<p>i go to andover. all of my friends, and myself, absolutely hate it. its elitist but doesn't think it is, and isn't worth the money. you come out a little ahead academically but way way way behind socially. no parties, early curfews, po-dunk town. the only good thing about this place is high caliber teachers, but there are definitely still some crappy ones, just like any school. i hate the ivy league attitude places like this breed, just because a school sends lots of kids to ivy leagues doesn't mean it's better. Im graduating this year and heading off to a public university nearer to home (down south). Im tired of all this. Exeter isn't much different.</p>
<p>I didn't apply to Andover because I got that feeling when I visited.</p>
<p>Snellis post is refreshing. It will be interesting to see how people respond. There is a lot of dreaming going on in this forum. I do not mean dreaming as in an academic reach school, but dreaming about something better without really knowing if something is better. My experience with students in grades 8-12 is that, for some of them, the idea of change is intoxicating; however, the actuality of change can be daunting.</p>
<p>I love a good debatethis is a good post to think about for 8th graders putting all of their hopes in the size of an envelope </p>
<p>I said this once before (in a recently extracted, infamous thread on debauchery and prep school)
any good school can be a great place to be, but will it be the right place for you to be?</p>
<p>I have Oz in my head. I cant stop thinking about Glinda the Good Witch and her advice to Dorothy "Home is a place we all must find, child. It's not just a place where you eat or sleep. Home is knowing. Knowing your mind, knowing your heart, knowing your courage. If we know ourselves, we're always home, anywhere."</p>
<p>I can read, "istoleyournose". I'm just not sure what "broad statement" tohabr is referring to. Can one of you clarify?</p>
<p>Snelli, I doubt you attend Andover. After some $160,000 in tuition, and 4 years, I'd wager most Andover seniors are able to capitalize, and punctuate.</p>
<p>I suppose you're from some high school in North Carolina, as you do list NC colleges in this post,</p>
<p>
[quote]
North Carolina
UNC-Asheville: Small (3500), liberal, hippie/artsy. The kids who would have gone to a LAC in the northeast if not for the price/location issues. Where the smart-stoner types go from my high school. Nice rooms, in the mountains.
<p>Andover lists matriculation data by year. Phillips</a> Academy - School Profile & College Matriculations Strangely enough, not one Andover graduate has attended UNC-Asheville in the past 5 years.</p>
<p>It's quite obvious that you've never been to Andover, as it's very amusing to hear Andover described as a "po-dunk town."</p>
<p>And, finally, Phillips Andover Academy is elitist, and it knows it is. That's. The. Whole. Point.</p>
<p>ok.. first way to stalk me. second: im from north carolina, and my high school at home is what i was talking about. Congrats. Third: i don't exactly care too much about grammar on an online posting board like this. And Fourth: im attending unc asheville this year because its cheap and i want to go back to north carolina. good job bro.
finally: do you go to PA or something? cause its obvious you dont, because andover, ma really doesnt have anything besides a few restaurants, dunkin donuts, cvs, and starbucks.</p>
<p>oh and also, you'd be surprised. many of the kids that go here aren't as smart as you'd think...</p>
<p>Snelli’s post may be a lie, but Periwinkle, your response gives the greater offense. The truth of Snelli’s post is a personal one. It is no less valid than your “tut, tut” self-righteous retort (With. Nose. Pointed. Sharply. In. The. Air.) </p>
<p>There has been criticism on this board about the validity of “fit” because it cannot be measured like SSAT scores, college admittances and endowment levels. But a bad fit leaves a bad taste. The unwise 8th grade family misses this point at its own risk. Not every graduate of Andover will wax lyrical about the experience. </p>
<p>With the passage of time, Snelli may look back at Andover with a greater appreciation, if only as an important guidepost in who she or he is. Snelli’s comments do not make me think less of Andover. Periwinkle’s response in both content and tone is rather more successful in that regard.</p>
<p>Snelli...Maybe Andover is not as large as Asheville, but it definitely is not "podunk". If you want to see podunk towns, you need to head to western NH and MA! But, you are being a bit harsh. We know several Andover attendees; my older son's closest friend comes to mind. He absolutely loved his time at Andover and since graduating has graduated from Dartmouth, spent time in Japan, and now works in Washington DC. He is a great kid, and is not from money at all. He grew up in our own "podunk" town of 1500 (that's correct...I didn't leave out any zeroes....one thousand five hundred folks) which we love. I am sure no school is for everyone and I am sorry that you were not pleased with your epxerience, but you are speaking for yourself, not the majority. Be nice.</p>
<p>periwinkle, I'm fairly sure that she actually goes here.<br>
It's important to respect her opinion on the school.<br>
Do her thoughts match my experience at Andover? Absolutely not. Regardless, this doesn't mean that we should discredit what she has to say. Andover's not a flawless place and not every student loves their years spent there. You'll find similar opinions from those associated with every prep school, although I believe most of my classmates wouldn't trade away their time at Andover. </p>
<p>Just like I have the right to heap praise upon Andover, she has the right to criticize the school based upon her experience there.</p>
<p>bigblue09, you do yourself and Andover proud....great comment, well written, and "spot on."</p>
<p>Parlabane, Snelli shows up and claims, "i go to andover. all of my friends, and myself, absolutely hate it.(...)Im graduating this year and heading off to a public university nearer to home " When called on the inconsistencies with a post made less than half an hour before, he or she then claims, "And Fourth: im attending unc asheville this year because its cheap." You can't attend two schools at one time. She (he) could have framed the original post as, "I once attended Andover, but do not at present. Here are the reasons it wasn't the school for me." Could have, but chose not to.</p>
<p>Most of the posters here are 13 or 14 years old. Someone anonymously claims to be a current Andover student, and to hate Andover, and they're likely to give it great weight. Somehow, middle schoolers forget to apply the salt when it comes to internet postings.</p>
<p>I do believe in the concept of "fit," and have myself championed it on this site. I have also warned about the attrition rates at boarding schools. No school is perfect, and I've never tried to give that impression. I've also tried to state that the schools are not looking to fill their student bodies with the highest SSAT scores they can find. Perhaps I'm showing my age, when I don't hear "elitist" as a dirty word. When I hear "elite," you see, it includes the concept of duty and responsibility. If you don't live those concepts, you aren't elite.</p>
<p>I don't have any ties to Phillips Andover Academy, and my child is not applying to the school, so my reply shouldn't be a reflection on the academy. I do have friends who live in Andover, and it is a lovely town. Andover</a> - The Boston Globe Calling it a "po-dunk town" makes as much sense as calling Milton a "po-dunk town."</p>
<p>BigBlue09 is right, many kids who go here do end up loving it. It just so happens that many of my friends think it was a little overrated, but we all got a quality education and experienced living on our own before college, which will be helpful. And I'm going back home for college this coming fall. Sorry if that wasn't understood.
