<p>Hey, ilovethattree! Great name!</p>
<p>Yeah, there are a few - one of them is one of my best friends and is an upper. There was also a new lower from Australia this year. There certainly aren’t many, but they’re around! :)</p>
<p>TomTheCat, really appreciate all the great information. A couple of questions:</p>
<p>(1). Telephone: does each dorm have a landline telephone? Is it optional or mandatory? What is the monthly charge?</p>
<p>(2). Cell Phone: which phone company has the best coverage for Andover? Does the school get discount plans from cell phone companies?</p>
<p>(3). Transportation to/from Boston Airport. Does the school offer transportation to the airport for longer breaks? What is the cost? When the school says at what time the dorm will be open/close, is it strictly reinforced? </p>
<p>Many thanks.</p>
<p>Hey, Tolkien! Welcome to CollegeConfidential!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Every room in every dorm has a landline telephone capable of making local calls, e.g. calls to other 978 numbers. This includes every landline on campus, so this makes the phones a good way to get in touch with kids after final sign in if, for whatever reason, you are unable to reach them on their cell phones. These landlines are free, but, again, are limited to 978 numbers. If you want to make calls outside the 978 phone code, you’ll need to buy a phone card. Additionally, if you don’t want to use the phone, nobody makes you and you are free to unplug it and store it at the bottom of your closet!</p></li>
<li><p>The most popular network on campus is AT&T, largely because just about everyone on campus has an iPhone. All administration and many faculty are provided iPhones, too. Service is pretty much consistently from three to five bars - very good. I can’t speak for other networks because I, too, have an AT&T iPhone. The school does not get discount plans from phone companies (does any school?).</p></li>
<li><p>The school does, indeed, offer transportation to and from Boston’s Logan International Airport for all breaks. We use Flightline, a service that costs $29 to Logan from various central areas on campus. The $29 fee is prepaid online or by phone and doesn’t include a tip to the driver (I usually do $5). However, financial aid kids can visit the financial aid office where they will be given a special code to pass on to Flightline when they book their service. This code renders the journey free for the student and automatically charges the school, instead.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I, generally, just take the train from the Andover station into Boston North Station, and from that station take a free shuttle that goes directly to the airport. The cost of this method is a mere $6.50, though obviously it’s a longer journey and requires more planning. I’d rather have $20 in my pocket, though, so it works well for me.</p>
<p>Dorm closure rules are strictly enforced, but they always give plenty of time for kids to leave - the dorms are usually open for more than 24 hours after classes end, and most students leave the same day classes end.</p>
<p>Tom,</p>
<p>I have some dorm related questions that I’d appreciate you answering:</p>
<p> What are the pros and cons for new uppers living in a smaller dorm?
Do some doubles have multiple rooms? Do singles greatly vary in size?
Other than Andover Cottage, are new upper guys centralized in any other dorm?</p>
<p>As always, thanks for your time and for your great advice!</p>
<p>Tom,</p>
<p>Sorry. One more question: how much bonding takes place between new uppers?</p>
<p>Many thanks!</p>
<p>Hey, SergeantFriday!</p>
<p>First off, I should mention that I’ve lived in a large dorm my entire time here, but most of my new upper friends lived in small dorms and some continue to, so I feel I can speak on this. Starting with the pros, I’ve never seen a tighter group of people than the new upper boys who lived in AC (Andover Cottage) last year. Most of them have chosen to continue living there, in fact. In that sense, their base of friends was very, very solid. In a way, though, that could also have been perceived as a con. While I spread myself around last year and extended my social life into a whole variety of very different groups of people, the majority of the new upper boys who lived in AC stayed with that friend group. I’d mention their names to my friends, and they’d say, “who?” A lot of people didn’t even know that these new upper boys existed. While I’m sure the AC boys were happy with their group, I can’t even begin to explain how rewarding my having such a large base of friends has been. People tell me that it’s hard for them to tell that I entered as a new upper versus as a new lower or freshman. The AC boys, however, are pretty firmly established as “new.” It didn’t need to be that way, but that is what they chose. New Upper guys are not centrally located anywhere other than AC.</p>
<p>It’s actually fairly rare to find a double that is composed of only one room. Most doubles here are two-room suites separated by a door, which makes it much easier to maintain different study habits than those of your roommate. Some doubles are even composed of three rooms: two bedrooms and a central living room. As you can imagine, though, these rooms in high demand because they are so ideal for social situations. Add a projector and a couch to one of these rooms and it becomes the hub of your dorm - everyone will hang out there.</p>
