Phillips Exeter Academy Summer Session

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>I posted this in the "Summer Programs" forum but was told to try here instead. Thus, I'm copy-pasting my post from there:</p>

<p>"I am an international applicant attending the 10th grade and I am considering attending Phillips Exeter Academy's 5 week Summer Session.I was look for some information from people who've been there or who know about it.</p>

<p>-How is the workload?I'm looking for a challenging, but not extreme one.
-What is the social scene generally like? Social segregation?
-Do the students who attend actually WANT to be there for the courses and are interested in them or are they just there because their parents want them to/they want to have (silly) fun etc?"</p>

<p>Thanks very much in advance.</p>

2

<p>I went there two years ago. it is awesome, and everyone or mostly everyone is pretty chill. ull like it, mostly everyone that went had a good time.</p>

3

<p>I would suggest one step further, go to Harvard summer school. Super expensive ($9000, for got how many weeks), but you get to live on Harvard campus for a while， just in case you can’t get in later. :)</p>

4

<p>I would suggest Exeter summer school over Harvard, mostly because Exeter is cheaper and probably more fun.</p>

<p>But anyway, Exeter’s upper school (grades 10-12) is fun. Keep in mind that there will be middle schoolers there too, although they are in a separate program. I think the workload is pretty perfect. You can take easy or hard classes, but there is plenty of time to do your homework because classes are only in the morning. I never felt overwhelmed, but I did work. There are also sports, and it can be fun to try something new.</p>

<p>There are 700+ kids at summer school, so there is some social segregation. However, it is not too hard to make friends, especially if you live in a dorm. There are LOTS of international students, and some of the kids from the same country always hang out together in big clumps, but you will certainly meet plenty of people from new cultures.</p>

<p>There are also fieldtrips on weekends and wednesday, which are fun, although most attractions are about an hour away from Exeter. You can also try glee club, orchestra, acting, quiz bowl, or something else new. So, I pretty much think it’s good.</p>

5

<p>They should make the Harvard summer school $9001 dollars so they can say it’s OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNDDDDDDD! Just sayin’. Either way there’s no way on this Earth my family is sending me to a (over?) nine thousand dollar summer camp.</p>

6

<p>Well my line of thought is that if I enjoy myself at PEA, I might consider Harvard the summer after that, provided that my family’s finances are still fine.</p>

<p>I’m almost convinced, but I wanted to ask:Is there any very specific reason why I should choose Phillips Exeter over Phillips Andover or vice-versa?</p>

7

<p>Ooh, I don’t know. I know people who have gone to both.
The only definitive thing I’ve heard is that Andover summer school is mostly there to babysit kids, and Exeter is more independent. That came from a full-time Andover student. Also, some say that the food is better at Andover. I suppose you could compare the classes and the sports offered.
For the most part I’m sure they’re about the same.</p>

8

<p>I can’t say much about either of the programs as I haven’t been to either, but the Harvard program sounds good for the staying-on-campus part. </p>

<p>OH LOL KONIKAMANO, that made me grin.</p>

9

<p>Hmm, I know this is a LITTLE outdated… anyway, I’ve been to Exeter Summer School (Access Exeter, actually) in 2007 and Phillips Andover Academy Summer Session 2008 (Upper School). I’m also attending PEA Summer School this year (Upper School).</p>

<p>Both were very nice, even though in 2007 I didn’t have the freedom like I did in Andover for I was a youngster.</p>

<p>However, by observing my siblings and overall-feeling, I must say that both schools are evenly tough (notice Andover you have 2 classes and Exeter 3 classes, which are balanced with the time schedule - Andover’s 2 classes combined last about the same as Exeter’s 3 classes combined).</p>

<p>Socially speaking, I also don’t know if I am in a great position to make any statement. However, due to Exeter’s “packed” campus you see more people meeting together in the social areas, while in Andover it stayed more to the dorms as far as I know (I had a LOT of work during Andover, meaning I didn’t get much of a chance to go out - Creative Writing Major is not something for the faint of heart).</p>

<p>All-in-all, both summer schools are great. You meet a LOT of interesting and smart people from all around the world, which you may keep in contact for Summers to come (coincidently, a girl I never spoke to (hard to considering the 700 students that attend it, both full-time and day-time students) at Andover went to the same Summer Course (Summer Study in Paris) in 2009 with me… out of all possible summer schools out there).</p>

<p>The people I met there WANTED to be there. And they never want to leave after that.</p>

<p>I’m sure you will enjoy it, especially if it’s your first Summer Session.</p>

<p>See you there! I’m taking the Charles JJ. Hamm leadership program, “Great Books, Great Reding” course and the SAT prep course as well. I might be taking crew as a sport if available, too!</p>

10

<p>GoGuapsy:Thanks very much for the input. Even though it comes somewhat “late” I’m glad to see it as I’ve already decided to attend PEA Summer Session having paid the first part of the fee. Your comments only make me more eager to attend.</p>

<p>The Great Books course was one I certainly considered, but in the end decided not to take it as I do read a lot of literature generally and thought it was better to take a course which would be a totally new experience to me. In the end I picked Global Economics, Social Ethics and USA:Exploring American Culture. As I said,I’m international. Not really sure how much I will like the last course but my school counselor advised me to take it as it is “lighter” than the other two and can actually get me to know the USA lifestyle better since I consider studying over there.</p>

<p>Anyhow, again thanks very much and see you this summer!</p>

11

<p>I completely disagree regarding Exeter’s summer programs not being worth it to go - especially in regards to the Access program for rising 8th and 9th graders. I cannot speak for the regular summer session (10th -12th grade), but the Access Exeter program was a really fantastic experience for my son a few years ago.</p>

12

<p>I went to the Upper School Summer Session last year. It was a great experience and overall pretty chill. The courses are really interesting, and there’s an optional SAT prep class. Exeter sponsors buses to places like Boston and Cambridge, and that’s a lot of fun too.</p>

13

<p>I went to Exeter for two years and I have completely loved it. I’m sure you’ll love it this summer(: I might actually go back. But yeah just like GO said I have a friend who went to Exeter and Andover, saying they met more people and had kind of “more a summer camp experience” at Exeter than Andover. They said Andover was a lot more like regular school.</p>

<p>so. Maybe I will see you this summer(:</p>

<p>what courses are you taking?</p>

14

<p>@SashaTorres:</p>

<p><em>Points to post Number 10</em> :D</p>

15

<p>oh oops(: haha</p>