Lawrence Academy

Founded in 1793, Lawrence Academy, spanning 140 acres, offers a college preparatory curriculum to approximately 400 students in grades 9 through 12. The school is conveniently located in Groton, 35 miles north of Boston, less than an hour's drive from the city. As one of America's oldest independent schools, it maintains traditional educational values while adopting a student-centered teaching approach to better achieve its educational mission. Teacher Shi has visited this school multiple times.
School Advantages:
1. Prime Location: Located in the heart of Groton, Massachusetts, only a 45-minute drive from Boston.
2. Comprehensive Facilities: Extensive facilities in arts and sports ensure a rich student experience.
3. Distinctive Arts Program: The school's arts program is highly distinctive, offering abundant opportunities for artistic performances and exhibitions.
4. Strong Sports Program: The school boasts outstanding achievements in soccer and volleyball, with a well-established range of sports programs.
5. Extracurricular Activities: The school offers 15 extracurricular activities, including academic clubs, recreational clubs, and community service clubs.
6. Special Programs: Includes a unique annual Visiting Scholars Program and a partnership with the Groton Hill Music Center.
7. College Placement: 92% of Lawrence Academy students gain admission to one of their top three college choices.

Lawrence Academy is a non-denominational co-educational independent boarding school located in the heart of Groton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1793, it boasts a 230-year history, ranking tenth among the oldest boarding schools nationwide and third in Massachusetts. Adhering to the mission of "understanding, inspiring, supporting, and elevating students," and based on the core values of "diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging," the school helps students better understand and improve themselves, and achieve their aspirations. The school encourages students to plan their own education, make relevant choices, and bear corresponding risks, rather than blindly following others' plans. This helps students realize earlier that they need to be responsible for their own future, and also enables them to adapt to more independent learning and living before entering university.

In terms of teaching, the school encourages students not just to learn knowledge as a student, but to immerse themselves in professional roles such as artists, historians, linguists, scientists, and so on, for deeper learning and research. The school offers systematic and rich courses in six major areas: arts, English, foreign languages, history, mathematics, and science. Beyond this traditional teaching model, Winterim, a distinctive experiential education program of the school, perfectly complements students' learning needs outside the classroom. Each year, over 40 immersive and enriching Winterim projects provide students with opportunities for exploratory learning experiences that are difficult to access in daily life.

Lawrence Academy data: Student enrollment 418, student-teacher ratio 1:5, international students 10%, boarding rate 45%, teachers with advanced degrees 65%, advanced and honors courses 40+. Lawrence Academy is one of the oldest schools in the United States, founded in 1793, originally named Groton Academy. It was established by a church organization in Massachusetts with the aim of cultivating young people to become leaders in moral, political, academic, and religious aspects. In 1810, the school was renamed Lawrence Academy in honor of Vice Provost Samuel Lawrence, the church's main benefactor. In the mid-19th century, the school gradually developed into a true private boarding school and decided to focus its education on the humanities. In the 20th century, the school adjusted and improved its curriculum, introducing modern science and technology majors, providing students with diverse and comprehensive knowledge and skills. As a historically significant school, Lawrence Academy boasts excellent teaching facilities. The school covers an area of 1360 acres and has multiple academic buildings, laboratories, libraries, and an art center. The campus environment is elegant, with lush woodlands, spacious lawns, and lakes, offering students a beautiful environment for learning and living. The school also has multiple sports venues and fitness centers, providing students with places and conditions for sports and physical fitness.

Students in Lawrence Middle School's English classes are required to participate annually, where they will experiment with monologues, speeches, and poetry, and discuss their work in small groups with peers. Some English courses are conducted via broadcast. At Lawrence Middle School, students participate in NPR's 'This I Believe' project and the Judith French Poetry Recitation Contest in Los Angeles. In both projects, students have the opportunity to explore the essence of literature and various forms of writing. The school's English department reported that the Los Angeles activities enhanced students' recognition and inclusivity.

I graduated from Lawrence High School in 2019 and am currently attending Bates College. Lawrence High School has excellent faculty and staff who are very caring towards students, especially international students. During my four years at Lawrence, my English writing and reading skills greatly improved.

