Boarders vs. Day Students

          The Lawrenceville School, the place we call home, is not everyone’s actual home. We are a boarding and day preparatory school, so there are about 70% boarders and 30% day students. Obviously, although Lawrenceville does a great job integrating people of both statuses, there are still some differences amongst the students. 

          Price Donaldson is a 5th-form day student who hails from Princeton, New Jersey. She has been a day student all four years at Lawrenceville, but wishes she were a boarder. Although she has the “freedom to leave and campus and go to [her] own home,” Price has to make a more “conscious choice to be involved and dedicated to the community.” There are constant activities happening on campus, such as clubs, athletic competitions, and cultural events, so it was more difficult for her to involve herself fully in the social life at Lawrenceville before she had her license. Parents cannot always be available to pick up their child when they want to or parents want their child to be home by a certain time, so day students will sometimes miss out on happenings on campus. 

          Grayson Salatto and Taylor Hill are 4th-form boarding students hailing from Redding, Connecticut and Rock Hall, Maryland, respectively, who happen to be roommates in Stanley. Since their 2nd-form years, Grayson and Taylor have been boarders, and they wouldn’t want it any other way. Grayson believes that, as a boarder, she is more “involved in the house and community” as she experiences both day and night on campus. She does, however, recognize day student’s advantage because boarders have a bigger transition in having to “adapt to living away from home and learn the responsibilities” coming with the newfound independence. Taylor, although loving her experience as a boarder, recognizes that “boarders have no option of going home to eat or hang out with our parents... while day students leave and practically live another life outside of school.” Both Taylor and Grayson agree that day students can miss out on aspects of Lawrenceville, such as small conversations and hallway interactions. They also both think that the transition to college from Lawrenceville will be easier because they will have already had the experience of living away from. Taylor and Grayson love the experience of being boarding students, which is why they both chose to come to a boarding school like Lawrenceville.

          Lily Chincarini is a III Former who has had the unique experience of being both a day student and a boarder. Last year, Lily attended Lawrenceville as a day student, but this year she became a boarder, so she is able to recognize the differences between being in each status. Agreeing with Price, Grayson, and Taylor, she thinks that day students often “miss out on what is going on after sports” which can sometimes make day students feel more isolated in the community. As a day student, Lily found it difficult to focus on her homework while completing it at home, so she appreciates the two hours study halls every night, but does not like being unable to do homework after 11:15 because of lights-out. Being a boarder, Lily now feels a stronger connection with her house’s duty-team and has more opportunities to participate in activities on-campus. However, she is a member of the varsity field-hockey team and was able to participate in off-campus practices without having to sign out last year, which she now has to do as boarder. Having to sign out is a general complaint amongst all interviewees. Overall, having both experiences, she still prefers the advantages of being a boarder, despite missing her family and non-Tsai food.

          Price, Grayson, Taylor, and Lily are just a few examples of the lives of boarding students and day students. Each person at Lawrenceville has an individual experience that cannot be replicated.