Four hundred forty-eight students shook every hand on campus Tuesday, Aug. 25, as Lake Forest Academy marked the start of its 170th school year with the traditional All-School Handshake in the Formal Gardens.

The opening brought 134 new students together with 314 returning classmates on LFA's 150-acre campus. The student body this year represents 15 states, 40 countries and territories, and 52 local communities that send day students to the school.

Head of School Tom Johnson and All-School President Maxim Grinberg, a senior, kicked off the handshake ceremony with a coin flip to decide which direction the line would move. From there, every student, faculty member and administrator filed around the garden's periphery, greeting each person individually. The ceremony is listed as a "Formal Day" in the student handbook, requiring formal dress attire.

Founded in 1857, LFA was the first school of any kind to open in Lake Forest. Johnson, who became the school's 32nd head of school on July 1, 2025, after serving as interim head the prior year, is also a current parent with a child in the Class of 2030.

New this year: class retreats for all four grades

Before classes began, LFA held retreats for every grade level for the first time. Seniors traveled to Lake Geneva, Wis., for two days. Freshmen took a day trip to Boundless Adventures in Bristol, Wis. Juniors spent a day at Devil's Lake State Park in Sauk County, Wis. Sophomores headed to Chicago for a day along the Chicago River.

A preseason week also brought fall sport athletes back to campus early, alongside theater workshops and community service opportunities, according to the school.

By the numbers

The school splits roughly 50-50 between boarding and day students. About 30% of students receive financial aid, with more than $6.3 million awarded annually from an endowment of approximately $79.5 million, according to LFA's published figures.

LFA was named the No. 1 private school in Illinois for the third consecutive year in Niche's 2026 rankings and placed 21st among all private high schools nationally.