
snow tubing talent shows
comedy shows
bowling
23% STUDENTS OF COLOR
100% STUDENT-LED CLUBS WITH FACULTY ADVISORS
CLUBS
Beyond Lawrence Academy’s classroom and co-curricular requirements, students are encouraged to become active and engaged members of the school’s student-centered community. Nearly 50 clubs, focused on special interests and community service, are led by students and supported by faculty advisors. For students who aspire to take on leadership roles within the Lawrence Academy community, select opportunities are also available.
OPPORTUNITIES
LEADERSHIP ON CAMPUS
• Student Government (elected positions and open committees for anyone to serve on): Executive Board, Faculty-Student Senate, and Judiciary Council
• Spartan Leaders (application required): Health & Wellness, Residential Life, Concordia Clubs, Spartan Nation, Service Leaders, International Students
• Elm Tree Society (application required)
• Clubs (voluntary leadership)
• Moral Courage Task Force
SAMPLE CLUB OPTIONS
Concordia Clubs: Umoja
LA Embassy
1899 (Women’s Club)
Gender Sexuality Alliance
Thompson & Terrell
Across the Aisle
PAX United
Service Clubs:
Rise Against Hunger
Community Service Advisory Board
Environmental Sustainability Council
Special Interest Clubs:
The Library Squad
Art for All Diablo (Yo-Yo) Club
Chess Club
Spartan Strength
First Responders Club
Puzzling Around
Academic Clubs:
Literary Magazine
Debate Club
Business Club
BELOVED TRADITIONS
Lawrence Academy’s traditions are anything but boring; in fact, our community likes to mix the old with the new. Some school traditions are just emerging, while others have been mainstays on the annual calendar for years.
MOUNTAIN DAY
Every September, the entire Lawrence Academy community takes a break from the classroom and travels to New Hampshire to hike Mount Monadnock. Some take their time to reach the top; others run to climb it twice or even three times! One of LA’s oldest traditions, Mountain Day features a cookout, gorgeous views, and an all-school photo at the summit — the perfect way to kick off the school year.
SPOON HUNT
Spoon Hunt is an annual, week-long, school-wide game of tag, for which both students and faculty can sign up. Participants start the week with a spoon with their name on one side and another participant’s name on the other, with the goal of finding and tagging the person on their spoon. Fancy footwork and strategy are required to be victorious! However, the entire community wins thanks to the camaraderie encouraged by the friendly competition.
J. WILLIAM MEES VISITING
SCHOLAR PROGRAM
In October 2014, three months before the debut of his Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda visited Lawrence Academy to speak in classes and engage with students as part of the J. Williams Mees Visiting Scholar Program. Established in 2010, the program brings professionals to LA to give students a firsthand opportunity to learn what they do and how they have been successful in their fields. In addition to Miranda, past visiting scholars include poet Taylor Mali, science professor Dr. Peter M. Groffman, singer-songwriter Dar Williams, nationally acclaimed author Andre Dubus III, and Irshad Manji, educator, author, and founder of the Moral Courage Project.
SPIRIT WEEK
Perhaps no week at Lawrence Academy is more fun than Spirit Week! Held annually during the last week of October, Spirit Week features plenty of surprises and encourages creative attire. Halloween is always celebrated, and other theme days have included Pajama Day, Twin Day, Pink-Out for Breast Cancer Awareness, and Spartan Spirit Day.
ARTS
In one way or another, we all possess a desire to express ourselves. Lawrence Academy students have numerous and varied options to engage their creative sides. LA’s arts program is both part of the school’s curriculum — a requirement for graduation — and part of students’ afternoon activity options.
Just as Lawrence Academy’s classrooms are personalized and collaborative, our arts program is about individual, yet synergistic expression. Students are encouraged to find excitement and take pride in their artistic efforts, and to appreciate the artistic abilities of those around them as they problem solve creatively and gain creative confidence that will help them throughout life, no matter what career they pursue.
