While generous with FA, they are not need-blind.
Not sure I understand how one can have both a need-blind policy and a specific FA budget?
@CaliMex: Need blind with respect to any admissions decisions. “Need blind” is not the same as “meets 100% of demonstrated financial need”.
Back to the harkness discussion. Exeter is unique in this. While some schools use the harkness method for some classes, Exeter only uses harkness for EVERY class. Andover teachers can decide how they want to teach. At Exeter, there is no choice. And at Exeter, part of your grade is based off of your harkness participation. I’m not sure about Andover. I’m not sure other school teach harkness math. It is a very interesting thing to watch and it is not for everyone.
The day student populations at both schools tend to differ a bit. NH vs Boston suburbs.
Exeter has classes until 6. Andover ends at a normal school day time.
Andover’s food is much better.
Exeter is built right into the downtown. Andover is spread out and has a bit of a walk to downtown. Exeter has lots of restaurants and shops. Andover has less.
Both schools have amazing aid, travel opportunities, clubs, leadership opportunities, great sports, facilities nicer than some colleges. Aid covers laptops, books etc if applicable.
They each have their own feel that you can’t understand until you spend time there.
And they are both big. Some kids need small and some kids need big. We knew our kiddo would outgrow a school with 400 kids based off personality. While another one of our kids could feel completely overwhelmed in the same space.
Only Andover is need blind but they both meet 100% of demonstrated need and end up with about the same FA spending.
The academic rigor at both is REAL! The expectations are high and there is not much hand holding. Your kind of on your own. The resources are there if you seek them out though.
Harkness is a graduate of St. Paul’s School.
I would presume there were several generations of Harkness, of which St. Paul had one or couple.
Have St. Paul’s teaching methods been influenced by the Harkness from there?
@CaliMex I agree. Why doesn’t the % on aid differ more substantially year to year for need blind schools? I guess one can argue that the ratio of qualified full pay applicants vs. financial aid applicants is stable. However, given how hard it is to figure out what qualities will get a child admitted, it seems there would be a little more variation in the % on aid. Maybe 65% some years and maybe 30% other years.
I suspect part of the reason % doesn’t differ is creating a diverse class (and I don’t mean racially.) If you want a few crew and squash ringers, kids who love to sail, high level music accomplishments – iow, things that you need $ to fund, you end up with FP kids. And most of the foreign students from certain countries are wealthy. And more kids from families with $ have a family tradition of BS and the resources to prepare for it through good schooling, enrichment activities, ECS including sports.
In college admissions, the desire for certain talents that come with money allows them to create classes that are pretty consistent in FA need year over year without looking at FA. There is a camp out there who believes that the desire for those things is determined by the desire for $. I will let you decide that for yourselves. But it’s not hard in most cases to figure out who has been well-funded for the last 12 years and who hasn’t, so my personal hunch is that it is strategic.
If I understand the conversation - when FA determines packages, they project the same package until graduation - so unless there is a big financial change in the family, that money is earmarked away.
I am very pleased to be able to report that Andover’s Current Head of School John Palfry is moving on. He is taking over the MacArthur Foundation.
The Interim Head Of School is Jim Ventre, PA ‘79 and a Dartmouth graduate. Most recently he was in charge of Admissions. He was a 100% scholarship student at Phillips so the school changed his life trajectory in a dramatic and positive way.
For the many Andover alums who felt Palfry was only at Andover for a resume’ checkbox, and whose leadership amounted to politically-correct window-dressing, this is great news. And not unexpected.
@Garandman, how do you reallly feel about Palfry?
This is well timed being that A/E are both with new headmasters who both have long intimate relationships with their schools. The more things change…
Was the change to Mr. Ventre unexpected? What happened with the previous head and what changes might lie in store for Andover?
We don’t keep up with the news about schools except through CC, so thank you for alerting us to this.
He will be the new president of the MacArthur Foundation. I’m not close to the day-to-day at Andover these days, but I suspect his resignation was a surprise, and I have no idea if there was any public discussion/speculation about succession planning. But I personally have the upmost respect for Jim Ventre, so the short-term future (at least) is in good hands.
Way too early to speculate, but change in academia traditionally occurs at a glacial pace.
Ditto @skieurope
I’m a current PA parent. Despite differences in opinion (on multiple subjects) between my family members, we all wholeheartedly agree that Ventre is a gem.
Also a current PA parent, and it was a surprise announcement for my kiddo. I think Palfrey will be missed by many, and my kiddo reports he was a very present figure on campus. I’ve had little occasion to interact directly with Ventre, but, even from my limited interaction, it’s very apparent that he truly loves the school–it’s palpable.
There were many alumni (particularly those who had a chance to hear him at length during Alumni Council meetings and other alumni events) who felt Mr. Palfry was only at Andover for the resume’ checkbox, and whose agenda was so tailored. He spent a lot of time traveling/fundraising at the expense of day-to-day involvement with students. I doubt anyone on the Board of Trustees expected him to stay long.
Others felt he was a “home run” who brought a fresh perspective and energy to the role. His thinking about the role of libraries as a “learning commons” for example was 4-5 years ahead of the curve. That’s downright “Vidionary” in the land of Vineyard Vines.
Ventre understands what makes Andover Andover. Bonus is he’s read many admissions files of the current student body so he’s a lot more connected. Whether a search committee will agree and he retains the role remains to be seen, but the school is in good hands.