Choosing the right school for you can be a challenging process. You might have lots of questions, or you might not know which ones to ask. Below are a list of the most common questions asked by students and parents during their application and decision process. If you have a question that you don’t see here, feel free to give us a call at 219-326-7450 or send an email to admissions@lalumiere.org.
Boarding and day students share a vast majority of experiences at La Lu—they're together from the start of the school day to the end of after-school activities and have opportunities beyond the regular daily schedule to spend time together. The after-school routine for boarding students begins at dinner time, followed by evening activities and study hall in the dorm. Day students have the option to stay for dinner on campus and often participate in evening activities, whether because those activities are open to the entire student body or because they have made special plans to hang out with their boarder friends. On weekends, some boarding students choose to go home and others stay on campus, where they can choose between having free time or participating in scheduled activities.
One of the three elements of a La Lumiere education is faith, which is explained more formally here. In keeping with our tradition as a lay Catholic institution, we hold Mass during the school day approximately four times per year. However, we recognize that faith takes on different forms for different students and teachers at La Lumiere, and all members of our community are invited to express their personal faith or religion freely and openly. We often share in the joy of honoring each other's religious celebrations, and families may choose to excuse their students from school to mark significant religious holidays.
The dress code at La Lumiere does require students to wear a formal uniform, which includes slacks, skirts, oxford shirts, and blazers. Acceptable uniform attire alters slightly depending on the season, and on some special days students may be allowed to wear casual clothes.
The student support, strong academics, and opportunities to engage in unique experiences available at La Lumiere will certainly help you/your student stand out to colleges. However, maintaining a strong academic performance and taking advantage of these types of opportunities is always each student's personal responsibility. La Lumiere can only help a student succeed academically inasmuch as that student values taking responsibility for their own success.
La Lumiere School does not discriminate against students for expressing a non-traditional gender or sexual orientation. Our faculty and student body have typically been highly accepting of students who identify as LGBTQ+, and our Student Services Office and Wellness Department are equipped to support all students who may be wrestling with these topics in any way.
Students, whether boarding or day, often remark that being at La Lumiere is like being part of a giant family. Unlike the high school experience often portrayed in movies, La Lumiere Lakers find genuine, caring, compassionate individuals all around them, because those are the types of people we strive to invite into our community. Built into the framework of student life is Advisory, where faculty advisors meet both one-on-one and in groups with students to keep track of their academic progress and check in with them personally. Advisors are also responsible for communicating important information with students' families. The highest level of support available to students comes from the Wellness Department, which aims to provide whole-person care through counseling and health support.
About a third of La Lumiere families receive some type of financial aid. The amount of financial aid awarded is dependent upon a series of factors including total household income, other assets (including money in your 529 Savings Plan), and family expenses. All families who are seeking financial aid, regardless of amount, are required to complete an application through FACTS for consideration. Please note that La Lumiere does not offer athletic scholarships of any kind. If you have further questions, please contact our Director of Enrollment, Megan Stiphany, at mstiphany@lalumiere.org.
