<p>WoUt, why won't you post on your regular username?</p>
<p>True that, WoUt. Exeter's definitely not an intellectual place to be. Competitive? Yes. College-obsessed? Yes. But intellectual? Not so much...if anything, some of the weird dysfunctionality of the school comes from this (hopefully) hyperintellectual Harkness method (which, as WoUt said, is hit or miss), and the equally hypercompetitive academic system, placed on kids who have the "Exeter" attributes, but may or may not also want to relax/just be kids...if anything, the academic exhaustion makes people less willing to be "on" outside of class.</p>
<p>ajadedidealist directed me to this forum. I just created the SN to give my own opinion. I don't have another username.</p>
<p>We should probably recognize that in relation to just about any other high school in the nation, Exeter is extremely intellectual, which is understandable when you have some of the best minds of our generation in the same place. Yeah, the majority of time out of class can be spent on gossip and hookups, but I beg you to find me a high school where that isn't the case.
I have grown to love Exeter is the last year (Even though I've been there for 3) but the unspoken competition and oneupmanship that goes on is frustrating for me, so I prefer to spend my time talking about boys, but if you choose not to than you certainly have an outlet at Exeter. And moreover, what I love is that the people are so dynamic. So yeah, my friends and I talk about the latest hookup or outing, but we just as easily can (and do, on occasion) talk about politics, or southern literature (O'Connor in the HOUSE!), which is something that I find devastatingly lacking here at home. That is what I love about Exeter.
And be weary of talking to upperclassman Exonians about Harkness; it's become fashionable to bash Harkness for it's flaws (and they exist). While Harkness is slow, it teaches students far more effectively than anything else I've experienced, and not just in the subject in hand, but in skills of listening and learning from peers that will be far more valuable than most of what you learn in the subject.
I have a million more thoughts on Exeter but I have a party to go to. Peace.</p>
<p>I'm starting Exeter in the fall as a prep. I just got my dorm, I'm in Dunbar. It's the largest dorm, and my eighth grade class was smaller than the number of girls. What can you tell me about it? Thanks</p>
<p>Hey there, randomgrl. I'm Tara, a rising senior (three-year) in Dvnbar - it's an absolutely FABULOUS dorm: nice girls, huge rooms, great faculty...the best on campus, I'd say. If you have any questions about Exeter, facebook me (I'm one of two Taras at Phillips Exeter - I'm the one graduating in 08) or AIM me at RomexAntics.</p>
<p>Tara! I know you from myspace and facebook! you know rebecca, right?</p>
<p>Yep - but who are you?</p>
<p>does anyone know anything bout merhill hall-exeter?
thanks id really appreciate it:D</p>
<p>Merrill Hall - good dorm, near Wetherell dining hall (really near!...the buildings are connected, though unfortunately you can't get to dining hall without actually exiting the dorm) Great for grabbing a bite on your way out to class. Nice-sized rooms, Ms. Ream may still be dorm faculty - she's a very awesome drama teacher!</p>
<p>Hope that helped!</p>
<p>does Merrill hall have anything to do with Ms. Merrill and/or Merrill Lynch?</p>
<p>thanks ajadedidealist
lol i had to copy and paste ur name :)</p>
<p>Harvard Crimson article from 1957 about the Exeter Man:
<a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/printerfriendly.aspx?ref=120764%5B/url%5D">http://www.thecrimson.com/printerfriendly.aspx?ref=120764</a></p>
<p>Blairt, I don't know about Merrill Lynch, but Mrs. Merrill is not affiliated with Merrill hall. She's actually the dorm head of Kirtland House. She's a European History teacher, whom I was lucky enough to have for three terms, and my absolute favorite teacher in the whole entire school and really, hope you get her! I'm taking her Europe Since 1945 class in Winter term.</p>
<p>OMG, ajadedidealist, ur Tara! Haha, I'm Geng, a friend of Rebecca's.</p>
<p>Haha, resurrecting a REALLY dead thread here, but just thought I'd add my opinions to the thread for prospective students. Exeter, for me, is comprised entirely of uncohesive, disparate moments. What I mean by that is, everything here is defined by the present. Not that there aren't people here who think about college et. all. ALL THE TIME, but I'm not one of them. Especially on nights when I'm up until 2am doing homework, stressed beyond belief, I can't think "Oh my God, I have (4)(3)(2) more years of this" because I'd go insane. Someone mentioned (ajadedidealist?) that probably 30% of the kids here either love or hate Exeter while 40% have a love/hate relationship, but I would extend the latter to at least 70%. Personally, Exeter has contained some of the best and worst moments of my life. The feelings of triumph and accomplishment you can feel here are amazing, but they're coupled by days when, quite frankly, you just want to crawl under your covers and never come out. Sometimes you'll feel incredibly lonely; other times, incredibly supported and loved. </p>
<p>Also, at some point you realize that everyone here is at least a little bit insane. Which makes those 2am conversations some of the most interesting I've had in my life.</p>
<p>WOW, I hope I have some memorable 2 AM conversations....
lol</p>
<p>Oh, you will. You will. They're pretty much unavoidable, unless you're one of those (un)fortunate day students. Will you be an incoming prep?</p>
<p>Hahahahaha, lol. Yes I will be an incoming prep at Kent this fall.</p>
<p>Ha, well I can't speak for Kent, but I'm sure all boarding schools have some form of those conversations in common.</p>
<p>And duuude, I know a kid in my grade from Australia : )</p>