Each term culminates in Arts Week, a multi-day celebration of students’ work. A visual arts show, theatre productions, music concerts and recitals, and dance recitals give arts students the opportunity to proudly share their creative work in front of the rest of the Lawrence Academy community.
EDINBURGH
FRINGE FESTIVAL
Dancers from Lawrence Academy have been invited to perform at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival six times since 2003, as part of the international theatre festival’s American High School Theatre Festival program. LA students spend their spring and summer preparing for the big event, and the trip to Scotland for their performance is a highlight of the dancers’ time at Lawrence.
The World of Dance
Lawrence Academy
Singers
Ceramics
Digital Illustration
Improvisation
Drawing
Musicianship
Piano Class
Honors offerings in each arts discipline
MEET CHAD
Chad has discovered a new side of himself at Lawrence Academy.
“I wasn’t really an artsy person before I came here; I just knew I had a creative side to me,” says the senior day student from Hollis, N.H. He was deeply involved in both figure skating and horseback riding, sang and played various instruments, and had been part of one theater production — but Artistic Expression, a required course for all LA ninth-graders, changed things.
Chad particularly enjoyed the dance-focused portion of Artistic Expression and dancing in the school musical his ninth grade year, and he has continued taking dance at LA. “It’s become part of my favorite culture here, dance has, because it’s such a small, close-knit community,” he says. “It’s nice to have a place to go and express yourself.”
Community is what drew Chad to LA in the first place. “Everything everybody does on campus is so connected,” he explains, adding that he doesn’t feel like he’s competing against his classmates the way he did at his small, private middle school. Instead, Chad says, “Academics are also something that you can express yourself in.”
As he sets his sights on college and life after LA, Chad sees a future in which he can combine his interest in math and science and his love of dance. He doesn’t know exactly what that entails, but he’ll explore until he figures it out.
“There isn’t a strict path that anybody is following. Nobody knows where they’re going,” Chad reflects. “It’s kind of just wherever life brings you, and there isn’t any amount of courses and classes that you can take — or not that — that’s gonna steer you away from that path.”
“IT’S BECOME PART OF MY FAVORITE CULTURE HERE, DANCE HAS, BECAUSE IT’S SUCH A SMALL, CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
Chad Billingsley, day student from Hollis N.H.
MEET HARPER
Lawrence Academy’s partnership with nearby Groton Hill Music Center drew Harper to campus, 2,000 miles from her home in Colorado. LA@GrotonHill offers Spartans studying an instrument opportunities to work with high-level peers and teachers in both private lessons and chamber, orchestra, and wind ensembles.
“My teacher for private lessons is a way higher-level teacher than I was used to working with,” says Harper, a junior who has been playing the cello since third grade. “She’s really pushed me, and I think I’ve gotten way better.”
Harper joined the sinfonia as a ninth grader and has auditioned for state- and district-wide performance groups through LA@Groton Hill. LA’s expansive arts program has also deepened her love for drawing, first through Artistic Expression — a year-long course — and now through honors visual art classes.
“I didn’t come here thinking I would be doing honors-level visual art — it was just something that happened because it was so fun,” says Harper, who has also explored acting, dancing, and singing.
“LA’s arts program has helped me work with my strengths and improve the things that I’m already passionate about, but it also helps me try new things.”
Encouraging peers and supportive faculty, staff, and coaches have empowered Harper, who is also a Spartan Leader and a dorm proctor, plays hockey and soccer, and runs track.
“I’ve been able to try everything that I’ve wanted to,” she says, “because my teachers and coaches have helped me manage my schedule where I can fit everything in.”
“I’VE BEEN ABLE TO TRY EVERYTHING THAT I’VE WANTED TO BECAUSE MY TEACHERS AND COACHES HAVE HELPED ME MANAGE MY SCHEDULE WHERE I CAN FIT EVERYTHING IN.”
