Lake Forest Academy - Reputation

Reputation

Lake Forest Academy is well-recognized as one of the strongest college preparatory schools in the United States. 100% of graduates attend a 4-year college or university, many attending Ivy League schools, "Little Ivies," and other respected colleges.

From its beginnings, Lake Forest Academy has been seen as one of America's premier schools, especially west of the Alleghenies. Ties to the leading colleges and universities with the Academy date back to its very first graduating class. Innovation has been the school's hallmark particularly under strong headmasters like William Mather Lewis (later president of George Washington University and thereafter Lafayette College), John Wayne Richards, E. Francis Bowditch (later dean at MIT), and Harold Harlow Corbin Jr. It was Richards' pioneering instructional plan that Time Magazine's inaugural issue featured in its "Education" section (August 18, 1930).

One of the other oft-touted fundamental strengths of the school is the potential for strong relationships formed between students and faculty. Faculty, approximately three-quarters of whom live on campus, also serve as coaches and dorm supervisors. This aspect of the Academy is often promoted by the Admissions Department and others as a feature that sets the school apart from other institutions. Head of School Dr. John Strudwick mentions that "LFA prides itself on its small classes and its Advisory system which both promote a unique and productive relationship between faculty and students."