LFA Viewbook

Lake Forest Academy Midwestern Heart. Global Mind.

Lake Forest Academy (LFA) is a co-educational college-preparatory boarding school for students in grades nine through twelve.

Founded in 1857, LFA began as an independent boys’ college preparatory school before merging in 1974 with Ferry Hall, an independent girls’ school in Lake Forest. LFA is proud of its rich history and traditions carried over from Ferry Hall.

LFA is grounded in its mission to provide its students an exceptional education, embodying in its practices and cultivating in its students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility.

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Becoming Community At Lake Forest Academy, students become part of a community that supports, empowers, and inspires them to be their very best.

Midwestern Heart Located 30 miles north of Chicago, Lake Forest Academy promotes values of kindness, respect, and friendship within our community. Students make friendships with their classmates that endure long after they graduate from LFA and find formative, life-long mentors in their teachers, advisors, and coaches.

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Global Mind Our students and faculty hail from every corner of the globe, bringing with them a multitude of life experiences, perspectives, and ideas. Enriched by the unique qualities that each student brings to our community, LFA takes pride in having a multicultural community which is diverse in culture, background, and thought.

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450 STUDENTS

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24%

INTERNATIONAL

44%

STUDENTS OF COLOR

52

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

15

STATES

40

COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES 5

A Community of Engaged Learners In small, discussion-based classes, students are challenged by a rigorous academic program while being known, supported, and inspired by dedicated teachers. Diverse perspectives enrich every classroom, creating an environment where students are encouraged to speak up, collaborate with others, take intellectual risks, and pursue their curiosity with confidence. Learning extends far beyond the classroom through field trips, guest speakers, curricular travel, and conversations that continue across campus long after class has ended.

12

STUDENTS PER CLASS 6

27

AP COURSES

100+

COURSES OFFERED

70%

FACULTY WITH ADVANCED DEGREES

6:1

STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO 7

The Stuart Center for Global Leadership The Stuart Center connects classroom learning to the wider world through global experiences and career exploration opportunities.

Faculty-led travel experiences encourage students to engage with diverse communities and cultures while broadening their understanding of an interconnected world. Through mentorship, professional networking, and career exploration programs, students build valuable skills and discover potential pathways for their futures.

Field Trips Field Museum • Chicago History Museum • Halas Hall Bears Complex • National Museum of Mexican Art • Farm on Ogden in Chicago • Northern Trust • Greater Chicago Food Depository • Sherman Phoenix Marketplace in Milwaukee

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Curricular Trips New York City (Choir) • Olympic National Park, Wash. (AP Env. Science) Puerto Rico (AP Spanish) • Greece (Global Capstone)

Spring Break Trips Panama • Ecuador • Ireland • South Korea • Hawaii

Learners & Leaders Series Throughout the school year, alumni return to LFA and lead discussions with current students about their careers and professional paths.

Alumni guests include: Jenae Brooks ’00, Vice President at Abbott Labs; Dr. John Freeland ’86, Senior Physicist at Argonne National Laboratory; Stephan Jacob ’99, Founder of Cotopaxi; Ned Koh ’23 and Cameron Fink ’23, Founders of Aaru.

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A Community of Artists With a multitude of opportunities in music, theater, studio art, and visual arts, students discover and nurture their own creative voice. The dedicated faculty of the Arts Department guide students as they dive deep into the arts and learn to embrace curiosity, engage imagination, and discover the variety of ways that art enables us to engage with local and global communities.

100%

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS 10

25+

ARTS ELECTIVES

20+

STUDENT PERFORMANCES

Cressey Center for the Arts & Orchestra Hall The Cressey Center for the Arts houses the auditorium, choir hall, photography lab, and ceramics and glass studios. The Orchestra Hall is a newly built space specifically engineered for orchestra practice.

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A Community of Student-Athletes Whether a student is trying a sport for the first time or seeking to play at the collegiate level, student-athletes develop as competitors, team members, and individuals. LFA’s program strives to find success, measured not only in victories, but also in the individual development of each athlete.

Health & Wellness From the Health Center to the Training Room, students have access to comprehensive mental and physical healthcare every day of the week, complemented by our nutritious, holistic dining program. Students are active and engaged throughout the day and have access to walking and running trails, including the Open Lands Preserve connected to campus.

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VARSITY SPORTS 12

10

PE OPTIONS

100%

OF STUDENTS PLAY AT LEAST 1 SPORT

16 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2026 COMMITTED TO CONTINUE THEIR ATHLETIC CAREERS IN COLLEGE OR JUNIOR HOCKEY

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A Community of Leaders Leadership at LFA extends far beyond elected positions and formal titles. It is found in the students who welcome a new classmate, mentor a peer, speak up in the classroom, organize a service project, or simply choose to do the right thing. Here, leadership is not reserved for a few; rather, it is a responsibility embraced by all.

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Service Through service clubs, individual volunteer efforts, community partnerships, and the Academy’s annual Service Day, students make a meaningful impact in ways both big and small. By giving their time and talents to others, LFA students learn that even the smallest acts of service can strengthen a community.

18

NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS PARTNERED WITH ON SERVICE DAY

16

Clubs & Organizations With opportunities spanning academics, service, culture, leadership, and recreation, LFA’s clubs and organizations allow students to pursue their passions, explore new interests, and build lasting connections.

27

NUMBER OF CLUBS AND TEAMS THAT PARTICIPATE IN SERVICE ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR

17

A Community That Lives & Learns Together With students and faculty living side by side, meaningful relationships are built not only in the classrooms and on the athletic fields, but also around dinner tables, in residence halls, and throughout daily life.

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DORMITORIES 18

60%

OF FACULTY LIVE ON CAMPUS

50%

BOARDING STUDENTS

Why live on campus?

Living on campus allows students to grow in ways that extend beyond academics. Boarding students develop independence, build lifelong friendships, immerse themselves in a diverse global community, and benefit from a rich residential experience filled with activities, traditions, and opportunities for personal growth.

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DORM CUP COMPETITIONS

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COMMUNITY DINNERS 19

A Community with Endless Possibilities Our four college counselors live on campus, serving as dorm parents, advisors, and coaches, and bring significant experience in college admissions. Through close relationships with students and families, they guide students through every stage of the college process, helping them present their most authentic selves and find success at highly selective colleges and universities. Students graduate from LFA as confident, autonomous individuals with a strong sense of identity and purpose.

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21

100+

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES VISIT LFA EACH YEAR

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1350+

MINUTES SPENT MEETING WITH STUDENT’S COLLEGE COUNSELOR

33

MEDIAN ACT SCORE

100%

10

COLLEGE MATRICULATION

NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS

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Chicago to the World Lake Forest Academy is located in Lake Forest, a close-knit community north of downtown Chicago. With its own beach on Lake Michigan, two train lines leading to downtown Chicago, and multiple shopping and restaurant areas, Lake Forest is the perfect town to host a vibrant boarding school, providing students opportunities to get off campus and be with friends in a safe environment.

But what makes LFA truly unique is its proximity to Chicago, America’s third-largest city. This connection allows LFA teachers to extend their classrooms into museums, theaters, service organizations, and local businesses.

O’Hare International Airport connects LFA to educational travel destinations domestically and abroad, while providing students easy access to their home states and countries.

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MILES FROM CHICAGO

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MILES FROM O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Downtown Lake Forest

Millennium Park, Chicago photo credit: Ricky Beron @ unsplash.com

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1500 W Kennedy Road • Lake Forest, IL 60045 • 847-615-3267 • www.lfanet.org