Andover, to me, is a small town. I know there are quite a few people who live here, but it definitely isn't geared toward teenage kids. And while the school is close to boston, unless you get an overnight excuse you can't stay there very late. The trains from North Station to Andover run at pretty inconvenient times on the weekends.
I think it depends on what you expect from PA. I'm grateful for some of the amazing teachers I met, but that doesn't make up (in my mind) for the utter lack of social preparation for life beyond Andover. The last post was worded that way because it's a bit tiring only hearing one side of the story all of the time.<br>
Lastly, Andover's elitism only bothers me because it honestly thinks it isn't. Andover is progressive when compared to Exeter, Deerfield, and etc, but just because we do away with a dress code or sit-down dinners doesn't mean the attitude doesn't still exist. The college counseling process illustrated this sentiment to me. Many of my classmates applied to schools simply because of reputation, not because of actual interest. It's because many students think they are entitled to going to an Ivy simply because they go to PA. This might have been true 30 years ago, but is definitely not the case today.</p>
<p>Snelli, thank you for your response. I will admit that I am a snob when it comes to punctuation and grammar, because, "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog." (On</a> the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) I'm an old fuddy-duddy, but the basics of written communication make an enormous difference in how a statement appears to someone who can only judge you by your words. </p>
<p>My response was also influenced by the history of this forum. It has, at times, been a target for trolls. I am also tired of anonymous posters who will make outrageous claims about schools. The schools can't defend themselves, and sometimes they may not even know that someone has popped up and claimed, "School XYZ has a bad problem with hazing/anorexia/drug use/etc." I feel it is unfair to the schools, and to the families who may decide not to attend schools on the basis of an unfounded rumor. </p>
<p>The reports may even be accurate, but as a parent, I've seen enough school tempests to know that there are always two or more sides to a story. More and more parents are turning to the internet to research schools, though, so one anonymous prank or complaint can cause enormous damage. (By the way, because of this danger to their reputation, I believe that more schools are monitoring this site, and others, i.e., facebook and myspace, so please, applicants, do not reveal too many identifying details!)</p>
<p>I agree with you that attending a superb boarding school does not give a student a right to attend an Ivy. Many people think that's so, but it doesn't work that way any more. </p>
<p>Your complaints about the social life at school interest me, but as a parent, I would probably not agree with you that a lack of parties is a problem (if that's what you're referring to). I've lived long enough to see friends, and the children of friends, fall victim to drinking problems. In Massachusetts this year, a high school girl drowned in the woods after a drinking party. I can only lament the loss of her potential, and the grief her family must feel. </p>
<p>I don't envy students entering college now, because the social scene has changed so much. When I entered college, the prep school kids tended to hang out with each other. When everyone else was bright eyed, and thrilled to live away from home, the kids from prep school were blas</p>
<p>Lol no parent will agree that lack of parties is a problem....and how do you drown in the woods?..</p>
<p>I think she was found face-down, in a wet patch. News</a> of popular teen's death rips apart three towns - The Boston Globe,Officials:</a> Taylor Meyer drowned - Milford, MA - The Milford Daily News</p>
<p>so, what were we talking about? I thought we were talking about what our top 10 fav schools were. mine is :</p>
<ol>
<li>ROXBURY LATIN!!</li>
<li>Middlesex</li>
<li>Exeter</li>
<li>Deerfield</li>
<li>Nobles and Greenough</li>
<li>BB&N</li>
<li>Loomis</li>
<li>Groton</li>
<li>Choate</li>
<li>SPS</li>
</ol>
<p>Note the absence of Andover (although i like Exeter, there is a difference between the two...), BHS, and Milton...</p>
<p>the 10 schools have no academic requirements...
they
1) use the common recommendation form
2) notify of acceptance/rejection march 10</p>
<p>there is no academic standard, though many are of good/great caliber</p>
<p>Hello
I have been considering three schools, namely, Tabor, Taft and St. Georges. Can you give me opinions on the three because I am very confused as I have to reply by 10th April. </p>
<p>How would you rank the schools overall? Academically and athletic wise?</p>
<p>Hello,
I have been considering three schools, namely, Tabor, Taft and St. Georges. Can you give me opinions on the three because I am very confused as I have to reply by 10th April. </p>
<p>How would you rank the schools overall? Academically and athletic wise?</p>