Hey can a student (or multiple) from PA do a Q&A?
I’d love to do a Q&A, You can either post the question directly on here, or you could PM me
I could also help answer some questions about Andover!
Okay here it goes…
-How are the dorms and what are each known for? Is there one that I should hope for?
-Do students and faculty share meals and or snacks together? Are Andover students usually close with the advisor/faculty member that lives in one’s particular dorm? How are most faculty members (generally)?
-Is Andover similar to other High Schools in the social lives of students?
-Where is a common hangout area on or off campus? Do students often go downtown or stay put?
-Do revisit days provide an accurate showing of Andover?
-Do you happen to know when incoming students choose courses?
-How much time after school do sports generally consume?
-What are some stereotypes for different sports at Andover?
-Are eating times set-in-stone at Andover?
-Are students able to skip meals if they wish?
-Can a student bring a coffee maker to school? (I am expecting that I may need it…lol)
-Do freshman have the choice of having a single their first year?
-Since Andover doesn’t have Saturday classes, are students allowed to go home on weekends?
Thanks in advance!
P.S. I know there are a lot here so if you (when I say you I mean anyone answering in general) are unable to get to all of them that is completely fine.
I’ll take a stab at these
- Some dorms are newer than other, so some are more like regular houses, while some are like dormitories. Honestly, as a freshman, you don’t have much control over where you end up. Many will end up in one of the bigger dorms. You can pick and choose dorms after freshman year.
- It depends on every student, but in general, yes: Andover students are close with family members. I have had meals and even gone over to teacher's houses for extra help, or just to talk
- Yes and No. Social life is of course much more centered around school, since it is 75% boarding. There are generally fun activities to do on the weekend, and you could also go into Boston via train. It is different, but also very fun.
- Hangout areas depend on the type of people you are with. Commons is the #1 hangout spot, since we eat there, but there are also some other popular ones. You will find your own based on your group of friends. Tons of eople go downtown to Starbucks, Dagostinos, Dunks, and CVS. Plus UBurger just opened
- In some sense, revisit days paint an accurate picture, but in other ways, not so much. The schedule you follow is essentially the same, however you will get to experience a few extra cool things, such as going in the observatory(I havent been up there since...) It's not accurate in that you don't see anything that goes on after classes, which is such an integral part of each day at Andover.
- When I came in 4 years ago, we chose courses during orientation, 2 days before classes started. This is because you may have to take placement tests during the first 2 days of orientation. It may have changed since 2012 though.
- Depends on the sport. If you do intramural, it will only take up 45 mins, however many students also go to the weight room after. Varsity/JV take up a minimum of 75-90 mins, however certain sports take longer. For example, we had 2.5-3 hour practices for football on Wednesday afternoons, since we only played on Saturdays.
- There are some stereotypes. Unlike other public schools, the football team isn't necessarily revered. We love hockey/lacrosse here. Lacrosse is currently tryig to rebuild their reputation after a major incident during their preseason trip a few years ago.
- Sort of, but there is plenty of flexibility. For a significant meal, you have to go within to two hours blocks set of for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. There are always muffins, toast, and some fruit available though the morning though. We have a place called the "den" inside commons where you can order food, or pick up quick snacks unitl sign-in.
- No attendance is taken at meals, and nobody will bat an eye if you skip one meal, or all three. Many people skip breakfast, and a decent number of people order out at least once a week(Sauce Wings/Dominos are popular).
- No. You generally cannot. I had a friend get a censure(disciplinary action) last year because he had a tea kettle in his room. BUT DO NOT FEAR: There is UNLIMITED coffee available in Commons until 8 p.m. We are proud abusers of caffeine here at Andover!
- You can get a single freshman year. You will receive a form to fill out related to living arrangements.
- Generally yes. You will just need to clear if with your counselor if you are going home overnight. Most students don't go home every weekend, since they will either have a sports match or want to stay on campus to go to a social event or game.
I would like to apologize in advance if these questions sound like interview questions.
If “one” (obviously not me…) was not sure what Fall sport to play, which would you recommend? Is there a particular sport that students seem to enjoy the most? Is intramural a common thing? Would you recommend it as something to do for the first part of school?
