Can someone comment on the options that are available that meet the sport requirement but really aren’t sports per se…like I was told drumline counts as sport, or there is something called music basic and theater basic. Can someone tell us options if the student is not interested in playing a traditional sport or playing playground games?
I think Isham is 18. But my definition of a small dorm is a converted house that has ~5 students. YMMV
@twinmama17 - sent you a PM with some info
The athletics requirement does not have to be a traditional sport, but it does need to have an exercise component, so music cannot be in lieu of. But there are many many options, some of which are listed on the link below:
https://athletics.andover.edu/Pages/AllSeasonActivities.aspx
There’s a bunch of “instructional” sports for students who are brand new which are typically pretty low-intensity. Beyond those and the ones you mentioned like Drumline and the Basics options, there’s dance (the higher levels of which can be very intense but I believe there are more basic options for newcomers), Outdoor Pursuits who does stuff like hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, ropes course, that sorta thing, and yoga. I’ve most likely forgotten a few but this should give you an idea of what’s available. If anyone else knows something I missed feel free to add on.
I have another question about global travel opportunities. I was able to find a listing on the Tang Institute. But I am wondering how this works. Does anyone have experience with any of the exchange programs?
Hey everyone!
I’m going to enter PA as a freshman this year as Class of 2022. I just want to know if there are opportunities at Andover for students to shadow doctors or any other type of career they would want to pursue in the future? And if so, what is the best way to approach them to access these types of resources?
Thanks!
Can any current or past students/parents tell a little about Andover Orientation? DC is an incoming Lower
Thank you!
Also does anyone have recommendations for good affordable printers for dorm rooms?
Just want to add another welcome to those that have recently decided to say yes to Andover! I’m a parent of a current lower and certainly don’t have all the answers to questions folks might ask, but I’m willing to try and possibly lead you in a helpful direction. Here are some responses to the most recent questions above:
@twinmama17 I am not familiar with the process, but if I recall correctly there will be opportunities to learn more/ask questions at Orientation and/or Family Weekend. If your student wants to try to get information sooner, I imagine a call to the office could be made.
@smolmochi04 I’m unaware of these types of opportunities, which doesn’t mean they don’t exist! My only thoughts are that the academic year is pretty busy as it is, so summers might be a better chance for this sort of experience. Your advisor would be the place I would start asking about this.
@wantstoknowtoo I touched on this in my post #289 of this thread.
@smolmochi04 AppleKid’s came from Costco. Amazon would be another good place to look. In our experience the cost of the printer isn’t the issue, its the cost of the ink! Might want to comparison shop for that before picking a printer.
How do I find parents in my area? I’d like to connect with other Andover parents in Philadelphia area.
@twinmama17 I would call Admissions with that question. There is a voluntary parent directory (you’ll need to include yourself in it) on the parent site, but I don’t think we had access to that right away.
Thank you @AppleNotFar I read your post on page 20 
Would it be ok to pm you with a few more questions? ( I promise I wont flood your inbox)
Happy to PM @wantstoknowtoo
@smolmochi04 - S didn’t bring his printer back to school senior year. He said he didn’t use it much - he spent a lot of time in the library (was very involved in running the Makerspace), so he just printed there.
@wantstoknowtoo - I think you need 15 posts before you can PM. Don’t know if you can receive them, then respond. I’ll PM you now to try it.
ok will try to respond…guess I better start asking questions…lol
As an FYI, a new user cannot initiate a PM, but can respond to one sent.
I’m going to be a new lower at Andover starting next fall and I’m not very clear about the schedule yet. What do students do on Saturdays or weekends in general? Are you allowed to leave campus regularly?
Seems to me there’s a bunch of things to do on the weekends–one wish I have for my kid would be to attend more of the many wonderful offerings during the week and the weekend. (I guess I need to remember that things are busy as it is with sports and other EC’s, and as an introvert the kid needs some down time to recharge. But I digress…)
Each week The Weekender is “published” via email to all the students which lists all the available activities for the coming weekend. There’s all sorts of offerings: dances, theater and music performances, athletic contests, volunteer activities, speakers, comedians and on and on. A sample Weekender is here: https://www.andover.edu/living/student-activities
Every so often my kid will go to Boston with friends to shop and eat out, or they’ll head to a movie theater. These require “day excuses” from the house counselor which are easy enough to arrange. My kid is also a fan of some of the local restaurants and will go to lunch or dinner in Andover from time to time. The specifics of how, where and when you can leave campus are detailed in the Blue Book. When we’re visiting it’s pretty common for us to see PA kids out and about the town; Whole Foods seems to be a popular place for kids to buy fresh snacks for the dorm.