The Pingry School

I have been a student at the school for 12 years now, and will be entering my senior year. Looking back, I can honestly say Pingry has made me a better person in all areas of my life, from academics, to athletics, and even socially. The Honor Code here is great, and I can leave my stuff anywhere in the school knowing that no one will take it or move it. Dress code is a little bit of a sore subject, but other than that the administration is overall pretty good. Academically, Pingry is definitely the best in the area. Places like Newark Academy and Kent Place are also good, but from what I''ve heard from my friends, nowhere near as formative and engaging. You don't just memorize facts here; you really learn how to learn and how to think, especially in English. The lab facilities in the Bio wing are unsurpassed by ANY school, and are actually competitive with some small colleges. With the teachers and equipment here, your child could be doing actual RESEARCH here as soon as sophmore year. That being said, you get what you put in here. I''ve been in almost all honors/AP classes here my whole life, and have really pushed myself. Only certified geniuses (and believe me we have some of those) can get A's here without working hard. Sometimes the workload can feel soul-crushing, but the pay-off is usually really good. I''ve gotten 5's on all my AP's so far (Both Englishes, US History, and AB Calc), and a 34 on my ACT. Because of Pingry, I have a good chance at schools like Duke and Georgetown, maybe even Stanford. Athletics are also great, and are even competitive with large public schools (in most sports). Soccer is particarly amazing; 3 kids in my grade are already committed to Yale for soccer. Personally, my lacrosse team is County and Group I finalist 2 years in a row. Finally, the tuition is VERY high, but you really get what you pay for as long as your child is proactive, and even if, like me, they aren't a natural genius.