<p>I am currently an Upper at Phillips Academy Andover and my friend showed me this site. After reading through some of the posts I am amazed at the stupid questions people ask. Questions like can I get into schools like Andover, exeter, Deerfield ect... with my grades and e.c.. I am sorry people, but there is no definate for any of these schools. Certain SSAT scores, and certain grades do not make you a shoe in. The application pool for all of these schools is very competetive, and these admissions officers look over thousands of applications every year, and most likely more than a hundred of these applications look just like yours, or very simmilar. You need something to seperate yourself...you need something special and something that you are very passionate about. They want a passionate hard working kid who will contribute to their school, and someone who will bring a new perspective. Also, money does play a part at alot of these schools, and no matter what people say, money will always play a part. People also want to know what school is best...and this is the most ridiculous question ever. No one school is better...I will always support Andover because of my love and passion for the school, and I will always hate Exeter because they are rivals, but it is impossible to compare these two schools. I knew Andover was the place for me because when I visited I fit in and i felt at home, but its not for everyone. People, please visit a wide range of schools, spend a day, take it all in because when it comes down to it you will be spending the next four years of your life there. I know i made the perfect decision in Andover, but I also know some people who go to Brooks and Exeter, and they to believe they made the right decisions. It is all about what feels right and fits you as a person.</p>
<p>Well said! There is a lot of wisdom in your post.</p>
<p>So...what is your passion, andover08?</p>
<p>Lol my question exactly</p>
<p>My passion includes a few things...coming into Andover my passion was baseball and baseball alone. After entering Andover i picked up three passions. One of them is working with mentally challenged people. Once a week I spend 2 hours with a program called ARC where kids spend time with mentally challenged people. My buddy is the youngest member and he is around 10 years old. I have grown close to him, and I look forward to my time with him every week.<br>
Another passion i picked up at Andover was my activity in a disease known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease. I am the treasure of a club known as Little angels on campus, and I helped a couple whos husband had ALS. I did yard work for them and helped clean.<br>
My last passion is in the campus newspaper known as the Phillipian. I am an associate editor for the sports section, and I hope to take over the sports section later this year when the board turns over. This is something I never would have done if had not gone to Andover. I am glad I tried it, and it makes me proud to be part of something like the Phillipian, which is the nations oldest secondary school newspaper.<br>
My true passion is still baseball, but you can't live your life with only one passion.</p>
<p>Andover08, what do you think makes Andover unique? I'd like to know more at the school from a student's perspective.</p>
<p>I'm applying there this year ... good luck with baseball. :)</p>
<p>andover08 - </p>
<p>While I can agree wholeheartedly with 90% + of you post, the title and
[quote]
After reading through some of the posts I am amazed at the stupid questions people ask.
[/quote]
bother me a bit.</p>
<p>I'm sure you've heard "The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked" before, and I will reiterate it. </p>
<p>Many of the kids (and parents for that matter) who come to this site know little if anything about prep schools, their admissions processes, etc. They are motivated to try to obtain a first class education, which is a good thing. They may or may not be qualified for most of the popularly mentioned schools such as Andover, but want to find out if one of those schools is a possibility.</p>
<p>And as much as you may find what they ask "stupid" from your "inside" experience of what you think is obvious to the world, if you look further at the college oriented threads on CC, the same kind of questions are asked by prospective high school Juniors and Seniors (and their parents) about admissions to HYPSM (and other great universities) and for that matter these same kind of questions are being asked by college Juniors and Seniors about Grad Schools. </p>
<p>And believe it or not, many of the questions do get answered (not necessarily the answer the original posters want to hear) and people DO learn about the process.</p>
<p>And considering that many of the people answering have been through the process, their answers do have some authority and are based on their experience (right or wrong). I think you might get some of the same answers if you asked admissions people at various schools, but they do have a vested interest in not teaching people how to "game the system", so you won't get the underlying thinking from them, just a general answer. And given the adcoms situation of not wanting to give out "all the secrets", most people would like to develop a better understanding of those answers, hence groups like this form to share experiences and opinions.</p>
<p>Now onto the title
[quote]
You can't answer questions on a website like this.
