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Phillips Academy Andover

School rating 4 / 5 by

180 Main Street Andover MA 01810 United States
Boarding
9th to PG
Day
9th to PG
Gender
Coed

Academic

Phillips Academy Andover review by .

The courses were very rigorous. I believe that more work was required on a daily basis than in many of my classes during my first two years of college, which really prepared me for the challenges of collegiate academics. Andover really taught me how to think. I had been previously taught to memorize information and regurgitate it on exams, but Andover teaches you how to examine and synthesize information critically, reach original conclusions, and push yourself to learn much more than you thought possible. Class sizes are fairly small--I never had a class with more than about 16 students. The faculty is amazing. They truly care about their students. For the most part, they are understanding and nurturing and truly care about the well-being of the students. It is so easy to connect with them and learn more than your coursework from them as well. Andover also has a wealth of resources, extracurricular opportunities, and campus events and speakers that would rival any small college.

College Counseling

Andover has a very special position with schools because of its reputation for academic excellence....

Sample insights on college counseling

  • They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
  • For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...

Admissions - Getting Accepted

I think Andover really seeks well-rounded and diverse individuals from around the world, although the....

Sample insights on admissions

  • For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
  • Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...

School Life

I loved living in a dorm. The other students in the dorm and your house counselors become your second family. Dining at Andover has never been the best, but it's gotten much better. The school is located in a very safe area, but rarely you may get yelled at by some townies and if you live in West Quad--be careful crossing the street in the mornings. Social events are always fun. The weekly dances are a great way to release stress and have fun with your friends. Everything at Andover is top notch--the hardest thing to....

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