<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Choate (in my opinion) doesn't have the same "charm" as andover does. Choate is a mishmosh of buildings, while andover is mostly all large brick buildings.
Also, at Choate, my impression was that hte students weren't as kind as the Andover students were. Just my impression.</p>
<p>I haven't been to Andover so I can't compare however... if what itsren is saying is true, then Andover kids must be rrrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyy nice because everyone I met at Choate was so warm and friendly and made an effort to make me feel welcome.
I understand what you mean about the buildings, so I guess it just depends on what you like. I think it gives each building its own character but others may like things to be more uniform.
Finally, I think the 200 people difference is something that can make or break a school for you. Think about how big or small you want your future school to be and you will probably have a better idea of which school you want to go to.</p>
<p>I visited, applied, and was accepted at both schools. </p>
<p>Both of the schools had more spread out campuses than the other ones.
The people at both schools seemed nice.<br>
Andover has no dress code. Choate has semi-formal vs. coat and tie and Hotchkiss, Deerfield, etc.
Both had nice little towns less than a mile away.<br>
Both have a fair amount of day students.
School colors are blue for both. Blue/Gold for Choate. Blue/White for Andover
Both have extremly strong academics. </p>
<p>Overall, i think the schools are quite similar. You can't go wrong.
I'm personally leaning towards Andover but don't let that a/e ffect you.</p>
<p>conflicted. sports seem about even, academics excellent at both schools and arts seem to be excellent at both schools. What should it all boil down to? Gut feeling? Being close to Boston or NYC/New Haven?</p>
<p>I LOVE choate. The people there are absolutely wonderful, and Choate has much more err..."green grass." Andover is too bricky. But I guess I'm a bit partial to Choate because I spent last summer there and absolutely LOOOOVED it. Plus, I was waitlisted at Andover and accepted at Choate.
But anyhowwww, during the interview, the person who was interviewing me seemed like a bit of a brick wall. He just didn't seem very "smiley." The person at Choate was really warm and friendly and since she was the first interviewer for me (Choate was the first place I took my interview) I was a bit nervous, but she just really made it EASY for me to do my happy babbling.</p>
<p>GUT FEELING, I guess. In the end, being close to Boston/NYC isn't goiing to really do wonders or anything when it comes to your future. Your college isn't going to really care about whether or not you know how to shop well in NYC or something. Just choose the one that fits. Personally, I would most definitely choose Choate. This is completely random, but at Andover, if you have nothing better to do, (although you might not have much free time anyway) if you go outside, there aren't any well...pretty sights to look at. Choate has a huuuuge field right in front of almost every single dorm (me thinkethh...?), so you can just roll around on there or play soccer with your friends while you're bored. Ultimate stress reliever. Being around all the buildings would choke me if I was already under a lot of pressure from schoolwork and stuff. :D It's awesome.</p>
<p>Also, it also depends on what size you'd like. Choate is smaller and cozier, but Andover's your school if you want somewhere big and mighty-ish.</p>
<p>GOOD LUCK!!!!! :D Like a few people said above,</p>
<p>oops, I didn't finish my post above.
I meant that...</p>
<p>Like a few people said above, you can't really make a wrong choice between these schools. People will hopefully be there to support you wherever you go, and if you've already got the potential, a school isn't going to be what makes you go wrong or go right. :) Don't worrrry.</p>
<p>But this is coming from the person who's been going crazy recently because she can't choose between Choate and Exeter, so you miiight not want to trust me too much when it comes to this. So yeah, maybe worry a bit. :( Hmmm. </p>
<p>heehee, sorryyy.</p>
<p>Wow that's a hard one...
I think it depends on your gut feeling...I had the best feeling when I visited Choate when I applied last year, and now I'm having a great time:)
Choate has probably a stronger arts department though.
you really can't go wrong.</p>
<p>Its all what your into...
Andover does have a reputation for being more academic.
More people would say they would enjoy the experience the most at Choate.
Sports i must comment are more competitive at Choate, and the arts program at choate is larger.
In my personal opinion the Andover campus was a little nicer.</p>
<p>Our family is also trying to get a handle on the differences between Choate and Andover. We are wondering about the diversity of the student bodies, and also about their respective dining arrangements. </p>
<p>With their day student populations, Andover has more students from MA (most day students are from MA, with a few from NH), while Choate seems to have more students from CT and possibly from NY. Both schools have a lot of international students, and many students from around the US. Does Choate feel more NY-oriented? Do students from outside the CT/NY area feel just as at home at Choate as more "local" students? The same question could apply to students at Andover who come from outside of MA or NE. Our impression is that the students at both schools are very friendly and nice! </p>
<p>The dining arrangements are a bit different, with Choate students sitting mostly by class in a large, L-shaped space (I think). Andover is currently renovating, but usually has multiple dining rooms in a two-story building (some students seem to prefer particular dining rooms, but students from all classes seem to end up in all rooms). Are there pros and cons to either arrangement?</p>
<p>As for sports and the arts, both schools seem quite amazing, with "something for everyone" depending on interest, ability, and experience, though Choate offers the special Arts Concentration option which could be very worthwhile for the right students. </p>
<p>Does anyone have an opinion on the pros and cons of the different dining arrangements and/or the feeling of "diversity" on either campus?</p>
<p>I preferred the dining room at Choate to Andover. Though I preferred the town of Andover over Wallingford. Sports it's a tough one. It seems that they both have really strong sports but perhaps football is better at Choate or maybe it is the other way around. The sports records seem to change from year to year. I believe that the student body as far as diversity might be a tiny bit better at Andover. Though too small a difference to truly be noticed. Ultimately, it's which school will I enjoy more. At this point I have absolutely NO IDEA! Who has a better soccer coach? Who has a better Lacrosse coach? Does it really matter since they are all probably about the same anyway. Who has better teachers. Maybe Andover. I guess if I were a teacher I would rather be living close to Boston then New Haven. I doubt any of this is helpful since it is certainly not helping to clear anything up for me.</p>
<p>i got into both last year and had the exact same dilema
i chose andover because i thought it would challenge me more than choate
i don't regret my decision at all</p>
<p>i think just go with your gut feeling
visit the schools, and have a feel of where you will fit in better</p>
<p>Meleny thanks for your response. I am going to revisit both schools. Did you enter as a 9th,10th ,11th or 12th grader? Did you go only for academics or did sports play into your decision making? Thanks for any other input you might have.</p>