<p>I know that there have been way too many threads about this, but I just wanted to see if I could find more information. Instead of saying which school you think is better, please compare/contrast them, or if you are a student at one of these schools and you considered them both, please say why you chose your school.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>PS: Please do not post any rude comments. I mean it.</p>
<p>well i didn’t apply to exeter, but i got into andover. i didnt apply there because 1. andover is right down the street from me and exeter is further away. 2. im not into the harkness table teaching method. i dont know that much about exeter, but i know that andover is an amazing school that is very challenging academically and keeps its students very busy. best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information! Doesn’t Andover use a similar method, though? They don’t call it Harkness, but my interviewer said that the kids usually sit at one table during class and have discussions.</p>
<p>@ WorriedOne1000</p>
<p>Congratulations to your child and your family! Not much to worry about, you can’t go wrong between the two. I sent you a private message, since we expereinced the same choice last year.</p>
<p>That is for english courses only usually, and it is pretty similar to the Harkness table, but many english classes are run discussion style. the other andover courses are less discussion based. i found that the andover website was extremely helpful and informative too, it gives you a good idea of what to expect.</p>
<p>George W. Bush went to Andover and he was elected President twice. I hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the information, everyone. What about the school environments? Is one school more intense than the other? What are the towns of Andover and Exeter like?</p>
<p>I’ve lived in Andover my whole life and I love every bit of it. Downtown is literally right down the street from the school, you can walk there easily. There are great stores and restaurants, the best bookstore ever which is almost as old as PA itself! The PA campus is gorgeous too, I could talk about it all day. PA just put a new thing on its website under “Newly admitted students” called “Walkabout” it gives you a lot of good perspective on the school and activities. Also, you don’t have to answer, but would you be going as a day or boarding student?</p>
<p>Personally, I choose Exeter because of Harkness, and that we have a wider selection of language courses, one of my personal interests, than Andover. I also liked the layout of the campus better than that of Andover. Most generally that Andover is a more spread-out than Exeter. </p>
<p>I also liked Exeter’s library. I’m a library person, so that was a big draw for me. </p>
<p>The town of Exeter is small, but has a lot to offer. We’ve got at least two bookstores, a candy store, several Mexican and Chinese/Japanese restaurants within walking distance, as well as cafes and an ice cream shop.</p>
<p>that is where you are wrong, Exeter does not have more selection of language courses! Andover does! Andover also has a great library, I love the silent study room especially. We have a candy store too, Sweet Mimi’s, which I horde Gummi Bears from 
There is a large variety of restaurants in Andover too, Casa Blanca is the mexican in town, which is great. My personal favorite is either Bertucci’s (love pizza!) or Dylans, which just has a great grill. To really decide, worried, you must go back on visiting day and review the schools fully. Good Luck!</p>
<p>By selection I mean different languages offered. </p>
<p>@Andover2016, by no means do I want to start an argument, but at Exeter and Andover, most of us students to not have as much free time to wonder the town as locals do. </p>
<p>@WorriedOne1000, that is something to keep in mind. You might not have that much time to go into town.</p>
<p>To be specific, Exeter offers 10 foreign languages while Andover offers 9 - the additional language being Italian. Regardless of the number of languages offered, both schools have fantastic language departments.</p>
<p>Speaking of languages, I know that juniors at Andover can only take one language. Can preps at Exeter take more than one?</p>
<p>My daughter attends Andover and her best friend from MS went to Exeter. Both schools are amazing and have a terrific reputation.
I personally think Exeter is more attractive, but it also feels bigger even though it is slightly smaller. (Student body is about the same.) The buildings look more congested. They also look more refurbished. The gym is amazing. All classes are taught Harkness style, and the school is much stricter.
In my opinion, Andover has more socio-economic diversity because it is need-blind. They are 1/2 hour closer to Boston, and have an awesome dining facility. They also don’t teach Harkness style very often. Most English and social studies are taught in the round (small desks) and math and science facing a blackboard.</p>
<p>@pittsburgher, including classics Andover and Exeter have the same number of languages offered! Exeter doesn’t offer Japanese.
@WorriedOne1000 yes you can only take one language as a junior at Andover, but the next few years you can take more than one.</p>
<p>How much time do students at Andover and Exeter spend in town?</p>
<p>@andover2016 exeter offers japanese.</p>
<p>I am currently attending Exeter and was accepted to both schools.
Personally, I’d say Exeter has a more “formal” feel to it because of the dress code. Ties and shirts as opposed to sweats really make a difference in class; it makes the atmosphere more serious.</p>
<p>I spend quite a lot of time downtown. Usually, I’d have at least two meals a week in a local restaurant and I often find myself walking around the town and the little shops during my free time, especially in the weekends.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering my questions. I know that at Andover they have BlueCards, which are ID cards and debit cards. Does Exeter have something similar? If so, where can it be used? Is there a Subway (fast food outlet) in the town of Exeter?</p>
<p>Check out the new Andover interactive online video:</p>
<p>[Andover</a> Walkabout?Admission](<a href=“http://walkabout.andover.edu/]Andover”>http://walkabout.andover.edu/)</p>
<p>@pittsburgher, ya sorry I didn’t see that, but Andover does have many more courses for each language.
@worriedone, one thing you must consider is if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. The Harkness tables encourage all students to voice their opinions, which introverts like me do not like as much. I prefer being taught in a more direct manner and answering questions by raising my hand. Even if you know the answer in a Harkness class you might not want to foray into the discussion to voice it. If you are more of an extrovert and enjoy discussing and debating in your school subjects, Exeter might be for you. if you are an introvert I think Andover would be the better fit.</p>