<p>Going off of the... "let's have a thread on each school"... I thought I'd start a thread for Phillips Andover. So... here it is! </p>
<p>Here is a place to talk about Phillips Andover... Any questions you may have, etc. </p>
<p>Or stories (if you go there)</p>
<p>Please be more vague.</p>
<p>Well, I have had many unanswered Andover questions, so I shall post them here.</p>
<p>What sort of extracurricular dominate the two?
What are the easiest fall/winter sports to get into as a new player?
How hard is it to get a single for your sophomore year?
Is 1 credit=1 trimester?
Does their computer system work well with Mac? Are they more Mac or PC?
How hard is it to take history 240 or 340 (The one open only to “exceptional” lowers on Modern European History) versus just being in the one trimester 1500-1800 class?
In your lower year, is history separate from your Elective or part of it (the book didn’t make this clear)?</p>
<p>How could you take the History Placement Test if you took history at another school?</p>
<p>How much time do you have between classes?</p>
<p>Are there sports and community service EVERY day?</p>
<p>In what classes is Harkness used?</p>
<p>What sort of extracurricular dominate the two?</p>
<p>The two what? There aren’t really any “dominating” extracurriculars, but some big ones include MUN, the Philomathean Society (debate), and the Phillipian (school newspaper). Sports are also really important.</p>
<p>What are the easiest fall/winter sports to get into as a new player?</p>
<p>You can try out for Varsity, JV, and JV2 in most competitive sports depending on your skill level. You can also take instructional sports if you want to try something completely different, and there are other sports options (like FIT or Search and Rescue) that you don’t need to try out for.</p>
<p>How hard is it to get a single for your sophomore year?</p>
<p>It’s not impossible – I have a lot of sophomore friends with singles. You can always say you want a single, and you have about a 30% chance of getting one.</p>
<p>Does their computer system work well with Mac? Are they more Mac or PC?</p>
<p>The system works with both PCs and Macs, though sometimes Mac users have trouble downloading things that teachers send out. It’s really no big deal, though, a lot of people have Macs. </p>
<p>How hard is it to take history 240 or 340 (The one open only to “exceptional” lowers on Modern European History) versus just being in the one trimester 1500-1800 class?</p>
<p>Not many people try out for 340, so it isn’t that hard to get into, you just have to take the test. I’m not sure exactly how many people get accepted, but if you’re serious about history this shouldn’t be an issue. Besides, you can always take the test and get rejected. It’s no big deal.</p>
<p>In your lower year, is history separate from your Elective or part of it (the book didn’t make this clear)?</p>
<p>Separate. All sophomores must take 1 term of history.</p>
<p>How could you take the History Placement Test if you took history at another school?</p>
<p>Everyone can take the History Place Test. You just show up one morning and take it.</p>
<p>How much time do you have between classes?</p>
<p>Ten minutes…</p>
<p>Are there sports and community service EVERY day?</p>
<p>For competitive sports, everyday except Sundays and Saturdays when you don’t have games. For everything else, everyday but Wednesdays and weekends.</p>
<p>In what classes is Harkness used?</p>
<p>It depends on your teacher. Some prefer giving lectures and others like discussions, and yet others like to mix it up.</p>
<p>Whats the everyday dress code?
How laid-back/informal are relationships between students to teachers? (i.e. sir ma’am mandatory to first name basis)
Do students bring laptops around campus class to class and can they be used during class to take notes, etc… If not, would you say a personal computer is necessary?</p>
<p>Oooh, those are good questions. I’m interested especially in laptop note-taking.</p>
<p>Also, does Andover use First Class for mail? If not, what email system is used?</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The everyday dress code is casual, in that there are no real restrictions. Many people dress nicely, perhaps as a result of previously attending private schools with dress codes. It’s commonplace to see some guys wearing buttondown shirts and khakis; some girls wearing sundresses. Regardless, no one will bat an eye if you roll out of bed in sweatpants and head off to class. </p></li>
<li><p>The student/teacher relationship depends heavily on the teachers themselves. Most teachers are very welcoming and informal; occasionally one will invite you to call them by their first name or nickname. Most of the time a Mr. or Mrs/ Dr. (last name) will do. </p></li>
<li><p>Some students bring laptops from class to class and take class notes on them; most do not. The majority of students probably have either a pc in their dorm room or a laptop. You could probably survive without one, as there are plenty of computers in the library. However, life would probably be a lot easier with your own personal computer.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Those three questions basically made my decision for me. I mean there’s really nothing else I need to know. The curriculum’s great, the atmosphere is awesome, sports and extracurricular activities are very nice. But my parents still insist I see Choate first :P. Thanks!</p>