To state the obvious, a notable difference is in respect to location. Exeter has a great location in an interesting town. Andover has a bit more sophisticated, yet friendly, atmosphere.
Both have day & boarding students.
Neither is rural which distinguishes them from many other boarding schools.
Brain power & academic work ethic are highly valued at each school.
@Happytimes2001: I mostly agree with your post #19…the only difference in your AE=HYP analogy is that most people have a local public high school that they can attend if they don’t get into A or E (which most won’t). The “go big or stay home” approach has its fans…and while I am not one (I didn’t find our local options that compelling), I kind of get it (finally).
The other thing about AE=HYP is that some people will also like schools that are not one of those letters and at the same time not applying to some of those letters. For both HS and college, I found that A≠E and H≠Y≠P and planned my applications accordingly. Applicants will find what’s right for them.
Many people say: A≠E and H≠Y≠P … I just wanted to know why…
Many others say: A~E and H~Y~P… I still wanted to know why…
Again, personal preference, individual parameters. But from an academic point of view, they are all peers, IMO.
@skieurope re: Harkness…thank you for this. Every school we’ve visited uses it - without the Registered Trademark!!!
Yale has a lecture hall sort of 5 floor-building, named after Harkness, and I would guess there are 20+ rooms with customized table (and chairs)… so it is not a thing just for high schools.
It would not be an issue to me with or without those tables or chairs.
West Point calls is the “Thayer Method.” Same damn thing. ChoatieKid nailed it after four years of the non-trademarked version at Choate.
@SevenDad Very good point. We had an excellent public school option and have friends who moved a town or two away just to optimize their kids’ public Hugh school option. For families without good public school options, the choices look very different.
I also agree with @skieurope A and E are different just as H, Y and P are different.
Kids ( and parents)have to know weigh the criteria are for them and do the weighing based on their own formulas after 3/10.
I am not convinced rural area can be good to a school or any student… a walkable community outside of campus is important. It helps to provide a sense of reality and some fresh air outside.
Lawrenceville and Exeter have very nice settling.
I went to Andover back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I was given a full scholarship and made the most of it. For this I will always be grateful.
But school administrations come and go, and institutions change. I’ve said the same thing to kids and parents since I graduated: “Unless you are prepared to go to a school where you will never be the best at anything, choose a smaller school.” Brooks, Governors, Groton and Tabor probably have chairs in their admissions waiting rooms labeled, “Reserved for students referred by GMan.”
When George HW Bush graduated, 96 of his 104 classmates went to Yale. (If you wanted to go to Harvard you went to Exeter). When I graduated, almost half the class went to Ivies, and if you included the Little Ivies, Stanford and MIT, over half. My “safety” was UPenn, not kidding, and I was a full scholarship student.
Nowadays the school graduates over 300 a year and something under 20% go to Ivies. And that includes many more international students than in the past. For a plain ole American kid, going someplace where they will make you shine is a better strategy.
These observations should NOT be taken as reasons not to apply to Andover or Exeter.
They SHOULD be taken as indications the world has changed a great deal, that all applicants should expand their search to include small and medium sized schools that might be a better fit, and that “prestige” will not make you happy. My Drill Sergeant and most everyone else ever met, was not interested in where we went to high school…
If you are going to tour Andover, especially today when it is 4°, park in Abbott Cluster and walk to the Admissions office. Then on the tour, ask to see Pine Knoll Cluster and the hockey rink.
This will give you a feel for how spread out the campus is, how many dorms there are, and how far you might have to hike to class or sports. Current students can comment on how this impacts their ability to use the resources, visit with friends, etc.
Andover has five residential “Clusters” which BTW each have their own Cluster Deans - and disciplinary committees.
~41 IIRC
My skateboard came in very handy 
On the flip side, Abbot (where I never lived, so no first-hand knowledge) arguably has the nicest dorms (all converted houses - no large dorms) and is the most visually appealing cluster, as well being the closest to the train station and central Andover (such as it is). As with anything, there are always pros and cons.