LAWRENCE ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP WITH GROTON HILL MUSIC
At Lawrence Academy, students have a wide range of music courses, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and private lessons available to them. In addition to these on-campus offerings, Spartans are also encouraged and supported to venture off campus for instrumental music studies at the nearby Groton Hill Music Center.
Our partnership with Groton Hill aims to connect our instrumental music students with the greater community. Students work with high-level peers and teachers while taking private lessons and participating in chamber, orchestra, and wind ensembles.
Students who participate will also have access to participate in professional performances and workshops with visiting artists. Less than a mile down the road, this state-of-the-art, not-forprofit educational and performance center features two concert halls (1,000-seat and 300-seat), as well as rehearsal and teaching spaces.
Harper Donnel, boarding student from Steamboat Springs, Colo.
ATHLETICS
Lawrence Academy values the team experience: being part of something bigger than yourself, part of a cohesive group working toward a common goal. Sports teach teamwork, how to handle and overcome adversity, and how to deal with failure and learn from mistakes
At Lawrence Academy, athletics are an extension of our educational mission — a platform where students are recognized for who they are, inspired to grow, supported as they develop, and empowered to contribute meaningfully to their teams and communities. We field varsity, junior varsity, and thirds teams, so whether student-athletes are looking to compete intensely in their favorite sport or branch out and try something entirely new, there’ll be an option for them. Students interested in being part of a team but not in playing can take on the role of team manager. OVER 40 ATHLETIC TEAMS
Lawrence Academy’s athletic program provides an opportunity for all student-athletes with varying levels of skill to experience exercise, discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and personal growth. We strive to provide excellent coaches who promote respect, sportsmanship, integrity, and rigor.”
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Kevin Potter, director of athletics
Just as Lawrence Academy’s classroom teachers do, our coaches train, motivate, and guide their players to an understanding of the importance of investing energy in the little things in order to build off their own work and that of their teammates. The studentled Spartan Nation encourages the rest of the Lawrence Academy community to turn out and cheer on LA’s student-athletes. Not only does their support
create an electric atmosphere, but it also fosters school spirit, even outside of athletics.
Lawrence Academy teams compete in the 16-member Independent School League (ISL) and the New England Preparatory School Athletics Council (NEPSAC). The ISL values honorable representation, proper conduct, and good sportsmanship.
TEAM TITLES AND FINISHES, 2015-2025
Varsity Baseball: 2022, 2025 ISL Champions; 2024 ISL Semifinalists
Varsity Football: 2015, 2016, 2017 ISL Champions; 2015, 2017, 2022 NEPSAC Bowl Champions; 2023 NEPSAC Bowl Champions
Varsity Boys’ Hockey: 2016 NEPSAC Small School Quarterfinalists; 2018 NEPSAC Small School Champions; 2023 NEPSAC Small School Champions; 2017, 2019, 2020 ISL Keller Division Champions
Varsity Girls’ Hockey: 2017 NEPSAC Division 1 Quarterfinalists; 2022, 2025 NEPSAC Small School Quarterfinalists
Varsity Girls’ Field Hockey: 2017, 2018 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists
Varsity Girls’ Basketball: 2014, 2018 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists; 2015, 2016, 2017 NEPSAC Class B Semifinalists; 2019 NEPSAC Class B Finalists; 2025 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists
Varsity Girls’ Volleyball: 2016 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists; 2017 NEPSAC Class B Semifinalists; 2019 NEPSAC Class B Champions; 2023 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists; 2025 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists
Varsity Boys’ Basketball: 2017, 2018 NEPSAC AA Quarterfinalists; 2025 NEPSAC AA Quarterfinalists
Varsity Girls’ Soccer: 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists; 2022 NEPSAC Class B Finalists; 2023 NEPSAC Class B Quarterfinalists
Varsity Boys’ Soccer: 2014 ISL Champions; 2014 NEPSAC Class B Champions; 2015 NEPSAC Class B Finalists
MEET GEENA
Geena arrived at Lawrence Academy looking for a change. The senior boarding student from Gilmanton, N.H., wanted to expand her horizons and aspire to play college hockey, and she believed LA could help her accomplish both goals.