<p>Singles do vary in size. The trend is by proximity to the center of campus. In general, the closer your dorm is to the center of campus, the smaller the rooms are, and the farther away, the larger. Abbot is renowned for its spacious rooms, while Flagstaff is known for slightly smaller rooms. None of the rooms are tiny, though, and Andover graduates come back and remind current students that their dorms in college will be boxes versus the ones here. My single, in West Quad North which is about five minutes from the center of campus, is ENORMOUS. It could easily be a one-room double. But I also have friends whose rooms are just adequate for their extra furniture with not much room to spare.</p>
<p>Back on the subject of new uppers, you’ll find that a tremendous amount of bonding occurs between new uppers. My concern for fellow new uppers is not unique to me. There are several reasons for this bonding between new uppers. The most consistent form of bonding is English 301, the new upper-specific English class. Taking this class leads you to realize just how unique the new upper experience really is, and the class also functions as a great support group. Transitions abound for new uppers, so it’s great to have a class composed of people who are going through the same things, taught by a teacher, Catherine Tousignant, who was also a new upper at Andover. Then, of course, the other bonding occurs in dorms like AC.</p>
<p>Hey TTC!
Great thread, I really enjoy it!
How competitive are the sports? If you enjoy a sport but haven’t played it for that long, can u still make varsity or JV?</p>
<p>Hey, ccprep! Thanks.</p>
<p>Sports, in general, are incredibly competitive, though this competitiveness will vary by sport. For this reason, it’s highly unlikely that athletes will make Varsity or JV1 without significant experience in that sport. However, the good news for athletes new to a sport is that almost every sport offered at Andover is available in different levels. For example, soccer is not limited to Varsity and JV: there are three levels of JV as well. Athletes with less experience in soccer are chosen for JV3 or JV2, while those with greater experience play for JV1 and Varsity. The story is similar with baseball and softball. In this way, students can enter and play on a lower level JV team and by senior year or earlier play for Varsity. We call these athletes “home-grown.”</p>
<p>Additionally, many sports are offered intramurally. Athletes with virtually no prior experience in a sport can play “cluster.” Matches are organized between clusters which means that athletes can gain competitive experience even if they don’t play interscholastically, and once they have enough experience, they can consider trying out for an interscholastic team.</p>
<p>TomTheCat, many thanks for answering my questions. They are really helpful. A couple of more questions if you don’t mind:</p>
<p>(1). I am not a particular athletic person. I am more into math/science/writing/music sort of thing. Since Andover has a strong “Competitive Sports” reputation vs. Exeter’s “math/science” image, do you think this is something I need to be concerned in terms of being able to fitting in? I really really LOVE the course offerings at Andover in Math/Science etc.</p>
<p>(2). Do many students owe a bicycle?</p>
<p>Hello again, Tolkien!</p>
<ol>
<li>Absolutely don’t worry about fitting in with your interests in math and science! Regardless of both schools’ reputations, both have hardcore athletics AND hardcore math and science. Ready for some examples of Andover’s remarkable math and science departments? Try this one on for size: in this year’s AP Siemens competition, a national competition that selects just TWO winners from each US state based on exceptional achievement on AP math and science exams, Phillips Academy students composed BOTH of Massachusetts’ winners!</li>
</ol>
<p>[Phillips</a> Academy - Two Seniors Win 2010 AP Siemens Award](<a href=“http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/TwoSeniorsWin2010SiemensAPAward.aspx]Phillips”>http://www.andover.edu/About/Newsroom/Pages/TwoSeniorsWin2010SiemensAPAward.aspx)</p>
<p>Additionally, when you have a half hour or so to spare, read this New York Times article, entitled “The Incredibles.” Andover students are referenced multiple times, and the article is an impressive look into some of America’s strongest schools. In fact, the title page photo is of Phillips Academy students in an Andover calculus class!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Some students own bikes. Not a majority, and I don’t, but I really wish I did! They’d save a lot of time. However, Andover is now pioneering a program called “Big Blue Bikes” by which campus will be covered in small bike stations populated with bikes that are free for students to ride and drop off at other bike stations across campus. In this way, even students who do not have bikes on campus will be able to ride from place to place.</li>
</ol>
<p>Hey Tom.
