<pre><code> This question for any current or past student at one these two schools or anyone that knows one of them very well.
I have two sons that hopefully will be applying to these schools in a year or two.
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<p>They have the grades, etc. so far to come close to being considered to a top school.
Between both kids they play six different sports, excel somewhat at a few of them.
My question is what sport or sports at either of these schools are (I cannot think of the right words to describe it now!) , deemed the most important to administration to succeed at, or have a very rich history at the school.<br>
Maybe if it is in one the sports my sons are good at, they can concentrate on that more and have a tiny bit more of a chance to get accepted. </p>
<p>If a sport has a Thirds team, in addn to Varsity & JV, then there is a glut of players (e.g. soccer). Unless the kid is a true phemon (recruited to play Varsity in freshman year), playing a “glut” sport will not give the kid an admissions edge.</p>
<p>What are the sports schools covet? Every school is different, but I would say applicants proficient in Water Polo, Squash and Rowing have the greatest edge on the competition.</p>
<p>Great Hockey players, Football players and Lacrosse players are always needed, but unless an applicant is a true standout- they’re a dime a dozen.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, water polo, squash, and crew are not sports that most kids have access to; indeed, in the real world, most won’t even have heard of them.</p>
<p>And that’s precisely why kids (proficient in one, two or all three ) have an edge… You’ve seen the boathouses, squash pavilions and pools, right? I think it’s fair to say these programs are important.</p>
<p>I’d go with hockey and football…except that most of the students at A and E who are recruited for those sports are PG’s. And some of the strongest rowers on first boat at Exeter never rowed before boarding school, which makes me wonder how much of a hook it would be. Honestly, I think for an eight grader, overall athleticism is probably more important than proficiency in a particular sport since they are going to change so much over the next few years.</p>
<p>For school specific info, I suggest starting from the sports section of school newspaper. Read back issues of a year if you can. It’s easy to do since the paper is weekly while school is in session but they cover sports thoroughly. For Andover, here’s where you can find the archives: archives.Phillip ian.net. you may also find some interesting stats in this feature article: phillip ian.net/articles/2013/10/24/can-i-make-varsity-how-andover-athletes-have-made-jv-varsity-transition</p>
<p>I would second the comment of an earlier post that stated if there are additional teams beyond the Varsity and JV teams, it would be considered a glut sport. However, I do think the ability to recruit capable students with athletic talent is a little more difficult for certain sports. Andover and Exeter have the longest running football rivalry in the nation. Andover have a very difficult time filling a JV team with students who have played the sport prior to enrolling. The Varsity football coach at Andover told me that they like students who can play a variety of sports. In their opinion, too many kids have specialized too early and play one sport year round which is increasing the number of injuries. They believe in the cross training benefit of multiple sports at the high school level. Basketball is another team that has trouble finding really good players at the JV level.<br>
Soccer is one sport that is definitely over represented.</p>
<p>“Helmeted” sports give students the biggest admissions advantage to most schools, colleges included, but sports typically associated with private schools (crew, water polo, squash) are also good bets. </p>
<p>At Exeter, a JV/V sport or athletic class or club is required EVERY term (special permission to “opt out” under certain circumstances for one term is available to uppers and seniors). That’s why there are so many kids on club teams.</p>