@TheSwami I was debating between Andover and Hotchkiss (my top 2 favorites). I ended up saying yes to Andover because of the class options and activities offered. Also it was partially because Andover has a great downtown (Starbucks + Cafe Nero are great places to study) while Hotchkiss is in the middle of the forest. In revisits, I recommend focusing on the culture (check the Instagram page pagorilla for example) and seeing if you would be able to find your place. Somethings I would change about the school are 1. The sign-in policy (it is extremely annoying 2. Finals week scheduling in the spring term 3. The science placement rule- how you canāt take some sciences because your math is too low. But overall itās a really great school, there are just some policies that are frustrating.
@alyang wow ur so much more eloquent than me welp
About the culture, it is pretty easy to avoid the drugs/hookup culture but honestly the competitive culture definitely is prevalent. But there are great support systems for that such as your prefects and house counselors!
Is the culture competitive against others? Or more that everyone is striving to do well, and being in an environment of kids striving to do well creates some pressure?
Thank you @alyang and @AndoverKid257
Can both of you say more about ādrug/hook-up/competitive culture at Andover?ā Based on what youāve heard or seen, how does it influence what happens on campus and the students?
@mairlodi Honestly both exist but itās mainly the second half. The first half isnāt very prevalent and I havenāt encountered it explicitly but Iāve heard about it.
Drug culture: some specific dorms are known for it + some places are shady. Most people stay out of it and turn a blind eye.
Hookup culture: Heard about some sketchy things too but Iāve never seen it personally. Isnāt really a major issue.
Competitive culture: Kind of an issue but it really depends on who you surround yourself with. But there are definitely people who donāt participate in it- they are the ones who can help you.
Hope this is helpful~
is it easy to try something new (new sports, arts etc.) in Andover? We are from south, and my DD really wants to try some ice/snow sports.
Also is it easy to make friends as my DD is kind of shy?
Congrats to new PA admits and families! Iām a parent of a junior (ie 9th grade) boarder. Happy to answer any questions about my familyās experience so far.
Hey @wilsonmago
Congrats on the admission! Itās very common and easy to play a new sport at Andover - in fact, a lot of JV teams are composed of people who have barely played that sport. Sports like ice hockey, squash, and crew are especially common for beginners. Freshmen year a great time to experiment with new sports and activities.
People often have no trouble making friends. Everyone always finds their little niche, no matter how long it might take. Itās very easy to connect with people, through dorm life, sports, classes, clubs, etc. Iām a bit shy myself and while a lot of people have told me to just āwalk about to a group of kids and ask to sit down,ā I find it intimidating to do so. However, spending time in my dorm common room has earned me some of my best friends.
That being said, you do need to push beyond your comfort zone sometimes and take the initiative.
Again, congrats and I hope you #SayYestoAndover!
whatās revisit day like?
@tacocat123 Thereās an assembly-type deal in the morning, I think around 8ish. Then, youāll be paired with a student in the grade to which you are accepted (so one year older than you are now, generally) and you shadow them for 2nd-6th periods. There is also time to try a ācrash courseā lesson, which is half an hour and usually in fields like foreign language or astronomy. If thereās anything you specifically want to do, like see a particular building or meet with a coach, your host will almost always be able to accommodate that.
If you come to Andover early enough the night before revisits, they usually have a talent show too
@tacocat123
Congrats to all the new admits! Iām a new lower (10th grade) here at Andover so feel free to PM me or ask here about any questions as a transfer student or about student life in general!
Iām a parent of two 9th graders both at Andover. We received FA. We had a very difficult time making the final decision about which school to attend. If you have questions, Iām happy to answer.
Iām a musician and frankly Iām worried about how much time Iāll have to practice at Andover. With the mandatory sports, the āinsane, mental-breakdown-inducing, multi-hour loads of homeworkā, and ECās, I donāt see how I could have enough time for it all, and I really donāt want my piano to suffer. Even if I somehow managed to get all of it done including the music, Iād never socialize or have any fun. Am I doomed to a life of work and nothing else?
Am I still required to play if I suck at every sport?
@ffsophiar @YoungThriver
Per my child, a current freshman, there are options for sports. Apparently theater can count as a sport and there are classes such as spinning and yoga with less time required. If you are a morning person, there is something called morning basics (stretching/running/āfree for allā in the Snyder center. You could complete the requirement in the morning and have the afternoon free. There are also recreational teams such as introductory field hockey. Those teams donāt compete against other schools.
As for the homework, the key is time management. If you have a problem with time management, the Pearson Learning Center (among other places) can assist with that. There are also extensions allowed for assignments on occasion - for example if 3 major assignments are due on the same day a student can ask for an extension for one of those.
My child has been in varsity swim and has had plenty of free time to socialize even with a full course load. She uses every available minute of the day and really utilizes resources including the writing center, teacher office hours, the math center, etc.
@ffsophiar Hey fellow musician! Donāt worry - youāll have plenty of time to practice. I usually practice around an hour every day, but I have friends who get in three hours. Thereās a great sports option called music basics which is basically you do yoga for fifteen minutes and then you can practice. Youāll need to get departmental permission, which is usually not hard to get for dedicated musicians. You can practice whenever you want - as long as there arenāt other mandatory commitments during that time.