Returning Sophmore at Andover willing to answer questions!!

<p>When would you recommend asking for teacher recommendations?</p>

<p>Were you accepted to Deerfield and, if so, what prompted you to select Andover over Deerfield ? Thanks in advance !</p>

<p>Yes I was accepted at deerfield, and what prompted me to select andover was the environment. Deerfield resembled my hometown too much: something I wanted to get away from. I just had a gut feeling toward Andover. It seemed like the place for me.</p>

<p>Any regrets?</p>

<p>PrepQWill,
I’d ask your teachers for recommendations now. You want to get that out of the way. Don’t ask for recommendations after Christmas break, or give your teachers less than 2 weeks notice.</p>

<p>whoa sorry for the delay in answers lol have exams and am CRAMMING :D</p>

<p>I honestly have no regrets. The choice I’ve made has probably been the best choice I’ve made in my entire life. PA has offered me one of the best educational and life experiences I could ever have, and I am eternally thankful for what this experience has done for me.</p>

<p>The Dr. Keller case has nothing to do with drugs. So, I don’t see any point in bringing it up in a post asking about a drug problem.</p>

<p>I don’t really feel like drugs are a strong presence on Andover’s campus. I’ve never felt any pressure to do drugs. I’m not going to pretend that everyone at Andover is squeaky clean–yes some people use drugs. But they are quiet about it. No one comes into class flaunting around stories about their drug use, and no one will pressure you to use drugs. If someone uses drugs, they don’t act like jerks about it. And Andover is serious about trying to reduce drug use on campus, as evidenced by those drug busts. Remember that this is a high school, and I can guarantee you that you will never find a high school without drugs. That’s not in your control. What is in your control is how you respond to drugs and whether or not you choose to get involved with them.</p>

<p>I’m a freshman boarder at PA, and I agree with everything J24601J said. I don’t think there’s any pressure to do drugs, and PA makes sure we’re all aware of the consequences of substance abuse. During Wellness Week, all freshmen had to take Freedom from Chemical Dependency classes taught by former addicts.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much for answering the questions…</p>

<p>What were your stats when you applied to Phillips? (SSAT score, extra curriculars, hooks etc).</p>

<p>I was hoping you had some input on a tricky situation I am in. I have taken the SSAT 2 times. The first time I took the SSAT Flex Test at my school, I had a 90% verbal, 83% reading, and and a 55% in math (80% total). After we got our scores back, my principal informed the 8th grade that the math section we had taken was incorrect, meaning the questions we had been given were not the right ones. Then, I took the SSAT National Test and got 84% verbal, 71% reading, and 73% math (79% total). This one was correct. </p>

<p>I am considering contacting PA, along with my principal, and letting them know of the problem with my first math scores. I would submit my first scores anyway. </p>

<p>Do you think they would understand? I have an A+ in math, as well as all other subjects. I have excellent extracurriculars, hopefully positive recs, and solid essays. My interview went superbly and the interviewer told my parents I was in the top echelon of people she had interviewed. I have also been keeping in constant touch with her. </p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>It has been a WHILE!! </p>

<p>phillipshopeful:</p>

<p>ssat: I forget…overall was 93% though. I know my verbal was in the 70s/60s t</p>

<p>ec: all men’s acapella group, all state orchestra second chair, school orchestra</p>

<p>sports/hooks: swimming</p>

<p>grades: straight A’s in all my classes, all double accelerated classes</p>

<p>Is4040: Maybe you should try studying in a different way. note that ommitting questions is better than straight-up guessing. You should really try and get to at least 85%. this test is the single thing that AOs can use to compare you ot the other applicants. Though it isn’ thte most important component of the app, it is still imperative that you do get a god score.</p>

<ul>
<li>How is the STEM curriculum at Andover?</li>
<li>Is it relatively easy social-wise to transfer to Andover after freshman year?</li>
<li>How competitive is it…</li>
<li>Honestly, who’s the smartest kid you know who goes there?</li>
</ul>

<p>“How is the STEM curriculum at Andover?”
Andover has great math/science programs. I really like the Math program because it’s really flexible. You can start at Algebra 1 or in Multivariable Calc. The math teachers are great–my favorite teacher right now is my math teacher. I used to kinda hate math, but it was one of my favorite classes last term. Another great part of the math program is that most kids get a term off of math in 11th grade . Also Andover teaches AP Calc in 4 terms rather than 3, so it makes it more relaxed. Science here at Andover is pretty difficult, but great. There are a lot of great science electives offered, like DNA research classes and organic chemistry. </p>

<p>“Is it relative easy social-wise to transition to Andover after freshman year?”
I’m a new sophomore, so I had to transition after freshman year. It’s harder than coming in freshman year, but very doable. Make sure to make an effort to be social–ask people to go places with you and stuff. If you want, I can PM you more in depth about coming in as a new sophomore.</p>

<p>“How competitive is it”
Actually not as competitive as I was expecting. I mean, the academics are hard, but people here aren’t cutthroat. Most kids have really good attitudes toward academics. In my dorm, usually people are talking and helping each other with homework every night.</p>

<p>What is the role of pgs in the broader community of Andover ?
Are they only good as athletes or do they also have impressive academic stats ? (when they get in, such as their GPA or SAT ?)
Thanks</p>

<p>In general, PGs are generally very athletic. Though this is the case, most have great GPAs and are pretty studious. In my dorm, all 9 PGs got above 2200 on their SATs and have very stellar grades. They are also just a blast in the dorm</p>

<p>thanks for the answer.</p>

<p>@swimdude: We’ve been out of school for just about three weeks now, and I’ve long put PA out of my head, yet here you are commenting non-stop. Do you love andover that much that you think about it over breaks too? More power to you…</p>

<p>Lol i do love my school: it’s my home away from home. At times, I utterly DESPISE the place. I get on cc right before bed every night ti see if new things have popped up on the thread. It’s out of habbit i guess. Don’t get mw wrong, I do have a social life. I hang out, go to parties, work out, eat, etc. throughout the day</p>

<p>And come on, you’re the one commenting at 1:30 am ;)</p>

<p>After reading through the previous posts I know that y’all are sophomores, but I was wondering what y’all have noticed about incoming uppers and their transition. I’m actually applying to Andover (and Deerfield) for 11th grade and wanted some input on the transition socially. I currently attend a small school (50 students per grade) and what y’all as 2015ers feel about the grade dynamic if there even is one! And does Andover ever feel too big? Also, how have y’all’s experiences at Andover (or boarding school in general) been?</p>