<p>I don’t go to Andover, so I don’t consider myself the coolest.</p>
<p>Pulsar, but you are the coolest. It’s so awesome how you continue to show us fake statistics putting down someones boarding school. It shows how strong you are! Keep it up… somewhere else!! Please dear lord, make pulsar leave!</p>
<p>over getover it.</p>
<p>I spent so long on this thread.</p>
<p>Oh! I am SO sorry! Is there any way we can move all the questions and answers to another thread? Well the question is, is there any way I can move all the questions and answers to another thread? I am really sorry Tom! I just was really annoyed, I shouldn’t have continued to pick at it. What can I do to make a new, nice thread for you?</p>
<p>Start a new, nice thread.</p>
<p>overandover, it’s not you. Really, it’s not.</p>
<p>Anywho, I’m still open for business :)</p>
<p>Questions!</p>
<p>It’s alright Tom! I’m already on the 4th page of questions, I’m sorting them out by what the question is related to (admissions, dorm life, athletics, etc.)</p>
<p>Haha aww you really don’t have to do that! It’s fine, my thread can continue to run :)</p>
<p>No, seriously I have to. If I click that “X” button on the Word document… it will be ready by tomorrow evening :)</p>
<p>Should I include the unneeded questions from pulsar? All the matriculation data and stuff?</p>
<p>Jeez, this thread is ridiculous. I really applaud Tom for all of his responses. They are highly informative, even when the questions are a little over the top. As another current Andover student (2013), I can stand by everything he has said and I hope I can help him answer questions.</p>
<p>Do the dining options include organic foods?</p>
<p>Can you answer my question above, lol. I’m almost done, but I’m too tired to continue on (I know, that’s how lazy I am, I can’t press a few buttons on a computer).</p>
<p>Well some of pulsar’s questions yielded great responses, so just use your best judgement on that.</p>
<p>Hey there Tom, you have my sympathies but I’m hoping you’ll answer just a couple of questions. (:</p>
<p>Ive been accepted to both Exeter and Andover ( as a future 11th grader)and despite all the research I’ve done, I can’t quite get enough on the dorm life. How would you describe it? Were there any features you found difficult to adjust to?</p>
<p>Also, regarding the courses available: As I said, I’ll be entering as an 11th grader, and there’s a lot I want to try but don’t have a lot of experience in. Should I consider taking theatre/computer science courses despite not having well-established basics, or should I pour my efforts into my strengths? What would you suggest? I don’t want to weigh down the rest of the class because I’m a newcomer. </p>
<p>And uh, on a completely frivolous note, how are the parties? Often? Awesome? Hahaha.</p>
<p>Another quick question =p, I’ve just come from a macbook school and I heard hardly anyone at Andover uses macbooks. Is this true? Will I need to get another laptop once I go to Andover? Should I buy a new one before or after I get there?</p>
<p>Pulsar: that’s a legitimate question! Woohoo!</p>
<p>Yes, Commons stocks organic yogurts, vegetables, fruits, milks, cheeses, and meats (though not all food served in Commons is organic). Most of these organic offerings, with the exception of the meats, are found in the salad bars, which are just about a mile long each. Organic food is pointed out by notices so you can always avoid non-organics if you’re on some type of crazy diet. Additionally, something like 90% of the food in Commons comes from local farms, and all food leftovers get composted!</p>
<p>Hey, CaliPaki! Another new upper! YES!</p>
<p>Dorm life at Andover will really depend on which type of dorm you choose to live in. When housing forms were released last year, I struggled to decide between living in a smaller dorm and living in a large dorm. I eventually decided to live in a large dorm; my reasoning was that it would instantly give me a large and strong base of friends, and that ended up being true 100%. My dorm, Bishop Hall, is 40 guys in size, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better group of people!</p>
<p>Life in Bishop is great. I think a lot of its strengths come from its size. I pretty much immediately made best friends with some kids I was totally compatible with, and they’re still my best friends. Bishop is arranged a little differently from some other dorms, too, but I like the system. Essentially, Bishop is composed of four halls of ten kids each, but we call these halls “pods” because they’re each self-contained and have the feel of a small dorm within a large dorm. The pods are on the second and third floors, and house counselors live on the first floor. My pod is really, really tight despite the fact that we’re composed of grades 10 through PG and have every differing interest imaginable.</p>
<p>During normal waking hours, and especially during the weekend, it’s pretty normal for everyone to keep their room doors open to let people in, too. For example, sometimes I hold movie nights in my room (I have a nice sound system) and I often end up with 10+ guys bringing chairs from their rooms to come hang out, watch, chat, and order out from Dominos or Kings Subs. We share our iTunes libraries, funny youtube videos, and we talk deep into the night. Sounds cheesy, but the kids in my dorm really are my family.</p>
<p>In addition, our house counselors and dorm complement are great people. I think I talked about it earlier, but we have a lot of dorm munches (one for everyone’s birthdays, for example) and dorm meetings are always a blast. Mr. Z, one of the house counselors, also holds grilled cheese munches in his faculty apartment that he often doesn’t announce - he leaves it to us to smell the grilled cheese stank coming from his open door. Works every time! We chill in his kitchen and just shoot the breeze. I think I mentioned this earlier, too, but he has a bunch of pets, and that really makes me feel at home as an animal lover! You’ll often see his dog, Jenna, strolling around the dorm, too. She’s the friendliest beast I know :)</p>
<p>Because of all these things, my transition into Bishop was absolutely seamless and I never regretted my choice of a large dorm.</p>
<p>In terms of trying new courses, go for it! Andover offers 300 courses just ripe for the taking so you absolutely shouldn’t be worried about “weighing others down.” First of all, as one of the select new upper group I doubt you’d be weighing anyone down and second of all, the curriculum is designed to encourage kids to step outside their comfort zones. For instance, I decided to jump right into Math 580, an AP Calculus BC with a real reputation for rigor, right after I finished pre-cal last year. I had been worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but the teacher was supportive and I even ended up scoring 5s on a number of the tests!</p>
<p>Hmm, parties. Maybe you should PM me about that one. ;)</p>
<p>Craysian: oh dear, whoever told you that one was misinformed! Around 60% of student computers on campus are MacBooks and MacBook Pros. However, there is support for both Macs and PCs on campus from both adult professionals and Tech Masters, an entirely student-run club of computer geniuses who take it upon themselves to set up newcomers’ computers for the Academy network. Both Macs and PCs are welcome (though the Mac is my computer of choice!)</p>
<p>Tom,</p>
<p>I just reviewed the daily schedule in the viewbook. In equal parts, it reminds me of a treasure map and a jigsaw puzzle. Can you take a shot at generally explaining it? I’d also appreciate it if you could answer these questions.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Assuming a five-class course load, how many free periods do students typically have on M, T, Th, and F if they eat lunch but do not attend conference or advising? </p></li>
<li><p>What is your opinion of Assembly? From what Ive read, the speakers, performers, class functions, etc. are fantastic. </p></li>
<li><p>The schedule shows a block of 45 or 75 minute classes M, T, Th, and F after athletics and community service. How does this extended period work?</p></li>
<li><pre><code> Do clubs usually meet once a week?
</code></pre></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>