@livelaughxc omg you got Adams - that’s one of the best dorms on campus (a lot of people put this as their first choice) - very nice rooms. They have three-room doubles if I’m not mistaken, and it’s only about 5 minutes from commons. Are you a new lower?
hey everyone, I’m a new freshman at Andover! Do you have to try out for the JV Teams, and is there a specific registration process required for that? Also, when do those tryouts happen if there are any? thanks!
@saltandpepper Yes, JV teams have tryouts but unlike fall Varsity teams, whose tryouts are by invitation only before new students register, JV tryouts don’t happen until after everyone is on campus!
@ffsophiar Nathan Hale is one of the five dorms in Pine Knoll Cluster (PKN) and it houses about 42 people. The Knoll, a nickname for the cluster, is also a large circle of grass around which PKN’s dorms are situated. Nathan Hale is separated into five different halls of 8-10 people each and is also about 7 minutes from Commons (but in a different direction than the Quads). It’s right next to the Cochran Wildlife Sanctuary (the Sanctuary, for short) and its common room is pretty large!
@AndoverKid257 Yep, new lower! My revisit hosts recommended asking for Adams!
Thank you, @gossipgirlME ! Also, how many doubles and singles are there at Nathan Hale, and how are the conditions of the bathrooms?
@livelaughxc ah nice to meet you! I’m a returning lower living in Johnson (another WQS dorm). If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me 
Hi everyone. I am currently an eighth grader who is applying to andover this year. i currently play an instrument very seriously and is it possible for me to contact music teachers at PA during the application process or in general as an applicant? thank u!
@eekeek I don’t know about current policy, but a few years ago for Geometry they were very specific in requiring a proof-based geometry class with signature from your teacher saying it was proof-based. You will take a placement test and talk to your advisor about classes - you can talk to the math department too.
If you have a love for sports, but you are not a top player, will you get looked down upon by the admissions team?
No
@“thatshot…” Actually I wrote my personal statement on being bad at my sport (it went a bit more specific than that but whatever) and I found out later they really liked it so you can actually make it work in your favour
Has anyone here gotten in with a B or two? This is the part of the application I am most worried about.
Yes. Many many applicants have.
Hey there, I’m an eighth-grader currently applying for Andover. I really want to ask, is it normal for the admissions team to remember you? When I went in for my interview, Mrs. Mallick said she remembered me from a social media blunder she had a few months back (she accidentally pulled me into a group for admitted students because I have the same name as a student). I thought it was cool that she remembered, but it wasn’t terribly weird, I guess. Then I had my interview, which was amazing and went on for more than an hour, so thumbs up for that.
However, a few weeks later I attended the Diversity Round Table and Mrs. Carroll knew me and my name before I even introduced myself. Now, I knew she seemed kind of familiar, but I don’t recall any face-to-face interactions (sorry, Mrs. Carroll). She said she remembered me from the Open House and my interview, which is honestly super crazy because I don’t remember seeing her at my interview. She even remembered that it was on a Saturday. We had some really friendly conversations, and it turns out she’s from the same area as me! Isn’t that so interesting?
But anyway, has anyone else had similar experiences? Does the Andover admissions team have super memory or something? I just really am curious. Sorry for the long rant!
(PS, I hope this didn’t sound arrogant in any way, I just genuinely want to know. Thanks!)
I can’t speak to the rest of the admissions team, but Mrs. Mallick does have an extraordinary memory for applicants. She remembered basically everything about me the first time I met her, it was crazy impressive
What are the pros/cons of taking AP exams as a Andover student? My DDs are trying to decide if taking AP exams are necessary/worth it?
As with many things - it depends. Andover, unlike many boarding schools, still offers some AP classes - primarily STEM, so some classes are better aligned with the AP exam than others.
For Seniors, who will know what college they are attending, it depends on what AP exams confer credit or placement. Additionally, many top schools limit AP credit, so if the kid already racked up a ton of AP credit, the exam may not be worth it, except possibly to skip the corresponding class.
For younger kids, they don’t know the AP credit policies, since they don’t know what school they will ultimately attend. In general, I would say to take the exam for any AP courses, but think long and hard about a course that is not AP. No college AO will expect AP exams where there is no corresponding course. But again, it all depends. If you had specific AP exams in mind, feel free to list.
I also add that basically nobody will use any AP credit to graduate in under 4 years. But it does help for things like math placement, foreign language exemption, etc.
Is the food actually good? Are there opportunities to cook your own food?
bump…?