Cum Laude Society Academic Life Lawrenceville’s graduation requirements are designed to provide a strong foundation in all
The Lawrenceville chapter of Cum Laude, the high school equivalent of
51
Phi Beta Kappa, recognizes superior
disciplines, as well as the flexibility and myriad opportunities for students to pursue advanced work
academic achievement. A student
in those disciplines of most interest to them. In fall 2006, after an 18-month curriculum review,
may be elected in the spring of the
the School adopted new graduation requirements. The curriculum review was prompted by the
Fifth Form year.
need to construct more coordinated academic, co-curricular and residential programs that would prepare students to become leaders and reflect trends in education at both the secondary and higher
Independent Study
education levels. Recent developments in global affairs, as well as research in cognitive science, also
Independent studies offer a unique
informed the curriculum review. As part of this curricular redesign, the School elected to drop
opportunity to Fourth and Fifth
the Advanced Placement designation from its courses. Instead, the School added to course titles a “500” number designation to define the most rigorous courses in our curriculum. This numbering
Form students with an interest that takes them beyond the bounds of the offered curriculum. Students
system honors the dynamic and challenging academic curriculum at Lawrenceville. While many
may propose an independent study
500-level courses prepare students for AP exams, there are many other 500-level courses that offer
by first consulting with a faculty
a collegiate-level challenge that equals and in some cases even exceeds an AP curriculum. It is
or staff member. If the faculty/
important to note that students signing up for yearlong courses must make a commitment to taking the course for the entire year.
staff member agrees to act as an advisor for this independent study, the student requires the approval of their Academic Advisor,
Senior Projects In the spring of their Fifth Form year, students have the opportunity to undertake a senior project—a chance to pursue a passion that may fall outside of the typical academic realm.
College Counselor, and Chair of the department the independent study falls within. Final approval must come from the Dean of Academics.
Examples of recent senior projects include mentoring middle-school students, working on the Big
Independent studies require an 80-
Red Farm, designing a clothing line, and learning a computer language. As with independent
hour commitment over the course
studies, senior projects involve a detailed approval process. However, senior projects do not receive a course credit, require only a 40-hour commitment over the spring term, and are graded pass/fail based on whether that commitment was met.
of a term (equal to a standard course), so students must apply to drop one course in order to make time for the independent study. All independent studies culminate in some reporting of the results of the study—often through an end-ofterm presentation. As with regular course work, a final grade is given.