Hi. I am currently in 9th grade and was accepted to Andover and waitlisted at Exeter for 10th grade. I know both schools are fantastic academically, but I have some other concerns.
How cold/windy/depressing/long are New England winters? (I hate winter.)
What is the food like?
How strictly enforced are the dress codes?
How free are students to do what they like?
Are there times and places I can be alone? Or will there always be others in earshot?
What are the atmospheres of two schools like in terms of social life?
What are the people like?
How beautiful are the campuses?
How are the dorm rooms?
How much money should I expect to spend a year (on laundry, food I would buy, etc.)?
What challenges should a new 10th grader expect that a new 9th grader wouldn’t have to?
Thank you! I appreciate any insight you can offer.
If you hate winter, New England is going to be unbearable. It’s long, cold, windy, and very depressing, if you dislike snow.
@mrnephew I come from Chicago, so I can deal with it. But I was holding out…
natakwali: there is a thread called “Ask questions about Andover” or something similar. I suggest you post your questions there, and current students would be happy to respond. Congratulations on your acceptance to PA!
Frankly, I’m surprised that you have some of the questions you have at this point in the game…especially ones about the campus, dorm rooms, and dress code. These seem to be the sorts of questions that one would find the answers to BEFORE s/he applies to a school, no?
How did you select the schools to which you applied, if I may ask?
It’s amazing to me how many kids on this board seem to have applied to ONLY Andover & Exeter…
If you were accepted at Andover, don’t worry about Exeter. And congratulations! I doubt that New England is much worse than Chicago in terms of weather, and spring and fall are probably much nicer. There’s plenty of information out there about Andover. It has a large, beautiful campus, very spread out and college-like. I remember that our tour guide, who did everything else by rote, was tremendously enthusiastic about the food. I expect that a large school like Andover can accommodate a wide variety of personalities. Do some research, and attend revisit day if that is possible for you. If you can’t attend revisit day, maybe your AO can put you in touch with a student to answer your questions.
@cameo43 Thanks! I’ll look for it and ask there. I didn’t mean to clutter the board.
@SevenDad I looked up the answers, but I was hoping for a more personal perspective. (Ex: I know the dress codes. I don’t know how much staff/faculty cares about them.)
My family friend who went to Exeter recommended that I apply. After research, I stumbled upon Andover.
@GMC2918 I applied to these schools last year, too, and applying was an obnoxious enough process that I didn’t want to add any more schools. I’m not desperate to leave home or anything. Why should I apply to more?
The judgementalness of the two above is a little unexpected. Or am I interpreting it wrong?
@twinsmama Thank you for the congratulations! I doubt there are a lot of places in America with weather much worse than Chicago’s. It’s great to hear that about the campus and food. I’m trying my best to get up there for revisit day, but if that isn’t possible talking to my AO about putting me in touch with a student sound like a stellar idea. Thank you for taking time to answer.
Congratulations on being admitted to Andover. You might want to read [this[/url] about waitlists, and then realize the odds are infinitesimal that you will get off the waitlist at Exeter. But that’s OK, because Andover’s a great school
You might want to ask your questions about Andover [url=Ask Questions about Andover - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums]here[/url] and your questions about Exeter (if you still feel like pursuing)[url=Ask questions about Phillips Exeter Academy - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums] here.](The Wait List - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums)
Judgementalness? Is that a word?
To be fair, this is not their first rodeo, as they say. Personally, I would be surprised how someone would not have asked some of these questions long before applying, not after having been accepted. e.g. “How cold/windy/depressing/long are New England winters?” Pretty much any newspaper/news site any day this winter would have given the answer to that question.
They sounded a bit judgmental to me too, which is why I responded. I know CC is an anonymous free-for-all, but I do hope the adults here will try to go easier on young teens whose individual situations are unknown to them.
Sorry to sound harsh and/or judgmental! “Go big or go home” is certainly a strategy that makes sense for many, especially when you have good options at home. My “amazement” I guess is that these two schools can sometimes be discussed as one school - andoverandexeter - making it sound like they’re interchangeable. They’re not. They are quite different and I imagine could appeal to different kids. So it’s surprising to me that many highly qualified candidates put all their eggs in one basket and only apply to andoverandexeter. (Why not add St Paul’s? Or Choate? Or Groton?) I’m not picking on you specifically @natakwali, it’s just that your post reminded me of this phenomenon. You’re obviously an amazing kid, to be offered a spot at Andover, so certainly don’t let my grumpiness get you down
In terms of your specific questions, definitely ask them of current students ether at revisit day or on the phone (the admissions office can set you up). Current students will most likely be very honest with you about what it’s like at Andover, so you can get good information from them. The kids that I know who go there are a very smart, yet quirky bunch - everything from artists to athletes. Most started in 10th grade and didn’t seem to have trouble fitting in, because there are plenty of new kids that year (this is a benefit over a smaller school maybe). The campus is beautiful, but spread out. Andover’s food is legendary, yes @twinsmama! I’m sorry that you don’t like winter, but I can’t imagine that Andover will be much worse than Chicago. The cold probably won’t bother you much while you’re there because you’ll have lots of other things going on.
Your questions about personal space, freedom, how nice the kids are etc. should definitely be directed to current students. I’m sure that once you hear the answers, you will feel less concerned and more excited. Congratulations and don’t worry about Exeter!
New England winters are AWFUL!! It snowed here in Boston yesterday, after it was like 50 last week. We broke a snowfall record though, yay us!
That’s another thing; the weather is very unpredictable. But early-mid fall and mid-late spring are SUPER nice and very pleasant!
@skieurope Well, if it isn’t a word, it is now. Thank you for the links. I’m sure they will be helpful. And what you say /is/ fair. I’m new to this site, so I don’t know the regulars. I can see how my ignorance might annoy more knowledgeable people.
Thanks @twinsmama As I mentioned above, I don’t know much.
Thank you @GMC2918 for the congrats and advice! I understand your frustration that great schools like the ones you mentioned get passed over. I’ve emailed my AO, and I’m waiting to hear back 
@stargirl3 I’ve seen you commenting around, and you seem cool…but I think I’m missing something in relation to your reply 
Spell it out for me? If you think I’m rude or negative, I’m sorry. And if you want we can totally be friends!
@tofuqueen Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. Chicago’s super pleasant right now, but fall and spring are always cold because of all the wind. It’s fantastic to hear that I have Boston fall/spring to look forward to. (Also, are you a fellow vegetarian?)
I’m jealous of Chicago And kinda. It’s very on and off because I have a hard time committing to it, as my family is a very meat-heavy household. The vegetarian options at my school are very small too, so food there gets kinda boring. I love tofu though, it’s my favorite thing to prepare when I have the ingredients/time!
@natakwali @mrnephew It was in response to the judgement on this thread