Andover vs. Exeter

<p>I was accepted at both!!! :)
Ok so when I visited I "felt it" at Exeter, a lot more than Andover. They are both amazing schools though, so I just want to hear your opinions!</p>

<p>Andover is the way to go</p>

<p>why would you say that? im trying to put a list of pros and cons together that isn’t just the fact that Exeter “feels right”</p>

<p>I’ll just compare for you the pros of Andover + Exeter</p>

<p>Exeter: has really beautiful campus
Andover: has more sports, has art gallery, has cool GPA system and grade names</p>

<p>I’d go to ANDOVER</p>

<p>Exeter: has more courses, bigger library, beautiful campus, nice and quiet town
Andover: has nothing</p>

<p>I’d go to EXETER :D</p>

<p>See, I’m in the exact same position as you, but I felt it more at Andover.
:slight_smile: I guess we’ll see!</p>

<p>go to the revisit. get a feel for yourself, they’re both academically incredibleeee schools, but apparently their atmospheres are completely different…</p>

<p>anyways, congrats on being accepted! gl!</p>

<p>Andover: Bigger campus, better town, better grading scale, cooler people
Exeter: Dress code, saturday classes… nuff said.</p>

<p>Real differences that I know of are math team (Exeter’s is stronger) and music (Andover has easier access to elite orchestras in Boston which some of their top students join, in addition to the awesome Andover orchestras/bands, so they attract an amazingly talented group of musicians). </p>

<p>Do you care about a dress code? Do you care about Saturday classes? You can’t go wrong with either choice.</p>

<p>haha urbanflop!</p>

<p>Cutiedida-if you felt it at Exeter, so go to exeter!</p>

<p>You should visit both of the schools, then you will find out which one you’d fit better.</p>

<p>I already did, and im pretty sure Exeter is it. Im going back to revisit days but im pretty much set</p>

<p>WOW. Most people on here are really biased one way or the other. I think that Andover and Exeter really need to get over the whole rivalry thing, and join forces (and take over the world!). I’ve spent a lot of time at andover, it’s a great school, really chill, but with super tough academics and great art and music. I haven’t spent nearly as much time at exeter, but I still get that “this is right” feeling about the school, plus it’s academics, music and art programs are just as good.
Theres a school for everybody…
PERSONALY, I just think Exeter is for me =]</p>

<p>Same! Thank you ginergirl! I was just looking for non-biased pros and cons to help me with my finak decision, and people just start talking smack about each-other’s schools! Come on guys! I know the rivalry us fun, but this is taking it a little too far!</p>

<p>I urge you to go to revisit programs at both schools before making your final decision. I know too many people who had their heart set on one particular school but then a revisit day at another school completely changed their minds.</p>

<p>@cutiedida, my friend goes to andover I’ll most likely be going to exeter, my mom is urging both of us to end the cycle of exeter/andover hatred (because thats exactly how it comes across sometimes) and bridge the gap between the schools. Imagine that, PEA and PAA united!</p>

<p>I am in the same frame of mind about Exeter v Andover as I started a thread on which is harder. It seems Exeter is harder verses Andover is more a time management challenge. Obviously if you don’t manage your time at Exeter life is hell but I get the impression that even if you have tight control and manage your time well you can still do poorly. That is the impression our tour guide left with us.</p>

<p>Urbanflop has a good point about the grading scale cuz you’re likely to get a higher grade on a 6 scale than on an 11 scale. At least that is what I was told by my math instructor. Something to do about human nature and lower range of choices. Yes, i didn’t quite fully understand but I will trust a MIT phd.</p>

<p>Andovergirl has some awesome points. Weekends might get a little repetitive or boring compared to options available for Andover kids. Even if that might not be true going and having fun isn’t going to expensive in terms of time cuz Exeter is in the middle of nowhere compared to Andover. I am confusing myself…:(</p>

<p>Exeter is harder, beCAUSE it is more of a time management challenge than Andover. Just correcting what you said. Also, there can be different definitions for “time management.” For some people, it’s actually dividing up your time to give your best effort in all your assignments. For others, it’s just breezing through homework, skimming the reading, but still managing to “finish” all given assignments. In the latter case, you would obviously do poorly, despite the fact that you “managed time well.”</p>

<p>Also, a lot of people here have been saying that Andover has a better grading system.
From what I know, Andover has been dealing with grade inflation, especially in the freshman class. When you give 6.0/6.0 to 30+ people in a class, that’s grade inflation, not a sign of a strong class. On Exeter’s 11.0 scale, rarely anyone gets an 11. We have maybe one or two people in a grade pulling an 11.0 each term. Maybe that would answer some people’s questions as to why Andover students seem happier with their college acceptances.</p>

<p>Also, Andover students say that having no saturday classes is a good thing.
It’s really not. Instead of Exeter’s mandatory 5 math class (or 4 in the advanced levels), 5 language class, 5 science, 4 english, and 4 elective meetings per week, Andover has one less class meeting time in every subject, every week. But does this mean Andover kids are doing so much extra stuff in other areas? No. We have orchestra tours. Our math club and debate team beat them all the time. Our school paper is published weekly; and we don’t get english credit for doing the paper like Andover students. We have fundraisers (ex: haiti). We do everything they do, maybe better, in less time. That says something.</p>

<p>But does this mean Exeter doesn’t have downsides? of course it does. Andover has a better town than Exeter. But would you turn down Exeter because there’s no Starbucks at Exeter? I think, no.</p>