<p>“SMARTER people are choosing Exeter as evidenced by the SAT scores.”</p>
<p>Except for the fact that SAT scores are not the single measure of one’s intelligence. </p>
<p>“Only those scared of the Exeter academic rigor may be leaning towards Andover”</p>
<p>Did you ever think of fit? Not everyone is into the Harkness method at Exeter, and maybe they just like the feel of the campus at Andover. They’re both very rigorous prep schools; I don’t see how you can say Andover is for those who can’t keep up with the rigor of Exeter.</p>
<p>exonian16: SAT is not a valid way to prove intelligence. Andover has a higher median SSAT than Exeter. Does that mean that Andover kids are smarter? No. They are both amazing schools and some people get different feels from them. Yield is just a matter of fit for a student and more students this year felt Andover was a better fit than Exeter. Not putting Exeter down, that is a fact. Your berating of the Andover community is actually putting Exeter in a bad light. You are representing the school in this forum and are insulting Andover and attacking those who disagree. If one was to look at this forum, they could assume all Exonians are that way so please be careful of what you say, and if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it.</p>
<p>PA students have slightly higher SAT scores than PEA students. The difference is a monumentally INSIGNIFICANT two points (2076 versus 2074).[url=<a href=“Sort Boarding Schools by Key Criteria”>Sort Boarding Schools by Key Criteria]Sort</a> Boarding Schools by Key Criteria - Boarding School Review<a href=“click%20average%20SAT%20score”>/url</a>.</p>
<p>Exonian16 has written 16 posts, each of which has trashed PA. I will let the CC community draw its own conclusions about what this means. Can we please get back to the subject matter of this thread?</p>
<p>First off, I’ll bite and reply to Exonian16. It’s comments like the ones that this poster has made that detracted me from going to Exeter. You really are painting the school (and its students) in a bad light. Having school pride doesn’t mean demeaning every other school out there. It’s almost the same as the difference between nationalism and patriotism. And the Andover/Exeter rivalry is more about sports than academics/yield/acceptance rate, from my understanding.</p>
<p>On the topic of the post, I’m glad that Andover had an unexpectedly good yield this year. But I will second classicalmama’s questions about financial aid. Cassat, any other info you could provide you be of much help. Thank you!</p>
<p>No, actually. I’m a boarder at a school that is not Andover or Exeter. But I’m not sure how my status as a boarder or a day student has anything to do with the conversation.</p>
<p>Sometimes on an Internet discussion board, it’s easy to forget who’s behind the screen name. Adults and older teens alike might remember what it was like to be an opinionated, passionate 13, 14, 15 year old. Do I think this discussion should move on? Yes. But I’m not sure why continuing to post stats proving that Andover has won a race we’ve conjured up on C C, even followed by statements like “of course they’re both excellent” is any more productive than Exeter 16’s defensiveness about his/her newly chosen school.</p>
<p>I think Andover’s over enrollment is mostly interesting in terms of how it will affect dorm rooms and FA and, maybe, how schools judge yield rates. Maybe the discussion could move that way?</p>
<p>You earlier wrote that that Andover has a slightly higher admit rate than Exeter. I simply clarified this no doubt innocent mistake. There would have been no need for me to do so had you not raised the issue in the first place. Likewise, I cited the Boarding School Review in response to another posters claim regarding an extraneous topic. </p>
<p>I have tried to be as generous as possible to the poster you reference. However, the record of this individuals 17 posts belies any notion that he is merely being defensive about his chosen school. As others have noted, he is primarily opinionated and passionate about his dislike for PA. I am also less sanguine than you apparently are about the identity of this poster.</p>
<p>To get this thread back on track, I have a question for Cassat: Is it true that the over enrollment at PA relates only to about twenty students, that the school will primarily add extra beds to the rooms of returning students, and that only a limited number of dorms will be impacted?</p>
<p>Whoops. I meant lower admit rate, not higher–writing too quickly. My bad. I can see how that would really mess up the way someone would read my post–I was trying to point out why I thought Andover would have both a lower admit rate AND a higher yield rate. I still think there are good, practical reasons for those stats. that have nothing really to do with the quality of either school. </p>
<p>Guess living with teenagers is affecting my perception of how I read that voice–and I’m assuming that the 16 in Exeter16’s name is referring to his/her grad date.</p>
<p>According to Ms. Fried, the high yield seems to be related to a very successful revisit program this year as 88% of the families that revisited decided to enroll. But Andover has had a low admit rate and higher yield for at least a few years now. The unexpected high yield this year was a “pleasant surprise” but it did not just come totally “out of the blue”. It is indeed a great school. However, admit rate and yield in themselves only don’t make a good school. They should be the result of being a good school. On the other hand, classicalmama is right too in that the difference in admit rates and yield between Andover and Exeter is not an indicator of the quality of either school.</p>