“I felt like I needed to get outside my comfort zone with both sports and school,” Geena says. “I felt like I could push myself to another level, and I think coming here was the change I needed.”
Geena jumped right into LA’s athletics program, joining the varsity girls’ soccer, varsity girls’ ice hockey, and varsity girls’ lacrosse teams while also playing club hockey in the fall. Tryouts were nerve-wracking, Geena admits, but everyone she encountered, from her potential teammates to the teams’ coaches, welcomed her warmly.
“Even if I’m having a rough day, they just brighten my day,” she says of her teammates. “And our coaches know when to take a break in practice and just have fun, or they can push us because they know our schedules. Seeing them around school is really fun — you feel closer to them.”
LA’s supportive community has allowed Geena to get to know her classmates, teachers, clubmates, and dormmates more deeply, too. Whether she’s in class, at practice, or in Yo-Yo Club, she’s surrounded by people who make her feel comfortable — who make her feel like she’s home.
“You can mess up, and it’s okay because everyone’s so supportive around here,” Geena says, “and I feel like you can’t really find that other places.”
“I FELT LIKE I COULD PUSH MYSELF TO ANOTHER LEVEL [AT LA], AND I THINK COMING HERE WAS THE CHANGE I NEEDED.”
Geena Cookinham, boarding student from Gilmanton, N.H.
MEET ALEX
Alex, a basketball player from Nashua, N.H., chose Lawrence Academy because he wanted to be competing against other student-athletes at a high level — but on campus, he found a team that welcomed him “with open arms” from his first tour.
“I didn’t know the basketball team, but they came to say hello to me. I thought that was pretty cool,” Alex says. And once he was officially enrolled, he found that that friendly community extended across teams.
“A lot of kids play two sports, so it kind of connects everyone closer together,” explains Alex, who met football, hockey, and soccer players through his team. “Your teammates will be hanging out with different kids, so you kind of mix in.”
Now a senior, Alex is a two-time All-ISL and All-NEPSAC player and was named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist as a junior. He credits LA’s off-season strength and conditioning program and his rigorous in-season practice schedule with helping him stay and shape and be prepared.
“That’s what I had to get better at, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on a lot throughout my time at LA,” Alex says, “and now I feel like I’m prepared for college and beyond.”
Off the court, Alex is taking three honors courses and says his class schedule has helped him improve his time-management and organizational skills. He also manages other LA sports teams, which has helped him learn what it’s like on the other side of the bench.
“Where I am now, my eighth-grade self would not believe where I’m at,” Alex says. “I’m getting interest from colleges — I don’t think I ever would have thought that was gonna happen, and I feel like Lawrence Academy was a big part of that.”
“I FEEL LIKE I’M PREPARED FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND.”
Alex Egbuonu, day student from Nashua, N.H.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
Lawrence Academy’s mission of recognizing, inspiring, supporting, and empowering our students extends to the college application process. Our experienced team of college counselors aims to make the process of applying to college manageable through support and expertise. LA’s college counselors are also teachers, coaches, dormitory parents, and advisors, allowing them to get to know all students as learners, people, and members of the school community.
Our college counselors see each student as a whole person and help them create a college plan that meets their individual needs. We support, advise, listen, comfort, and celebrate with every student.”
-Sean Sheehan, director of college counseling
95% OF LA STUDENTS WERE ACCEPTED INTO ONE OF THEIR TOP THREE COLLEGE CHOICES
188 COLLEGES ADMITTED SENIORS LAST YEAR
BEYOND LA
The LA college process is rooted in the school’s mission, as it helps students learn more about themselves while empowering them to choose their own path after graduation. In the fall term of their junior year, students select their college counselor and begin the introspection and exploration that launches the college counseling process. A well-developed, monthly college counseling curriculum helps students develop the skills needed to identify colleges that fit their individual academic, extracurricular, and personal needs. Individual meetings are frequent and allow time for the counselor to get to know the whole person and support them as they move through the tasks, challenges, and growth opportunities of junior year. Seniors continue to work with their college counselor and attend college counseling classes in the fall, when they complete and send their college applications.
