I am a rising 10th grader trying to decide between either Andover or Exeter

I am currently in the process of applying to boarding schools, and if I were to get in, I am wondering which school would better match my ideal school.

My ideal school would look quite different than my current high school. The size of my current high school (1400) as a whole is not a problem, but I would prefer to go to a school with a higher teacher to student ratio (I currently have around 20-30 kids to one teacher at my school). This is because I want to have discussions with my classmates, which leads to my next point. The lecture teaching style is a good one and I learn a lot, but I have been doing some research and the teaching style I have found that looks the most interesting and conversation-based is the Harkness method.

The environment and culture at my ideal school would also be different. I want to be surrounded by students who genuinely enjoy learning. Personally, this is a new thing for me. In the past, I have never had a genuine interest in learning. However, recently I have begun to enjoy learning certain subjects. These subjects consist mainly of math (this is the main subject), science, literature (not necessarily English), and Spanish. My ideal school would have someway to focus on a certain subject or group of subjects, similar to the idea of a major in college. This is important for me because I have a general idea of what I want to study in college. This is hands-down mathematics and applied mathematics. I couldn’t see myself going in a direction that wouldn’t include math.

When it comes to pressure-cooker schools, I honestly believe I have the skills to manage stress at this point in my life. I want to be successful at my next school. This goes for the academic side, but also as well as the mental and social side.

Other miscellaneous things I would like to have at my school would be, decent sports teams and school spirit, plenty of leadership roles through various clubs or organizations, and no more than one roommate. Things like uniforms or strict dress codes I am neutral on. I would prefer not to have a uniform, but it is by no means a deal-breaker.

Thank you.

Wait until you (hopefully) get in, then ask these questions. Andover and Exeter are both incredible schools, but there are also a lot of other incredible schools that, if you are adamant about attending boarding school, you should look into. Until M10, I would suggest focusing on your applications, your grades, and your ECs. You will have an entire month in the spring to decide which school is the best, and by then you will have visited classes, met students and teachers, and experienced each school’s environment before having to finally choose.

Schools have revisit days for accepted students in the spring. The vast majority of students feel that the decision becomes much easier after those – one school often just feels right. No need to try to decide now.

Wouldn’t stress about this until after March 10 or Revisit (if you get accepted)…however, there could be other factors driving your questions…you wrote that your interest in learning is new.y found and that you have specific areas of interest…keep in mind that you will need to take a wide variety of classes at boarding school…why are you limiting yourself to 2 schools?

@Golfgr8 Those aren’t the only two schools I am applying to, but they sure are the ones that interest me the most. There are a few other boarding schools and private day schools that I am applying to.

This question is the epitome of prematurity; one or both of these schools may make the decision for you. If you do get into both, ask your question again a week after M10.

Further to skieurope’s point, an Andover-Exeter student survey from a few years back indicated that about only about 30% (if I remember correctly) of students who applied to both schools, and were accepted to at least one of the schools, was also offered admission to the other school.

In any event, I agree with others that you could likely satisfy your wish list at any one of a number of fine boarding schools. Regarding Andover and Exeter, although they look very similar on the surface (student body size, classroom size, extracurricular activities, student body stats, student involvement, etc.), they have distinct personalities. You should select where you apply based on where you think you will be happy and thrive.

Best advice, Apply to many schools. Find one that fits YOU.

I have a child at Andover. I agree that you should wait until March 10 and see where you get in. I agree there are many fine schools that would meet your needs/wants where you could be very happy.

One point about the Harkness method: I know Exeter takes credit for this and maybe they were the first to implement it, but Andover has used this same round-table discussion format for decades. I would guess many other boarding schools do also.

One point about rural/suburban, Andover is a 10-minute walk from downtown and 1/2 hour bus ride from Boston. (You can go on bus for day, even though you wouldn’t have time to do so very often.) I BELIEVE Exeter also has a downtown in walking distance, but it is 1.5 hours from city.

Good luck!