<p>My kid wore turtlenecks for a while last year, but now says he can’t believe I “let him do that” (?!) From that comment, I gather it’s more acceptable to wear a shirt and tie. Not sure about mock turtlenecks–we got a couple sweater mock turtles, but our son never felt like testing the water to see if he could get away with it. He has told me that the faculty tend to be more lenient with the boys because the dress code is so lopsided–the girls get away with very casual clothes. </p>
<p>I think they just get used to wearing shirt and tie after a while–my son complained about it a lot last year and not at all this year. In fact, he kind of likes it–says he doesn’t think he’d feel right wearing a t-shirt to class. Wonder what he’ll do in college?</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your advice. My son is coming from Nevada, where very casual outdoorsy performance clothing is popular. Do boys wear those nylon cargo pants which zip off at the knee or what type of pants do most boys wear? Corduroys okay? How about fleece jackets or do they wear those blue blazers to class? What stores do boys buy their clothes from? My son tends to get his clothes from REI or Patagonia (we have an outlet store here).</p>
<p>I drive by the Exeter campus several times/day and have taken notice what the boys wear. My son will also be there this fall.</p>
<p>The guys I have noticed are in dress shirts with ties, shirt tails out, (which they probably tuck in when they get to class as I think that is against dress code), sleeves rolled up (it is spring here so the weather is warming up). When they wear shorts it is what appears to be shorts from places like J crew, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Abercrombie, etc. 9 times out of 10 they seem to wear boat shoes without socks. When I see them going to the gym, they wear t’s and sports shorts with sneakers, or Exeter gear.</p>
<p>In the winter I don’t think I remember seeing too many (if any at all) in turtlenecks. They wear dress shirts. Of course they have coats on, (it can get very cold here). Fleece coats are good for Fall/early winter, but he will need something warmer. We had a mild winter here with very little snow, but it typically can be in the teens and twenty’s here in the middle of winter. I have seen the boys in jeans, cords, chinos for pants.</p>
<p>I have not seen the boys in sport coats (blazers) unless there was some kind of event. (The seniors have lots of events in the next few weeks). A good navy blue sport coat with tan chinos is very acceptable (almost a New England uniform, haha!)</p>
<p>I hope that helps. Just think New England preppy and you can’t go wrong.</p>
<p>My son was going to do the comp sci elective until he realized that for kids with programming experience it may not be the best choice. He is opting for the 300-level course probably in his upper year. I have heard (we have lots of neighbors that go to Exeter) that if you have no experience than the intro comp sci course would be the way to go. I have also heard the Religion and pop culture class is really good. </p>
<p>I think in general, preps and lowers try to fulfill as many requirements as possible. From what we were told it is good for the preps to maybe take an art, religion, history, comp sci elective the first year (one in each catagory in each semester). Some of the classes that your child may take depending on what it is may end up with mixtures of kids in it. My son is taking one elective this fall which will probably end up with seniors in it for instance.</p>
<p>@BS bound - I was in one of the focus groups Mr. Gaztambide-Fernandez set up while at Exeter; I’m curious to read the results of his research!</p>
<p>As for fashion choices, I guarantee that no matter how fashion-forward the student, his/her daily wardrobe will devolve into “almost-brushed hair, sweatpants, something vaguely clean” by about November - no use stressing over it. (Although I hope the polo+tie trend has died down by now!)</p>
<p>Your son will get used to the shirt and tie. Mine is a bit of a shopaholic so has a wide selection of bright colors for both shirts and ties. Makes it easier to embrace.</p>
<p>Never seen a boy going to class in sweatpants–though I’ve seen lots in jeans–but, yeah, some kids look pretty rumpled for their first class. They always seem more cleaned up by afternoon though. Maybe that’s a benefit of the way Exeter schedules sports into the middle of the day!</p>
<p>The zip-off cargo pants will probably be replaced by chino-style pants/shorts. I don’t think the brand matters much at Exeter for boys–someone else on CC steered me to J.C. Penney for a good place to find that stuff inexpensively (when I can’t find it at Goodwill). And just bought some boat shoes with my REI dividend!</p>
<p>Thank you very much to everyone for all the advice. Now my son (and I) have a much better sense of what to buy and bring and he won’t look like he stepped out of a Western!</p>
<p>I was accepted as a new lower for next year, and I was just wondering, would it be wise taking a 200-level history course as an elective, or should I start with a 100-level history course first so I can get the hang of Harkness?</p>
<p>My advice would be to not take history in the fall and then decide. You could always preregister for one winter or spring, then drop and add as needed.</p>
<p>@naturally
Look at the courses and see if there are some interesting 100 level (Greece and Rome are popular and taken by many lowers). Once you take a 200 level history, you cannot take any 100 level history. The 200 level classes are fewer, and mainly European hx. Also look carefully at the 18 different 400 level history electives, maybe you want to save those for senior year?</p>
<p>As a new lower you have a little less room for electives, so plan out the 4 years and see how the requirements work with classes you are receiving credit for. You will also be starting with more advanced level classes than the preps. Maybe an art would work well for you first term?</p>
<p>Thank you for the information and insight on comp sci classes. Given a balance of quantitatively-focused classes, my son has decided to go with Theater, Religion and History as his electives in prep year. For religion, he signed up for REL120: One Nation Under God? because of the first-hand visits to Buddhist meditation, Passover Seder, Muslim prayer service, etc. You mentioned that REL240: Religion and Popular Culture gets positive reviews, have you heard any feedback on REL120?</p>
