Andover vs. Exeter

<p>Hey, many Exonians go to a school that fits them, not necessarily Ivy League, and many go to top international universities.</p>

<p>My D was in the fortunate position of receiving acceptance to both Exeter and Andover for 9th grade. Both schools are fabulous, but we had to choose between them. We visited both schools several times, and the more time we spent at Exeter, the better we liked it. D chose Exeter, and is by no means a “nerd” or “geek”. Although she likes math and science, she also likes debate, and the classics, and is involved in several sports. </p>

<p>While revisiting the schools in the spring, it was easy to meet the families who were accepted to both schools. Most revisit programs are 1-2 days long, and both schools scheduled their revisits the same week. Almost all families had a clear preference after spending time on each campus (which seemed to be rather evenly divided between A and E). The “feel” is quite different between the schools, and revisit days and campus visits are very helpful in getting that. The admissions visits alone were too stressful and hurried (we did two schools each day) to really be able to differentiate between schools beyond the superficial, and the personality of the admissions interviewer played such a big role in that day’s experience. </p>

<p>So, if you can possibly spend more time at each school you are choosing between, it is well worth it.</p>

<p>2prepMom, congratulations on your daughter’s good fortune. Like her, our son was also accepted at both Andover and Exeter last year. He chose Exeter too, based a lot on his revisit experiences. He is now finishing up his freshman (prep) year with very good grades, three terms of JV/Varsity sports, playing saxophone in the Concert Band, and a great deal of enjoyment of the many new friends he’s made from all around the world. He’s had his grueling times with studies but he’s been truly excited about many of his learning experiences and he’s been delighted with almost all of his teachers. We’ve seen immense growth in him over the past year, and we think a lot of it is associated with the Harkness format of Exeter’s classroom experiences. I wish your daughter a similarly satisfying experience at Exeter!</p>

<p>Exeter is considered to be a Harvard feeder school, as Andover is to Yale. It has lessened (though not disappeared) in recent decades. I think back when this trend was more relevant, It was more common for Andovians to attend Harvard (possibly because they are in the same state) than Exonians to Yale. There was a president of Yale who was and Exonian, Yale, and Yale Law grad. On the list of faculty, both of the teachers who are Exonians themselves are Yalies.</p>

<p>What do you mean “I am more fitted for the Exeter environment”.?</p>

<p>I actually read that Exeter is filled with “Gentlemen jocks”.</p>

<p>The Exeter-Harvard and Andover-Yale track has decreased, but certainly not vanished completely.</p>