<p>I've heard about how rigorous the academics are at andover, but is it true? im applying there, but i feel that if i do get accepted i wont be able to go there. I heard that it is really competitive and that everyone who goes there is incredibly smart. So, i was just wondering if that was true.</p>
<p>~id appreciate any andover students commenting on this, about their experiencs and their opinions. thanks =]</p>
<p>any school in the little 7s are rigorous academically, specially andover which is often considered the upper end of the 7...I myself go to hotchkiss, last year, a kid who had a 3.9 average from peddie (it's a pretty decent school academically too) transfered to hotchkiss, had such a hard time and ended up pulling off a 2.9gpa at the end of the school year....He worked so hard too we always see him in his room...but it's not like everyone's freaking genious, as long as u work hard, u wont be the bottom of the chain</p>
<p>Most children who attend the "little seven" as bearcats referred to it (I assume Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, St. Paul's, Choate, and another one I'm forgetting) are probably gifted or at above fairly high intelligence if they're not legacies of very prominant alumni. The courses are very rigourous and demanding. However, if you're admitted, it means that they believe you're able to follow their curriculum, so I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>and lawrenceville, throw in milton and groton too...</p>
<p>anyway...if u do the work, u r fine..but be prepared to be overwhelmed for at least first half of the school year...most people are anyway..it's a huge adjustment</p>
<p>Pretty much everyone at Andover is smart and motivated, but no more so than people a lot of other places. You will work hard, but if they axccept you you'll do fine.</p>
<p>Little seven???? Never heard that one. Big 4, group of 10, but little 7?</p>
<p>well...ya i agree with the everyone is smart and motivated statement, except for maybe a small number of super prominent legacies...(not always) but most of the time those are the <a href="mailto:dumb@sses">dumb@sses</a>.... dubya, who got a C average from andover and went on to yale, is a good example for as a matter of fact</p>
<p>Yes, George W. Bush had a very hard time at Andover. He failed his first assignment there.</p>
<p>^^Surprised?</p>
<p>Yes, the academics are notoriously tough. Part of it is the pace of the courses (only 130-ish days so material moves pretty fast) and part of it is how much time kids carve out of their lives for music/sports/drama/comm-serve etc. And courseload does matter: History 340 is not the same as Math 190. </p>
<p>But you don't have to take the hardest courseload, and as long as you are organized (which you will very quickly learn to be if you so desire) the workload should be tameable.</p>
<p>hhhhahahhhahhahahaa.... i go to andover, it's not that big a deal, as a matter of fact i should be studying for finals right now :) whatevs, it's super fun... good luck getting in!</p>
<p>As gods_favorite said it's how much you do that makes it difficult. Kids find ways to slack off and others want more of a challenge. Also, some courses that are very hard for one person may be very easy for another. Not everyone is incredibly smart, but almost everyone knows how to work hard. If you get accepted are willing to work and not get As in every class, you'll do fine.</p>