Since school started in September until now, the school has organized weekly nucleic acid testing for students and staff to ensure campus safety. They have been extremely serious and meticulous in controlling the epidemic! This makes parents feel very reassured.

Lawrence Academy, founded in 1793, is the ninth oldest high school in the United States and was one of the earliest high schools to accept students funded by the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship. Mei Yiqi, former president of Tsinghua University, graduated from this school. The teachers at LA are highly professional and responsible; many graduated from prestigious universities like Harvard and Johns Hopkins. As a parent, what impressed me even more was the school's management of international students: 1. In March 2020, they were among the first schools to arrange for international students to return to their home countries, saving students the trouble of scrambling for tickets, scanning health codes, making multiple transfers, and getting stranded. 2. In 2021, the 14-day Winterim period was fully open for international students who couldn't return home to reside, whereas in previous holidays the school would be closed. 3. In April 2021, the headmaster actively sought Pfizer vaccines, and by mid-to-late May, international students had completed two doses of vaccination, allowing them to travel internationally with peace of mind. LA is a 1.5-hour drive from Boston. Massachusetts is almost the most highly educated region in the entire United States, with Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts, and others located here. Studying at Lawrence Academy provides convenient access to the academic influence and cultural enrichment of world-renowned institutions.

I regularly visit Lawrence Academy every year. The school is located in Groton, 35 miles north of Boston, about an hour's drive from Boston, making it very conveniently accessible. What impressed me most about this school are the caring and professional guidance counselors who make students feel at home. Because it's very close to where I live, I visit three or four times a year. The most striking impressions are the very friendly teachers and the strong sports programs.

School features are as follows:

1. **Comprehensive Studies Curriculum (CSC):** Combines English and history, designed to develop students' reading, writing, reasoning, and research skills; **Ninth Grade Program (NGP):** A skills-based, interdisciplinary study of history, English, science, and art.

2. **Extensive and Advanced Facilities:** Includes 10 dormitories, brand new academic buildings, 4 natural science labs, a Sony language lab, writing and voice computer labs, 4 art studios, 5 music classrooms, a photography studio, a recital hall, 10 tennis courts, an indoor ice hockey rink, the Stone Athletic Center, and more.

3. **Rich Arts Programs:** Including dance, drama, music, visual arts, and very strong athletic programs, truly a powerhouse in sports.

4. **Two-week Lawrence Project:** Each year, students can delve deeper into subjects of interest outside the classroom. For example, student journalists can assist Lawrence's communications staff with campus reporting, or travel to the Hawaiian Islands to study ancient agricultural techniques, and so on.

When the epidemic emerged in Massachusetts, the school was able to promptly adjust activities and courses. As soon as Massachusetts declared a state of emergency, the school immediately made the decisive decision to send international students home, allowing the children to return safely and swiftly to China. Chinese teachers also followed up to confirm the safe arrival of each child. Online classes are currently being arranged, and the principal stated that time zone differences will also be taken into consideration.

A very warm school. This epidemic has showcased courage and responsibility, along with wisdom and high-level management. The school teachers inquired if each child had arrived safely and also considered the time difference when arranging online classes for the children.

A very good school, a school with a rich history. The principal, teachers, and students are all very caring. The curriculum is rich and varied, with many activities, which are very helpful for the healthy physical and mental development of children. Their performance during the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly excellent; they promptly organized and arranged for students to return home, and also considered time differences when arranging online classes. Highly commendable!

During this U.S. pandemic, the school maintained close communication with students, with dedicated teachers tracking the return process of each Chinese child. The online course schedule also considered China's 12-hour time difference.
Academically, it's also quite good. Most teachers graduated from excellent universities, for example, History from UPenn, Literature from Columbia, and Theater from UCLA.
In fact, the school's academic management is very rigorous, but they are exceptionally low-key and never promote themselves. Although their ranking is not high, the school is so responsible towards our children that as parents, we feel it's necessary to praise them and sincerely recommend them for more parents to consider.