In September, Lake Forest Academy moved up in rankings made by Niches, a national ranking society that ranks schools derived from many aspects of campus life, academics and much more. LFA was recently ranked the 13 the Best Boarding School in the country, Best Private School in the state of Illinois and 36th Best Private School in the nation. These rankings will help LFA get recognized more and will bring in more students.
Head of School, Chris Tennyson said, “When you get to see a really awesome report card for our entire community, that’s a proud moment.” This rating is a reflection on the hard work that the faculty, staff and students have put into making LFA the best it can be. When asked about what he feels earned LFA its higher ranking this year Tennyson said, “Some effects are test scores, some is college placement, and a good amount of it is reviews by parents, alums and students. The other part of it is then being able to look at our profile in terms of how we make up our entire community.” Meaning, that the ranking is based on much more than just academics but on diversity, financial-aid offerings, scholarships and community. LFA brings in a plethora of students from all over the world, and this ranking draws in many families because of the inclusivity and diversity of the school. This higher ranking also increases the popularity of LFA for international students. However, Tennyson said, “Rankings for me, aren’t necessarily the be all and end all. Rankings are what you make of them.” For next school year he wants the students, faculty and staff to not take the rankings for granted and stay dedicated to the work we’re doing because in the end – it pays off. If we keep working hard like we are now, we should be in an even better place for next year’s rankings! When talking about the community and campus life, Tennyson said that this year, he feels as though school spirit is coming back, and describes it as a, “Gust of wind at our backs.” School spirit shows incoming students the love everyone has for LFA, and also puts LFA on the radar to new students from all over the world. The ranking is a big accomplishment and hopefully students at LFA will be very dedicated to keeping it for years to come.
Junior Class President Enos Zaah said, “I feel more pride for being here. Attending the 1st ranked school in Illinois and the 13th best national boarding school makes me feel very honored”. The result of the ranking made students recognize the accomplishments that they have made as a whole community. Zaah further elaborated, “I definitely feel like it is well deserved. A lot of seniors got into amazing colleges last semester, which I think plays a role, but I also think the ranking was impacted by the quality of education, and residential life”. Last year’s seniors getting into amazing colleges also made students feel hopeful about their future prospects, knowing that their peers are achieving success. He further said, “Before coming to LFA, I checked out Niche for school information, and reviews just to make sure it is a right fit for me. I think it is a credible source of information”. Before applying to LFA, many have used Niche as a resource to gather information and reviews about LFA before enrolling. The positive reviews and increased ranking of LFA would influence future students’ decisions to attend LFA, as it helps them assess if it’s the right fit for their academic and personal goals. Also, ranked higher than most prestigious boarding schools, LFA would be noticed thoroughly bringing students who are academically dedicated, thereby upholding our achievements even more. Maintaining our success is as important as improving it. As Zaah stated, “in order to maintain or achieve bigger success on any platform, we should maintain our hard work in academic terms, and continue our LFA pride and spirit during the rest of the school year.” Students are motivated by our uplifted LFA pride to persevere in their studies, looking forward to maintaining the ranking of LFA.
Furthermore, this ranking is a huge accomplishment for LFA. It continues to reflect on our community–we’ve come a long way and our staff, faculty and students should be proud. Seeing as this is the highest LFA has ever been ranked by Niche, students seem to be motivated to be by our achievements. This year school spirit is elevated throughout the season with prep hockey games, picnics, house cup, and much more. LFA is looking forward to incoming students that are brought in by this ranking , and our next year’s achievements. We hope that as a community we can take a second to appreciate the hard work we all have done. The better we are as a person the better our community can be for the years to come!
