Phillips Academy Andover review by Dartmouth College student.
Phillips Andover is very strong in almost every curriculum. Our science department, especially the physics department, is known for exceptional AP results and for winning national contests. The writing preparation is phenomenal. The teachers are all very tough and critical, but I feel that I was more prepared for the college environment than many of my peers. The student body is fairly competitive, but in a good way. The students push each other so everyone's grades are higher, but no students try to adversely affect their peers. The school encourages group work and many students work together on projects and assignments. The teaching method focused on small classes to encourage group dialog. I really liked this approach because I learned from the students around me as well as my instructor. I never had more than 15 people in one class and most classes stressed student participation. The work load was very tough, often over 3 hours of work per night, but the teachers were easily accessible either by email or by office hours. The school academic advisers monitor each students academic progress very carefully and work with students who need extra help or those who need more of a challenge.
My school greatly improved my college admission process. I was admitted to three out.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Phillips Academy Andover as experienced by former pupil and Dartmouth College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
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...
I applied to Andover when I was 15. It was a bit intimidating, but.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Phillips Academy Andover by former pupil and Dartmouth College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
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...
The housing was good. All of the dorms had sufficient space and furniture for a teenager. The new dining facility is amazing, the food is awesome and there is enough variety to never become tired of the food. The neighborhood is safe and quiet, the perfect place to raise kids. The town is mostly affluent whites, but the school is very diverse. The houseparents are basically surrogate parents. They are very involved in the students academic performance and their physical and emotional health. They do more than just enforce the rules, they talk.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Phillips Academy Andover as experienced by former pupil and Dartmouth College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review