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Midwestern Heart. Global Spirit

LFA. Way Ahead

Lake Forest Academy (LFA) attracts individuals looking for rich and rewarding learning experiences and relationships, an approach LFA calls “the LFA Way.” All opportunities to participate in the school’s vibrant boarding environment offer both day and boarding students a lifelong passport to new challenges, met with openness, curiosity and the confidence to stretch beyond comfort zones — all building character that is uniquely transformed by combining a global outlook with Midwestern values.

With students from 34 countries and 17 states, LFA’s community emphasizes and embraces a pluralistic approach to learning and living together. Members of the class of 2015 are attending more than 70 colleges and universities across the United States and around the world this fall. More than 75 percent of LFA faculty members reside on campus, so students have access to their teachers throughout the day and beyond the classroom. LFA offers 21 Advanced Placement courses, as well as advanced work in the natural sciences, foreign languages and mathematics; in addition, the school has a Fine Arts Concentration program and 27 varsity sports. In the past two years, more than 70 students travelled abroad on LFA-sponsored trips, more than 30 graduates went on to compete in a NCAA D1 or D3 sport and several more enrolled in Bachelor of Fine Arts programs. Seven students in the class of 2015 earned recognition in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program; three received National Merit scholarships.

The 150-acre campus is located in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as an all-boys school, LFA moved to its present location on the former J. Ogden Armour estate in 1948. Ferry Hall, an all-girls school, was founded in 1869 and merged with LFA in 1974. LFA features state-of-the-art facilities, including the James P. Fitzsimmons Athletic Wing; Crown Fitness and Wellness Center; The Cressey Center for the Arts; and the two-story, LEED-compliant Reyes Science Center. Other campus buildings include historic Reid Hall, two boys’ dormitories, three girls’ dormitories, Glore Memorial Gymnasium and Pool, David O. MacKenzie Ice Arena, Corbin and Korhumel academic buildings and Hutchinson Dining Commons. LFA is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and recognized by the state of Illinois.

LFA’s average class size is 12, and the student-teacher ratio is 7-to-1. Thirty percent of LFA students receive financial aid.

LFA strives to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its students excellence of character, scholarship, citizenship and responsibility. These four pillars of the school’s mission are as follows:

  • Character encompasses respect for others and their beliefs, dedication to honesty in every sphere of life, realization of moral clarity and conviction, and pursuit of virtue and value in life.
  • Scholarship encompasses acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking, enthusiasm for discovery and learning, and exercise of a powerful imagination.
  • Citizenship encompasses appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism, involvement in the LFA community, participation in service to others and commitment to global awareness.
  • Responsibility encompasses development of self-reliance, ability to seek guidance, dedication to cooperation and teamwork, and action based upon informed decisions.

For open-minded explorers, LFA is the distinguished college preparatory education — a considered choice that creates a competitive advantage by conferring an immersive boarding school experience; whether a boarding or day student, all are transformed by acquiring the knowledge, exposure and confidence required to thrive in a changing world.

LFA is located at 1500 W. Kennedy Road, Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045. For more information, call the Admission Office at 847-615-3267, email admissions@lfanet.org or visit www.lfanet.org. Or, contact Dean of Admission Carolyn Gorowski at 847-615-3288 or cgorowski@lfanet.org.

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