<p>Regarding clothing, do you know if the LLBean (duck) boots are what boys wear? We are coming from LA, and I figure there’s a standard slush boot that boys use. Also, do you have any ideas about where to stock up on value-priced, preppie-style ties? Thanks so much!</p>
<p>@2prepMom and @classicalmama, thank you for the info! Unfortunately, by the time I got the chance to change my schedule, it was already too late. I’m stuck in Pre-Colonial Africa (a 200-level class) for my fall term. I was hoping to switch into Greece and Rome, but I’ll have to fulfill my requirement of one non-US history course somehow. Quick question – do uppers have room in their schedule to take any electives besides the three terms of US history that are required?</p>
<p>@LAprep girls wear the duck boots, very popular. I have not checked out the boys footwear.</p>
<p>@naturally
Yes, there are electives open junior year. It depends on whether you want to take more science (you only need to take 5 credits), and where you will be/want to be in language (passing 330 or higher meets requirements). </p>
<p>You have 5 regular (one-credit) classes to take each of the three terms, which could be math, language, history, english and some science (or hold the science for another year and put some electives in to junior year). You can add music 1/3 or 2/3 credit to that as well.</p>
<p>LAPrep: My son took that class, and loved it–both the content and the teacher. Good choice!</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with Bean boots. My kid got the higher ones–unlined, which I thought might be too cold–but they worked well all winter. </p>
<p>I get all his ties at TJ Maxx on clearance or Goodwill–Goodwill has loads of conservative looking silk ties. Honestly, I wouldn’t invest money in something that’s going to get stained, lost, or permanently knotted in quick, throw it around the neck and tighten mode. </p>
<p>naturally nerdy: 2prepmom is right, but since lots of competitive colleges want three full years of foreign language (I read this as three years in high school to the highest level possible for you, not just through 300-level, though that is Exeter’s requirement) and prefer 3 years of lab science, choosing electives upper year usually means taking science or foreign language senior year. Students do do that though. Did you ask if you could be put on a waitlist for the 100-level history sequence? Sometimes spots open up even after add/drop. </p>
<p>@LA Prep Mom: We lived in LA for 10+ years and now have lived in New England for the past 12 years. My son will be starting as a prep at PEA. Some thoughts on boots and cold weather clothing that might be helpful - your son won’t be needing the boots until at least November, maybe not until December or January. A lot of times kids want to select what their friends have. You may want to wait and see on the boots? Or that might just be an issue with my kids. I don’t know if you are planning on coming out with your son in the Summer/Fall or for a later visit. Not too far from Exeter, in Kittery Maine, is a very large Premium Outlet area, including an LL Bean outlet, and many other high quality, outdoor clothing/gear stores. Also, New England also has a lot of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s stores which carry designer clothing and footwear, including blazers and ties, at significant discounts. If you are coming to visit, and don’t want to buy a lot of clothes ahead of time, there are a lot of options locally. The fun for us this Summer is that my son, a VERY casual dresser, has not yet learned how to tie a tie, and he is determined to do so before starting at Exeter. :)</p>
<p>^ Not that it really matters, but there is not an LL Bean outlet in Kittery. There is a similar store - Kittery Trading Post - but it is not web-based. If you want the real deal - you will have to go to the outlets in Conway or Concord (I think there are a few other Bean outlets in NH) or to the main store in Freeport. The Trading post is OK for gear if you are a real outdoorsman or for outerwear - but the clothes are as far from fashion forward or even passably preppy as is humanly possible (and not even cool/fun like REI or EMS). They are almost always really low on shoe size selection, as well. I go there and often come back empty handed, and realized it would have been faster to go online with Bean. Their shipments to southern NH from Freeport are usually just 2 days - with regular ground. No shipping fee.</p>
<p>Other than the Trading Post, the only other outdoor clothing places in Kittery are Barbour and Timberland. Other stores may have random coats and such (like J. crew or Ralph Lauren)- but they are pretty undependable - they are outlets. Also - stuff in August/early September is really picked over from the onslaught of summer tourism. By October (think Parents weekend) things settle down around here with just the locals and leaf-peepers, and the stores stock nicer items.</p>
<p>You are right, there is no LLBean outlet in Kittery. I believe the closest one to Exeter would be in Manchester, NH about 45 minutes west. There is a J Crew outlet, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Brooks Brothers, Hilfiger, Hickey Freeman, Bass, Nike, Gap, and some others. I am sure you could look them up online. You are again right of course with the summer tourists it can get challenging to find good things unless you can make multiple trips. Kittery Trading Post…unless you plan on sitting in the woods in camo with your rifle- don’t bother.</p>
<p>My son usually wears Sorel boots in the winter. They are pretty high, waterproof, and very warm. They lace up. Not too sure about boys duck boots for winter. I know the girls wear them.</p>
I don’t know if you are planning on coming out with your son in the Summer/Fall or for a later visit. Not too far from Exeter, in Kittery Maine, is a very large Premium Outlet area, including an LL Bean outlet, and many other high quality, outdoor clothing/gear stores. Also, New England also has a lot of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s stores which carry designer clothing and footwear, including blazers and ties, at significant discounts. If you are coming to visit, and don’t want to buy a lot of clothes ahead of time, there are a lot of options locally. The fun for us this Summer is that my son, a VERY casual dresser, has not yet learned how to tie a tie, and he is determined to do so before starting at Exeter. :)</p>