I think the schools are more alike than some folks would care to admit 
One of my roommates at Exeter had a sibling at Andover, and they both felt they had pretty similar experiences. When we toured last year, what struck me about Andover was the size of the campus (it felt so much bigger than Exeter, which we viewed as a negative), the spaciousness of the admissions office, and the (admittedly superior) dining hall. Exeter does not have clusters - people tend to feel allegiance to their specific dorm. Exeter does have a dress code, although it’s far more relaxed than it used to be, and some teachers don’t enforce it. Course listings are quite similar, as are requirements for graduation. Andover has a ski team, Exeter doesn’t. Both have block schedules. Exeter has occasionally Saturday classes, and I don’t believe Andover does. Exeter has assembly twice every week, and I think Andover only has it once. Small differences, but they may matter to a particular applicant, which is why I would encourage anyone to really think about what’s important to them and do their research.
An admissions officer at Choate told me that he likes to think of Andover as the bigger, more college-like (a little more hands-off) version of Choate. He found the culture at Exeter and Deerfield rather unique; they each have their own “vibe”. Just a little tidbit I though was interesting and take what you will from it, but when visiting the four schools, I did find what he said to be relatively true.
@Heading2HS As a parent who has lived in urban centers ( many across the world), suburban areas and a rural area ( for the last 15 years), I can tell you that each has value. Yes, urban areas have great cultural resources and often quick access to restaurants and other activities, the suburbs are a mix and rural areas have their charms as well. Suburban areas have lots of access to shopping ( malls, restaurants etc) but often lack charm, IMO. Plus they can have issues with downtown parking and traffic in/out of certain streets. Many rural areas are very closely knit. People know one another, when you go into a store they know you. Also depending on where you live there can be many activities ( often farm/harvest related) and also hiking, walking trails and nature ( ocean, rivers, lakes nearby). So while you might like living in an urban environment someone else might like the idea that the school is it’s own little world so to speak and many of these schools are very close to urban centers ( less than an hour) some are close to multiple urban centers.
I can tell you that for the kids who attend a BS in a small town like Andover, or Exeter, or Concord or many others, the town gets very small, very fast. The same stores and restaurants become dull very quickly. Though for some, it’s better to have something around rather than nothing. It’s certainly a consideration for BS.
Living in a peaceful rural setting is something everyone should do once in their life. Just experiencing nature outside your door cannot be underestimated. I’d never go back to an urban environment. The pollution all types ( noise, smell and light) would drive me crazy. That being said, I like being close to an urban center. A rural area definitely isn’t for everyone at every stage, but kids should keep location in mind as part of the process.
@Garandman Good points regarding how the world has changed. Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, kids got into multiple Ivies and many applied to just one college. And they got in.
Wealth disparities can be more apparent with easy access to an urban area. While they may not be invisible in the middle of nowhere – there are still vacations and on-line shopping – there will be fewer opportunities for spending with friends.
Thinking about this having just read the CAnada Goose coat discussion. …
There is one area that is very positive about Andover that should be brought up: the large number of loyal alumni allows lower tuition fees and more importantly, needs-blind admissions. The school will accept a student, or not, based on their achievements and potential. If that decision is positive, they will be granted aid, without loans. Not only that, but the school may grant allowances and stipends for laptops, laptop bags, and other supplies up to, in some cases, subsidizing travel and even parental visits.
The school takes great care to make sure kids without means are supported and treated fairly. There is even a campus organization for 100% scholarship students to get together and talk about their challenges. It’s baked in, not added on. My personal experience (having been one) is that the school goes to great lengths to make sure poor and well-off students are treated the same: but back then it was by treating us all equally harshly…
The school was very concerned that committing to needs-blind would attract so many scholarship students their resources would be outstripped. Paradoxically, the number of full-pay applicants increased after the policy was announced. Those families have the most educational options. By Andover being needs-blind, they could be certain they were accepted entirely on their merit (as defined by their admissions process).
It is not easy to calculate but if you grope with enough data, you can find the acceptance rate for full-pay students at a number of schools is not their advertised acceptance rate of 15-30%. It is 50%. So in this regard Andover is a leader, even while lagging in many other areas of student experience relative to smaller schools.
My understanding is that Exeter and St Paul’s School are two other schools that are needs-blind and up to 50% of students receive aid. Many other boarding schools are at least “needs-aware” and typically about one third of their student bodies have aid.
Deerfield’s paper has an article noting they are not technically “needs-blind” as they currently cap their aid budget at $10 million. Exeter’s aid budget is $22 million, but Exeter has 1,079 students versus 660 at Deerfield. This demonstrates the level of commitment many other schools have to bringing scholarship students to campus.