Hello, I was wondering if anyone with experience with these schools could give a strong contrast between the two schools. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the schools and perhaps the nuances?
One of the biggest differences is size…Andover being one of the largest and Groton being one of the smallest. Groton is more secluded from its surrounding town than Andover. (Both of these things my son loved about Groton). The dorm situations were a bit different, if I remember correctly, but I think others that actually saw Groton’s dorms for 8th & 9th grades should speak to this…we interviewed on a day they couldn’t give a tour, so we didn’t get to see the dorms. Groton has religious chapel, which plays a large part of their daily routines. (Another thing DS loved about Groton as he was coming from a similar situation).
Others who have attended/are attending either school should be able to give you more detailed information, but I think size is a huge factor for many and these schools are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes the the student body number!
Groton has unique dorm room set-ups…different for 8th & 9th - like a wall divider that doesn’t go all the way up…The 8th grade dorm room had a curtain, not a real door. The other difference is level of freedom and responsibility found at schools - this is something you should be asking yourself, as it relates to “best fit” for YOU, not ranking. It’s a matter of preference, as some people like more structured study time, help with time management, communal studying, etc. As a recall, younger grades 8 & 9 (?) have a mandatory study time in the “classroom” at Groton. OUr friend’s daughter loved this. Other schools we saw also had younger students study in the library or in a dorm common room. A couple of schools had study time in the dorm room with the door open. I think that Groton may be a school where younger students have less independent study time and less independence? Just an impression. On the day we visited, younger students were catching up on homework in the “school room”. I think the older students were in the library. For my kiddo, Andover seems to offer more activities and larger facilities. Also, Groton is out in the country - not within walking distance to town like Andover. Also, Andover is closer to the train. Again, it’s about what you prefer and what you’re looking for. Given how difficult it is to get accepted to these schools, don’t sweat it until revisit day :)]