Hi everyone,
I’m an upperclassman at Phillips Exeter and as someone who used to be active on CC during my admissions process, I wanted to give you guys some insight on what life is like here at the Academy and answer any questions you might have!
A tiny bit about me:
I applied to maybe 10 or 11 schools, and was accepted to six of them, and ultimately chose Exeter because of its size and opportunities. I really love Exeter, but I will say that it is actually really tough, but manageable if you make it so. Either way, I hope you all have gotten the news you were hoping for and I hope you decide to choose Exeter.
So yeah, feel free to ask any questions about Exeter, but general questions about BS will also be welcomed.
@reallifeexonian , my friend from Exeter is also open to questions, so ask away my friends!
Sincerely,
Your Fellow Exonians 
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Any student/alum/parent/friend is welcome to answer questions here as well.
is it true that you get 50 minutes of homework for each lesson and you don’t have time for leisure reading? thanks 
@hemingwayman it is for the most part pretty true that you get around 50 minutes per class on average. For some classes you can get away with maybe 20-30 minutes if you’re crunched for time, and on the night before a test or a final paper, you might spend 2 or 3 hours on one subject. Typically it’s safe to say that most Exonians are doing at least 2-3 hours of really solid homework per day, in many cases more.
Also, not all classes meet everyday (which will make sense if/when you get there) so sometimes you might only have 3 academic classes in one day, or maybe 5 the next. We also have half day Wednesday every week, so typically that is a good break for students.
@hellofrands thank you that was really helpful!
After paying the deposit and confirming that you will attend, what forms/mail will you get during that period up to the first day of school?
I like the 50 minutes of homework, compared to two hours of busy work at my current school! XD
Is it possible to ask to enter as a prep, even though you applied to be a new Lower?
@Anonymousia (It’s been a while since I’ve gone through this waiting period but to the best of my knowledge…) After you confirm that you will be attending, you should receive placement materials for language and Math, and i just saw on our school portal Exeter Connect that registration will happen in mid to late April, so you will choose your classes for the next year then.
You will get your dorm assignment in late summer, so I would not worry about that for a while.
Other than that, I believe a large envelope from Exeter should most likely be coming in the mail with health forms and financial aid stuff (if you applied). I forget when this is supposed to come, but it will come eventually.
I would take a look at the course booklet in detail to figure out what courses you will need to take in order to graduate, and other than that just be prepared to fill out a lot of boring forms! The school should give you more instructions soon, though.
@junemaybees that is 50 minutes per class, not just 50 minutes overall, and with most students having four or five classes a day, it typically averages at about 3+ hours of hw a night for most students, haha.
And I don’t exactly know the answer to your question about coming in as a prep versus a new lower. That would of course depend on whether or not you already got in, and after that, I would simply contact the admissions office when you can start asking them specific questions pertaining to your admittance. They would most likely want you to provide them with a decent reason as to why you believe you should enter in a grade below where you applied.
One thing I will say is that coming in as a new lower isn’t as horrible as it may seem (myself having been one when I first came to Exeter), and you will definitely make a good adjustment whether or not they allow you to switch grades.
@hemingwayman You can find time for leisure reading if you prioritize it.
What is the dress code like and what are the dorms like? Also what classes do you take besides like the core classes (English, math, science)?
http://www.exeter.edu/documents/COI/COI2015-16.pdf
@happyvisions
You can wear a collared shirt, sweater, blouse, dress, skirt, jeans, khakis. It’s pretty lax-you just can’t technically wear leggings and you can’t wear a T-shirt.
https://phillipsexeteradmissions.■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Here’s a link to a blog of current Exeter students to help you guys make your decision!
@hellofrands That makes me feel a lot better, maybe I’ll stick with 10th grade this year after all. I think I’m just afraid, haha.
Oh, I know very well you meant 50 minutes per class. My school likes to assign unnecessary amounts of busy work for homework and pretend it’s increasing it’s rigor. So excited to be leaving! :)>-
@junemaybees yes as far as busy work goes there is very little of it, and i will say that for almost every class in order to get a good Harkness (participation) grade, you really should take the time most night to do a thorough job of the homework. So if you have 25 pages of reading for an English novel, actually use the 50 min and annotate and whatnot. It’ll make more sense if/once you go here, and you’ll fall into a good rhythm sooner than later!
And again, coming in as a new lower can be scary for maybe the first week or two, seeing as everyone seems to already have their own friends, but this is natural, and goes away quickly as sports, classes, and clubs pick up!
Hello,
Today i was rejected as a new lower and the first thing that jumped to my mind was; I want to re apply. My question is, does exeter admit 1 year seniors or do they reserve those spaces for PG? Basically, will they admit a senior for one year or is it required to enter prep, upper, lower, or PG year?
If you have almost full financial aid, by how much are your music lessons costs lowered?
Also, I heard before about an Exeter student work program https://www.exeter.edu/documents/14_15.pdf is it true?
+1 to both of @Anonymousia’s questions! Are music lesson costs proportional to the percent of your tuition costs?
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Guys, let’s remember, the original poster is a student. Don’t ask questions about how many are on the waitlist, will I get off the waitlist, etc. The student will not know and you’re putting him/her in an uncomfortable position.
Ask questions about food, classes, EC opportunities, and other things about which a current student is knowledgeable.
@Peterya if you were just rejected as a new lower and you are currently a freshman, I would suggest reapplying as a repeat lower, because the admit rate is much higher than it is for new uppers or seniors, I believe.
There are, in fact, new seniors, as well as academic PGs who are not at Exeter simply for sports or music, so that could also be an option for you.
@Anonymousia here is a quote from our school online portal:
“For 2016-17, the fee for a full lesson (50 minutes) is $64 per lesson and a half lesson (25 minutes) is $35 per lesson. Students usually take ten lessons per term (one each week). Music lesson fees are posted to the student’s account and are in addition to regular tuition. If a student drops lessons before the deadline, s/he will be charged only for the lessons taken up to that point. After the deadline has passed, the student is billed for lessons for the entire term. Lesson fees must be paid each term in order for students to continue to enroll in the course. All students who receive financial aid at the Academy receive a music lesson scholarship to help cover a portion of the cost of one set (10) music lessons per term. Music Scholarships do not cover the entire cost of lessons even for those students receiving full tuition aid. Scholarships are automatically applied as a credit to the bill for music lessons.”
I’ve heard that full FA students get a largely subsidized price for these lessons, which makes it quite manageable for most all students to take music lessons.
Also, there is a student work program that all students can take part of on campus, and you can work up to 6 hours per week, earning minimum wage. You can work anywhere from the library to the admissions office to the game room. The work program is really chill and a ton of people take part in it. It’s really good for earning money on top of what allowance your parents may be providing you.
Thank you, @skieurope for the note,
and to @junemaybees , I think based on the quote I just provided in my previous comment that it may be proportional. I wouldn’t know, as I do not take music lessons. I do believe, though, that most all students who wish to take musics are able to do so, so I would assume that adequate scholarships are awarded to most students.