Phillips Academy Andover review by Washington University in St. Louis student.
The school is strong in all areas, but especially in the humanities and languages. The biology, physics, and math programs are also quite impressive. The school's academic program is so rigorous that college is a breeze in comparison. The school's demanding academics in terms of both workload and course difficulty, the high expectations placed on students, and instructor expertise have overprepared me for the academic rigors of college. The school's teaching philosophy influenced me to really consider others' opinions, to think unconventionally while maintaining logical leaps of thought, and to see the beauty in both the traditional and the innovative. For humanities and languages, the classes are discussions with peers that are jump started by faculty. For math, sciences, and other quantitative courses, it is a more lecture based learning. The class sizes were never more than 17 students. I had classes as small as 9 students to 17. The faculty accessibility depends on the specific instructor, but there are conference periods, and I would say 99% of teachers would respond to email in a timely manner and were willing and very very ready to help outside of conference period. I had one math teacher, Mr. Farrell, who I still consider to be the best math teacher I have ever had in my life to this day, who met with me for thirty minutes before class every day to reteach me the material and explain BC Calculus in a way that I understood. I got a 5 on the AP Exam despite not being the best in my class. Average work load is very heavy, with the worst being the last two years with the exception of senior spring. You can get peer tutors and go to teachers, review sessions, and go to the math and science study halls for help, and there is even a writing center to help look at your papers. The best people to go to, however, are the instructors themselves. For talented/advanced students, well, it's Andover. You can always find a harder class or propose an Independent Project. The possibilities and opportunities are there and are endless.
I believe Andover has negatively affected my chances of gaining admission to the college of.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Phillips Academy Andover as experienced by former pupil and Washington University in St. Louis 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 entered as a New Lower Day Student(aka 10th grade). I interviewed on campus. The.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Phillips Academy Andover by former pupil and Washington University in St. Louis 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 dining is wonderful. The food is unlimited, the cafeteria, called Commons, was recently renovated. The food is one of the best parts of the school. I am a day student, so I never dealt with housing. The school is very safe. The facilities are top notch. The school is always renovating something, so everything is quite modern and in top condition. There are numerous labs, libraries, study areas, and technology resources. Notable social events are dances like Blue and Silver and Sadie Hawkins. Andover/exeter is a huge deal in the fall. The school is mostly white, but there is.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Phillips Academy Andover as experienced by former pupil and Washington University in St. Louis student — Login or Sign Up to access full review