Families, too, are educated about the college application process via college admissions panels, monthly webinars, guest speakers, and frequent correspondence from the College Counseling Office. Lawrence Academy parents benefit from a monthly newsletter that provides grade-specific advice about the college process.
While the college application process takes place during the junior and senior years, it is also important for ninth- and 10th-grade students to be aware of what lies ahead. The College Counseling Office holds class meetings with the ninth and 10th grades to highlight the ways that students can take advantage of all that LA has to offer, both in and out of the classroom.
Our LA graduates are off to...
Babson College, Bates College, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Brown University, Colby College, Carleton College, Connecticut College, Dartmouth College, Elon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Kenyon College, Middlebury College, Northeastern University, New York University, Stanford University, Syracuse University, Trinity College, Tulane University, Union College, University of California, Berkeley, United States Military Academy at West Point, Washington and Lee, Wesleyan University ... just to name a few.
THE COLLEGE PROCESS AT LA
SENIOR YEAR:
•students meet on-campus w/college reps (over 140)
•complete Common App
•decide if and where applying early •apply early decision/ early action •wait for decisions •revisit schools
ADMISSIONS
SEPTEMBER-JANUARY
Schedule a Campus Visit
Come visit our campus to better acquaint yourself with our school and community. The admissions team conducts official campus visits Monday-Friday, mid-September through Jan. 31. Each visit lasts about two hours and consists of a campus tour with a current student followed by an interview with an admissions representative. Interviews are a required component of the application. If you would like to meet with a special-interest representative, please notify our office ahead of time so we can request that they be available. If you are unable to visit campus for an interview due to location or time constraints, we can conduct a virtual interview during our regular office hours. To schedule a campus visit, please visit our website, www.lacademy.edu.
Register for Standardized Testing (Optional)
Standardized tests are an optional part of the LA application. In evaluating our candidates, we center on students’ interviews, personal essays, co-curricular endeavors, teacher recommendations, community involvement, and transcripts. For those who do choose to submit their SSAT scores, our school code is 4552. Information about testing can be found by visiting www.ssat.org.
Attend Admissions Events
While not required, we highly recommend that prospective students attend our various admissions events throughout the fall and winter to learn more about LA and hear directly from our students and faculty. The Admissions Office hosts both in-person and virtual events, so we encourage you to join what is most convenient for your family! Please check our website for updated information on admissions events throughout the admissions season.
DECEMBER-JANUARY
Complete Admissions Application
Applications to Lawrence Academy can be submitted using either the Standard Application Online or the Gateway to Prep Schools online application. A completed application requires the submission of your candidate profile, student essays, school transcript from the current and previous year, and three required recommendations: math teacher, English teacher, and principal or guidance counselor. Though not required, any supplemental letters of recommendation may be uploaded directly to the candidate’s profile or emailed to admiss@lacademy.edu.
JANUARY MARCH
Submit Completed Application
The application deadline for Lawrence Academy is Jan. 15.
Complete Financial Aid Application
Lawrence Academy commits to ensuring access to an independent school education by bridging the gap between family resources and educational expenses. If you are applying for financial aid, please visit our website to complete the required forms and submit all necessary documents. The financial aid application deadline is Jan. 15.
Decisions Released
All applicants will be notified of our admissions decision on March 10.
APRIL
Accepted Student Day
All accepted students will be invited back to campus for Lawrence Academy Accepted Student Day in early April.
Response Required
Accepted students are required to formally accept their offer of admissions and return the signed contract and deposit to Lawrence Academy by April 10.