Generally speaking, are there any “no-nos” going into revisit days?
----> Is there a particular time when students get to meet each other?
Would you go to Andover if you were applying again?
----> Is there anything about PA you would change?
Also are there any general questions that I missed? Because if so, I probably would most likely be wondering the same thing.
Hey @bluehamilton , my daughter is at practice now, but will ask her if she can reply later to your posts–since she attends Andover. I can answer one question fairly confidently on her behalf.
“Would you go to Andover if you were applying again?” Her answer would be unequivocally YES!!! She once instructed me to answer people who were asking if she liked school, to not just say “yes”, but to clarify it is her Happy Place.
The intellectual and social opportunities at Andover far exceed her expectations. It is beautiful, stimulating, respectful, nurturing, and challenging.
Congrats on being accepted! ^:)^
@MABlue Hi, I also have some questions:
- How competitive is the school? Is it a sink or swim environment?
- Do you feel that there was any social time or was it just work?
- How are the teachers at the school? Do they want you to succeed?
- Do many freshmen try new sports?
Hi @PrepGal ! I am a new lower at Andover, and I’m going to go ahead and hijack @MABlue 's thing.
- It really depends on you. There are people who go crazy trying to get a 6 in this class or a board position in that club. I’ve been one of those people. However, if you take a step back, you will realize that you can do well in all aspects if you make sure that your sense of self is not tied to your GPA or how your college app will look. What I’m saying is: Andover is as competitive as you make it.
At Andover, you will receive a lot of support academically, socially, athletically, etc. Freshmen have more support (with prefects, pass/fail English/history the first term, etc.), but many of my fellow new lowers had a rough first term and did really well after learning from their mistakes. Even when it seems like you have sunk, you haven’t really.
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Again, this depends on you. There is plenty of socializing available - for me, far more than ever before. Returning students (as well as other new people, of course) are very open and willing to make new friends, especially in the beginning of the school year. Also, you run into people everywhere (Commons, the Den, etc.), especially if you are a boarder but even if you are a day student. If you want, it can be all socializing all the time. (You do have to be a little outgoing, though. Friends won’t fall into your lap.) For that reason, it can be pretty difficult to control your time, which is why freshmen have mandatory study hours and the like.
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Most teachers at PA do want you to succeed. It might not seem like it in class, especially if you are struggling, but going to teachers during Conference makes a world of difference. One thing that really struck me is how much teachers notice. Halfway through each term, you will receive midterm comments. Each teacher gave voice to the specific issues I recognized but didn’t know they had recognized, too. My rule of thumb at PA is to be a self-advocate, but I have certainly had adults approach me when they saw issues, and I am grateful to them and to PA’s culture for that. I have heard of nightmare teachers who give low grades to their entire class, but I have never had one. I would guess that they are rare.
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Absolutely! I know someone who had never played squash before coming to Andover and is now on the varsity team. There are Instructional levels of most sports and JV2 teams full of fellow unexperienced players. Andover has so many strange activities to offer, it would be such a shame not to try out any sport in which you were interested.
@natakwali Thank you for the informative answers!
@bluehamilton Firstly, if your username is a reference to a certain Broadway rap musical, I would like to inform you that Andover has a massive and dedicated following. On to the questions…
Intramural is common for sure. Instructional level sports might interest you, too. I hear both are a lot of fun. Maybe try squash or tennis or dance (there is instructional for each). Cross country is popular in the fall, too. I’ve also heard good things about instructional ice skating.
I haven’t heard anything referred to as a “no-no” for revisit days. A couple of points: Keep it casual. You can look nice, but no need for blazers or ties. Keep in mind that Andover students are from diverse backgrounds, not just racially, but also socioeconomically and by nationality. I don’t remember a designated time to meet other students. There was short period of time when we were waiting for our hosts to pick us up in a large group. That was pretty social. Otherwise, who you meet will depend on your host.
I will be honest with you: My revisit day sucked. My host and I did not mesh. She is in one of my classes, and we still do not mesh. If you want to get the most out of your revisit day, communicate with your host. Say: “I want to meet a lot of people.” Say: “I want to go to a music class” or art or math or physics or whatever. They will do their best to get you want.