<p>Andover and Exeter are both great schools, no question. I hope the comments of one poster who is not even attending the school she so vociferously defends does not really detract others from applying/attending. As the Mom of a student who will actually be a student at that particular school, I know of many, many kids who are wonderful, intelligent, kind people who attend.</p>
<p>On another point, does anyone know why these schools have such long waiting lists, (Exeter’s was reported to be 600 students long over the 4 grades) if clearly, especially it seems in Andover’s case, they expect a high yield. It seems almost cruel to me to give students hope when clearly the chances are slim that they will come off the WL. Don’t get me wrong, I know it does happen, I know myself of some that have been taken off the WL this year alone, but the majority never do make it off.</p>
<p>NHMom, I don’t believe that poster had any association with Exeter. His purpose was to attack Andover not to defend Exeter. Looking at what he was doing <em>exclusively</em> with his 18 posts and the creative use of CC features, that was probably the infamous anti-Andover ■■■■■ who had a million CC ID’s taking a “new approach” in carrying on his mission of taking down Andover (LOL).</p>
<p>As for the WL size, I don’t know if 600 is the typical or an expanded WL size for Exeter this year, but keep in mind that some of the WL decisions are “courtesy WL’s”, a soft rejection. Then a good part of the rest may not want to stay on the WL. And even when/in case an offer is made to someone on the WL, they may decline the offer because they might’ve committeed to another school. Another consideration is that they don’t just pull <em>anyone</em> from the WL. Rather they are building a balanced class, so that means they WL a certain number in each of a few categories, boys, girls, day, boarding, those with music talents, those with sports, etc. etc.</p>
<p>I would like to point out an obvious if case nobody else has noticed, which is that exeter16’s passionate thumping of Andover is only matched or surpassed by the relentless pumping of the same by likes such as jmilton and DAndrew.</p>
<p>Not every Exonian is smart, and I have also seen enough share of mediocre Andover peers. Both are great schools. There is no need to score cheap points on an Internet forum.</p>
<p>hootoo, regardless whether what you said about my “relentless pumping” one school is true, would you agree that “pumping” is actually the “norm” on CC? Parents and students are “pumping” the schools they are associated with “relentless”, which happens every day and some posters are doing that *exclusively". It is acceptable to most people. However, when someone devotes all his time on CC and all his posts (and all his different ID’s) to relentlessly “thumping” a school it’s not acceptable. Of course, if you disagree that’s fine. We can still move on.</p>
<p>The posters I like best neither pump nor thump. Whether it’s having been through the process multiple times with different kids, or having paid close attention through the process and realized that even one kid could do well in multiple environs, or even through being open and observant when talking to other parents they know with kids at other schools, or at the athletics events, the best posters refrain from presuming that what’s best for them, their family or DC is best for all. Just sayin’.</p>
<p>PelicanDad is an idealist, with an “I have a dream” type of vision. In reality, however, we can almost always attach a school name to a user who’s been here long enough, because they are knowledgeable about a particular school and also because they “pump” and “defend” the school of their association on a regular basis. You can also tell what school someone is NOT associated with by observing when he/she is silent when even the most outrageous things are said about a school. Gee, I just realized that I made CC’ers sound so selfish and narcissistic. Sorry! ;)</p>
<p>Hmmm…seems to me that if a kid is thriving at a particular school, it’s a benefit to this board for parents to pump it. What do I know about other schools? Only what I saw during the interview process, which is to say not much. If the pumping is supported by real-life experience, rather than conjecture or stereotypes, which tend to come from those not associated with the schools (naturally, because that’s what they have to go on), then I guess I see it as helpful–not sure why it would be labelled selfish and narcisistic…I think most of the outrageous stuff comes from those who are not associated with a school, whether they are pumping or thumping it.</p>
<p>That said, I love those terms–hope they become a regular part of CC chat!</p>
In reality, however, we can almost always attach a school name to a user who’s been here long enough, because they are knowledgeable about a particular school and also because they “pump” and “defend” the school of their association on a regular basis. You can also tell what school someone is NOT associated with by observing when he/she is silent when even the most outrageous things are said about a school. Gee, I just realized that I made CC’ers sound so selfish and narcissistic. Sorry! ;)</p>