[/quote]
I'm not sure what you are thinking, but it is a big negative to make such a statement.</p>
<p>If you are saying, "I can't describe exactly what makes a successful Andover applicant or what type of person would really enjoy Andover as compared to another school." that may be a legitimate assessment of your knowledge and/or communications ability.</p>
<p>However, it would be nice if you don't project your experience and knowledge onto the population as a whole. There are posters on this forum who have gone through 4 years at Andover and other fine schools who do share their experience of what type of environment exists or existed at their school and what makes it different than a competing school. They may be single data points (which by themselves don't make evidence), but they do help people with no experience to get a feel for a school before they invest their time and money applying. This, I feel, is a legitimate and useful service.</p>
<p>Having given you a small lecture, I want you to know that if you would like to share experiences or insights that you do think of, I'm sure that you will find plenty of interested participants, who may next year be at Andover with you, perhaps sharing that common experience with you on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Getting off my soap box...</p>
<p>My point wasnt to put people down...or say that a website like this is not helpful...my point was to prove the point that a prep school can not be defined by a bunch of questions and answers, and that is what makes the experience so wonderful. If you would like to lecture me, fine go ahead, but my point was to help people. Yes a website like this might be a good starting point, but thats about all it is helpful for. For example, I saw so many posts about people asking if they can get into a school with certain grades. That is an impossible question, and if you go back to my first post you will see why. From personal experience I can say I was not the smartest person applying, and I didnt have the best ssat scores (i actually took it 3 times), but for someo reason Andover thought that i fit, and i thought that i fit with the school, and i made that point very clear in my application and interview. I would just like to push the idea that a website like this can not answer questions like what is the best school, because there is no best school, there is only the right school. Also as for being an insider, I was an outsider at one point and time just like everyone else. if you have questions, ask and admissions officer, or a teacher. These people would be more than happy to answer your questions, and showing an interest like that will go a long way. They want to see kids who truly want to attend their school. Im sorry goaliedad if you took it the wrong way, but thats just how I feel.</p>
<p>Goaliedad, that was a very well written essay. You're a great debater. </p>
<p>I would also be interested to learn more about Andover, as you said. (see previous post)</p>
<p>Andover08, just wondering, but what were your SSAT scores? I'm crossing my fingers that mine don't decline and that my math rises (last year I had 99, 99, 85 in math) </p>
<p>But I'm worried because this year I hadn't been doing as well on the sections, but I'm glad I got one of the easier tests on test day. </p>
<p>And does the interview count for a lot in the application process? I think my interview went pretty well ...</p>
<p>About the question of what makes Andover unique my answer is the students. The students at Andover are a unique group of kids from all over the world, with different backrounds, opinions and views. You might say well all schools have this, but when i visited, i felt something special about the student body, and now that i am student there, i can truely say the students are special.<br>
Another unique thing about Andover is the laid back, somewhat independent attitude....i.e. no dress code, very little saturday classes (1-2 times a term), no formal dinners ect. I feel like this takes the boarding school atmosphere to a different level. It takes the formality out of it, which is something that i love. It's just different, and personally i feel it is a little more laid back that other schools, but yet still academically challenging, athletically challenging, musically challenging ect. Lastly, the connections you make at Andover are amazing. It networks you to so many people. Everywhere I go, i where my Andover jacket with pride, and I always get questions, comments about the school. I have also made friendships inside the school that I know will last a lifetime.</p>
<p>Thanks, andover08. :) I'm looking for good perspectives, and yours was very detailed. ^^</p>
<p>I guess you're graduating next year? What colleges are you looking at?</p>
<p>My ssat score was like 91 overall or something very close. The interview was my strong point, and I think it made the difference for me. I talked to my interviewer for about an hour and a half, and by the end we were just having a normal conversation. Just be very personable, and be yourself. Tell them about what you love, tell them about your family, friends, or anyone else who has had a major impact on your life. Tell them about your tough times and how you overcame them, and tell them that you feel you belong there, but only if that is how you feel. Ask questions, questions like the ones being asked here. Get those questions answered that day, and also, send your interviewer a quick thank you note or email, because these people see so many kids a week, you want them to remember YOU.</p>
<p>as for colleges...i kinda all over tha place. I am looking to play baseball in college, and right now that is helping me to narrow down schools, but I am still very undecieded as to where I want to go, and where i can play.</p>
<p>i'll be right back. about 15 minutes.</p>
<p>andover08-</p>
<p>Kudos to you on all your work and time given to the ARC and ALS people. I also think it is great that you not only had passion for baseball, etc. before Andover but you discovered new interests and passions while there. To me that is one of the great things about boarding school - trying out new opportunities among the plethora offered.</p>
<p>andover08 - </p>
<p>My apologies if I got a little nit-picky with your first post. I've been here for a while and have found a couple of posters come in with an attitude and some come in very sensitive to criticism. I think I focused in on the word "stupid" and its negative connotations. I just prefer to see more friendly words used and sometimes try to help this forum self-moderate.</p>
<p>Glad to see you are sharing your experiences. Carry on!</p>
<p>no problem goaliedad...i understand where you are coming from, but i just got somewhat annoyed with some of these questions, and some of the answers because it is almost impossible to judge something like this on a large scale. I am happy to answer anyones questions on Andover, or the boarding school experience though, seeing as i have gone through the admission process and i am now a current student.</p>
<p>andover08. your point is valid with regard to one's chances. This and many other threads put a premium on ssat or sa's numbers. I have always been skeptical of this as a reason to be accepted to any prep school. it sounds like the interview was a key component for you and it sounds like andover was the right school for you. I hope one thing resonates with the students, matrics to colleges should not be so important. There are so many students who have passion or are ready to "bloom" that imo will shine brightly and will be chosen for passion over high ssat's. I like what you have to say. As for the college one choose's, does not make a man/woman.</p>
<p>I think the above point is exactly what I was trying to prove before. Its not the numbers, or where kids go to college or anything like that...its what fits the individual person, and as for the schools, its which kids fit their school.</p>
<p>Andover08, what did you find counted in the admissions process for most? I'm a bit worried about my grades, because they last year they were in high 90s (95-96 or so) but dropped to about A- this year. </p>
<p>Would that affect my admission drastically? </p>
<p>I hope that's a valid question.</p>