Approximately how many books do you carry with you daily? I’d imagine boarding students don’t get lockers (please correct me if I’m wrong), and it would be rather difficult to stop at your dorm in the middle of the day to pick up or drop off a couple of books. In tandem to that, how many classes use textbooks and are we allowed to bring bags with us?
Also, how long is the lunch break?
Thanks for your time. I really appreciate all of your help.</p>
<p>Hey TomTheCat!
I am stuck doing some more boring homework, because my teacher wants me to handwrite all my work again. Sorry for complaining, but I have to write 13 pages of work (I know, that is probably nothing for you). Anyways, I was thinking to myself what homework at Andover would be like.</p>
<p>I know how long it takes to do homework, but what is the homework usually comprised off (worksheets, essays, studying, etc.)?</p>
<p>Do you usually turn in typed papers or do your teachers make them hand written?</p>
<p>Hey, TheTester!</p>
<p>This is a really tough question to ask as it really, really depends on your classes and your teachers’ preferences in regards to course readings. For example, my only class that uses a textbook is calculus. The rest of my classes’ readings are from books, novels, and journal articles chosen at the discretion of my teachers. However, you’ll likely see more textbooks in lower-level classes.</p>
<p>Though boarders are not given lockers like day students are, I’ve never needed to resort to going back to my dorm for books unless I forgot to pack them to begin with. I normally carry eight or nine books, plus a slim binder and my laptop, with me on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday (the days when all my classes meet). These things all fit in my backpack as only one book, my math textbook, is large and heavy. My other books are smaller and fit with ease. On Wednesday and Thursday, days when only half my classes meet, I carry between three and five books. It’s easy.</p>
<p>There is no specific lunch period. Every student on campus will have either fourth, fifth, or sixth period free, and it is during this free period that kids eat. Therefore, lunch is the same length as a class: 45 minutes with ten minutes of passing time both before and after.</p>
<p>It’s not a problem at all! Feel free to keep these questions coming!</p>
<p>Yours,</p>
<p>TomTheCat, PA '11</p>
<p>Hey, overandover98! You’re right, 13 pages is nothing :P</p>
<p>Your homework load will increase each year at Andover, generally reaching a peak during the spring term of upper year. At that point, depending on your classes, it’s fair to expect between four and six hours of homework each day. Younger students will generally receive less; I know few students in junior (9th) and lower (10th) year who do more than four hours of homework per night. Again, this is all dependent upon your classes and your work style.</p>
<p>Your types of assignments will also vary depending on your teachers and classes. Math and science classes will assign work in textbooks and on worksheets, and humanities courses will demand similar work as well as essays and research papers. My Gender Studies course, HIST-SS571, assigned a 12-page research paper at the end of the term, and we were given around three weeks to complete this assignment. It was hefty, especially given my teacher’s expectations, but it is absolutely doable if you have the right study skills.</p>
<p>What you’ll discover at Andover is that we are much, much less dependent on textbooks than many other schools. I like this as it gives teachers a lot more freedom in how they teach as they, themselves, choose the books for their individual courses. With teachers as masterful as those at Andover, it’s a real honor to take courses that are 100% original, organic, and unlike any other courses in the country. You need to be prepared for the expectations and the workload, but it’s absolutely worth it!</p>
<p>Haha, thank you TomTheCat!</p>
<p>I don’t want to ask you the same question, but:</p>
<p>Are papers usually typed or handwritten</p>
<p>I have a feeling they are mostly typed, but I probably won’t go to Andover if I they are all handwritten. Like you said, 13 pages is nothing… typed. I have great handwriting, but typing is SO much easier.</p>
<p>Oh, whoops! Sorry I missed that question. Yes, papers are always typed. I’d assume that’s the case in most high schools.</p>
<p>I know it was a dumb question, but I’m sure there is a school that believes in doing things like my grandparents did :P</p>
<p>Sorry for clogging up your thread with juvenile questions, TomTheCat.</p>
<p>Do you live in a 3-room double? Do you happen to have any pics, if that isn’t top personal.</p>
<p>I actually have a single this year, and had a two-room double last year. I’m afraid I can’t post any pictures taken inside of residence halls. Sorry!</p>
<p>Makes sense, but thank you for everything!</p>
<p>Not a problem at all! If you have any questions at all, ask me!</p>
<p>Yours,</p>
<p>TomTheCat, PA '11</p>