<p>Hey guys. I haven't posted in a longggggg time, but I just decided I'd answer any questions people may have about Exeter and the admissions process in general. So, ask away.</p>
<p>Hi markalex1. I have a student at Exeter this year but wouldn’t mind getting your perspective on an issue I’m getting questions about from a couple of families in our home town. We all know times are tough. Some have heard that even need-blind schools like PEA are tightening FA so much that, truly, admit rates for full-pay kids are increasing. I know what Exeter’s public statement is in terms of meeting need, but do you have any on-the-ground intell about this? Would you be concerned that admit standards for full-pay candidates might be different, i.e., lower?</p>
<p>What surprised you the most at Exeter?</p>
<p>@exeterbound, Exeter is not “need blind”; on the admissions website they state that requiring financial aid may affect admissions decisions. That said, their endowment has now returned to over 1 billion dollars (what it was in 2008), and they continue to offer free tuition, room, board, computers and books to any admitted student with a family income of less than 75,000 dollars. That covers many more families in this economy than it used to. Sliding scale aid even covers families with incomes up to 200,000 dollars, and 40% of students receive financial aid. This is very comparable to the schools that promote “need-blind” admissions; for example at PAA (Andover), where 45% of students receive financial aid. Exeter is a remarkably diverse community, with a wide range of ethnic, socio-economic, racial and religious identities among staff and students. Suggest you visit for yourself.</p>
<p>@Exeterbound, I’m sorry, but I’m not very knowledgeable on Exeter’s specific admission policies.</p>
<p>@Invent, I hate to sound cheesy, but people are WAY nice than I expected them to be. I literally have not met one person whom I would consider “mean.” And that’s coming from a middle class FA suburban child. Even the people who are really preppy are nice. When I was applying, everyone gave m the impression that Exeter would be full of snotty rich kids, but people are SO nice here. Also, another thing that surprised me were the dorms. The rooms are SO much bigger than I thought. My single is approx. the same size as my room at home, and I have one of the smallest rooms I’ve seen on campus. I’ve seen singles and doubles that are 3-4 times bigger than the size of my room at home. The dorms are just so nice. <3 I’m really happy in general with how things are going at Exeter.</p>
<p>The rooms sound great! I thought that bs dorms would be really small, but apparently not 
What’s the food like? I’m a vegetarian, and I was wondering what kind of options there are throughout the day.</p>
<p>There are lots of options for vegans and vegetarians. Salad and pasta bars are always available, along with soups and cereals. I’d say approx 1/3 to half of the menu items every day are vegetarian.</p>
<p>[Phillips</a> Exeter Academy | Vegetarian/Vegan Eating at Exeter](<a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/student_life/7944_8011.aspx]Phillips”>http://www.exeter.edu/student_life/7944_8011.aspx)</p>
<p>@markalex1: Thx - totally understandable. And you have far more exciting things to be discussing anyway. Great that you’re offering your on-the-ground insights on CC.</p>
<p>@2prepMom: Thx for your input. I misspoke and should have been more precise as I realize PEA isn’t “need blind.” It is need sensitive, however, in the best possible sense and, as you point out, is by far one of the most generous B schools on the FA front. Thx for suggesting a visit - as stated, we’re happily enrolled and know the campus and its diversity (economic and otherwise) firsthand. Still, when asked by prospective families, I do wish to convey the most accurate, current information on the FA front. I can call John Hutchins and peruse the website, but sometimes CC yields some nice, current, unvarnished info beyond a school’s stated policy. Money remains tight, after all, and it does seem like a fine time to be a full-pay B school or college student - no matter how robust an institution’s endowment. Anyhow, have a lovely day.</p>
<p>For the FA issue, I would like to say that the first time I applied to Exeter I was rejected. My admissions officer talked to me later and said that it was mostly because I was applying for financial aid and they couldn’t afford me. (Maybe they just say that to rejected applicants as a suggestion for why they might have been rejected, but I don’t know.) Anyway, I was accepted the next year and currently attend.</p>
<p>There is also a great variety among dorm room size. Mark, have you seen Lamont or McConnell (both girls’ dorms)? All of their rooms are pretty small. But Exeter is nice because it has a lot of single rooms, and it is often more difficult to deal with a roommate than a small room. (But roommates can be great too!) (I should stop using parentheses.)</p>
<p>Musisat, I haven’t had much experience with the girls dorms, but the guys dorms (especially on north side) are huge!</p>
<p>How about open houses or visitation programs? I want to visit and tour Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, and Deerfield… Maybe more. What do you guys think is the best way to do this?</p>
<p>Yeah, I haven’t exactly roamed around the men’s rooms, but I have heard that they are mostly pretty nice.</p>
<p>Definitely come and visit! I don’t think we exactly have an open house, but you can tour anytime. I would suggest coming on a weekday or a Saturday morning.</p>