I would absolutely go to Andover again. I think many of Andover’s flaws come with the territory: If you have 1200 intelligent, talented, attractive (and the Andover student body is attractive) students living together on a campus rather than with their parents, you will have perfectionists, over-analyzers, and people stressed out from academics, social life, athletics, and home. (1200 includes day students, who, while they might not live on campus, are part of the culture.) Andover can be racist and sexist and classist, but as a woman of color who previously attended a public high school, I can tell you that Andover is better on those issues than other places. What makes it better is the influence students can have on the school’s culture. So, yeah, there is loads I would change, and, through clubs and programs and just talking, I and so many others are working on it 
“Is there anything about PA you would change?”
Honestly, I think Andover students will always be complaining about something or the other that has to be changed, but in realty, we have it pretty good here. All I can say is that the “environment” of the school changes year to year. If I compare the environment of the school during my freshman year(12-13) to the present, the is a drastic change. Now there is a lot more political discourse on campus. My only complaint about this is that the political environment can occasionally be stifling for conservatives like me. This is but a small qualm about Andover for me, and I would UNDOUBTEDLY choose Andover again.
Can you please name some strange activities at Andover?
That’s such a subjective term. 
What I might find to be strange, others will think of as ideal. I think the message is that there is something for everyone, and if there isn’t, fill the niche.
@MABlue what do you mean by “there is a lot more political discourse on campus”? My son has been accepted and still deciding on Andover and few other schools but it is important to us that his conservative values will be respected and he will not feel like an outsider. Another parent posted on another discussion that the school has changed with the new Head of School. I would really appreciate any insight into this. Thank you
I mean that there are more discussions/forums going around about the political state of this country. The majority of it is highly liberal. You can take part in it if you want to, but there is never any pressure. I read what that other parent posted, and I think it may have been said in frustration. Don’t get the idea that your son will be stoned to death and outcast because he is conservative. Trust me, we definitely do have some conservatives on campus, as well as a Republican Society.
I am in fact part of an even smaller minority. I am a racial minority as well as a conservative, and I have never been outright disrespected because of my conservative values. All I’m saying is that is it a majority liberal student body, and political correctness can be taken to the extreme. In all honesty, it is not a problem in terms of being accepted. Sure, there will always be a few overly liberal people who will disrespect the conservatives, however the majority(more than 90%), of the student body will not ever disrespect someone solely based on values/political views.
Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this further
@Optimyst Hi! @skieurope is absolutely right, so I will just tell you some of the activities that I found strange. Before Andover, I hadn’t heard of squash or water polo. I remember finding it odd that Japanese and Russian were offered. I couldn’t see how they were particularly useful, but now I do. There are some pretty different art classes like weaving, printmaking, and architecture. And I haven’t even touched on the clubs (like baking!) and programs (like the Maker’s Space 3D printers and sticker makers).
@MABlue Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. I will PM you later.
I have a few more for you guys lol…
-do you recommend choosing a single or a roommate freshman year?
-any advice when I should tell the “general public” (so to speak) in my town that I am going to PA?
-how many classes do freshman take?
-do students generally maintain a lot of contact over the summer?
-do you recommend choosing a single or a roommate freshman year?
It depends. If you are worried about making friends, I recommend a roommate. Also, doubles are a lot more common that singles. Although my roommate is super great, I kind of want a single next year just because I want a more private space. Some people who have singles say that it’s lonely. Others really like the peace and privacy.
-how many classes do freshmen take?
The Course of Study has information on this. https://www.andover.edu/Academics/Documents/COS2015-2016.pdf
Usually 6 classes each term
Yearlong English → ENGL-100
Yearlong history → HIST-100 (World History)
Yearlong science → Most often biology, rarely chemistry, even less often physics
World language and math are almost always yearlong, but it depends on your level/track.
Your sixth course will usually be arts requirements, although they can be some other elective or you might choose not to take a sixth course.
I can’t answer these questions:
-any advice when I should tell the “general public” (so to speak) in my town that I am going to PA?
-do students generally maintain a lot of contact over the summer?