<p>Hey!! I’m a rising 3 year upper (junior) and am glad to answer any questions!</p>
<p>Laundry: yup, unless you buy the prepaid service, which is convenient but notorious for loosing/messing up clothes. Every dorm has laundry machines except some of the smaller dorms.</p>
<p>Uniforms: only to games. For practice, you just wear athletic gear. You also don’t need to buy the uniforms (school equipment store provides)</p>
<p>Free time: if you reall want to, you can make free time. That time is significantly shorter, however, if you are on a varsity sport/clubs. I would say that i don’t have much free time durring he week (though we do have an hiur and 5 minutes for lunch and for free periods). Friday nights leave room for some socializing, but I usually finish half of my subjects and sleep early for games on satudays. There are always events on weekends (concerts, movies, boston trips, shuttles to the shopping center, festivles, dances, shows, etc.). Depending on how far away your game is on saturday will determine how much free time you have on saturday. Usually, I take a break from studying on saturday (though I brig reading material for the bus rides) and hang out with friends. After sign in on saturday (11:30 pm) I crank out a subject and go to sleep. Sundays are usually work days and everyone does work.</p>
<p>Homecoming: we have a formal every term on A/E day so it’s kinda like that.</p>
<p>Cheerleaders: nope, but we have blue key heads (class spirit leaders who lead cheers and ge the crowd pumped) as well as SLAM, the andover step team, which is very good!</p>
<p>Laptops: depending on your teaher, you will be able to use them. I highly recommend having one. Most kids do bring them around, but more so to do hw in their free time, not for class (sometimes, you’ll use them for in class essays/days devoted to research papers/essays)</p>
<p>Private bathrooms: only some select small dorms have them. All other bathrooms are communal with toilet stalls and shower stalls as well.</p>
<p>Biology department: the science department in general is great! The bio department does bave some amazing people and will prepare you for college (can go into independent lab research and present to local college professors) but keep in mind that evey department at evey school will have those “bad” teachers.</p>
<p>Manhattan: I’m a 30 minute commute from manhattan and would say it wiuld be a hastle driving 3.5-4 hours every other weekend to go home. There’s really no need b/c there’s so much to so and sports and schoolwork can/will be affrcted if you make that drive! Plus, don’t bother yiur parents with the drive/money you’ll be spending on train tickets. Schools is already expnsive enough, and the purpose of boarding is to BOARD: it’s part of the experience. Ask your parents to come to games/concerts/parents weekend. Also, there is one three day weekend every term that most kids use to go home. You won’t go 4 weeks max without seeing your parents.</p>
<p>If you have any more questions, please ask!!</p>