My daughter was accepted to both Exeter and Andover, and we are having trouble deciding. She excels at science, swimming and orchestra. Is one particularly strong in any/several of these? Are there special challenges when enrolling as a 10th grader? Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Both schools are quite similar. Both accept a number of 10th graders and integrate them in the school. Revisit both and see how she feels at each one.
I liked both schools when we visited them. Andover is a bit more suburban, and Exeter is fairly rural. Academics are top notch at both. Exeter still has a few saturday classes, in contrast Andover got rid of them.
The campuses are similar in terms of size, facilities and teaching. In terms of science, both will be strong. How independent of a learner is she? Not much hand holding at either school, but less so at Exeter.
Andover only has a few Saturday classes a term. Exeter used to have more but after a recent policy change they now have very few if any. Exeter used to have an Internet shutdown at midnight I think but now the restriction is no longer there just like Andover which has never had it. The difference in dress code is still in place I think, with Exter being formal and Andover casual.
Andover! I was accepted into both schools, and I chose Andover. The following link breaks down Andover and Exeter. I would scroll down to the “Admission” section of the website - it provides a detailed set of differences for the schools. I would also note that Andover is more accessible, and students can enjoy trips to the Andover downtown and the city of Boston. If I were a parent, I would choose Andover; and the same goes as a student, athlete, and teenager. Go Big Blue!
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Andover is also a bit more inclusive and so-called “Liberal”, where Exeter is a more stereotypical boarding school with a prominent - in my opinion - conservative presence. When visiting, I noticed this immediately. Political views aside, I was not a fan of this aspect at all; as I noticed a level of intolerance among students. Milton Academy is also a great school. I was accepted there as well - and although I chose Andover, it is a great school and very close to Boston.
@andover20___ Interesting that you come on to CC as a “new” member and your two posts are of this nature. We interviewed at both schools as well as many others and saw no evidence of any of this anywhere. All we wanted was a place that embraced diversity of all kinds. Further we know many families at these and other schools. One of the most prominent REPUBLICAN families in the country sends two boys to Andover. You “noticed this immediately. Political views aside, I was not a fan of this aspect at all; as I noticed a level of intolerance among students.” “Exeter is a more sterotypical boarding school with a prominent - in my opinion- conservative presence.” Shame on you for being an example of extreme political correctness that is stunting the beauty of an education that welcomes and prospers by embracing divergent opinions as part of a superior academic environment. I assume you would be shouting down speakers that had opinions with which you didnt agree …
@andover20___ Since you are a current student, you are “entitled” to promote your schools. 
But in all seriousness, the two schools share more similarities than otherwise in almost all aspects. I just read from the other thread about Exter’s new “gender neutral” dress code. I would say that’s quite liberal. Both are pretty progressive too, judging by their aggressively reaching out to under represented groups and making their schools more accessible by generous FA programs.
@SevenDad – here’s the one you were waiting for.
OP: This thread gets created every year, just do a search. Go to revisit days at both and make your own decision. Nothing anyone says here (or on any other “compare X to Y” thread) is relevant for your family’s specific needs/requirments.
@center Kids are supposed to “defend and sell” their schools. Don’t get worked up by the long tradition of forever ongoing school rivalry!
Exeter = Science, swimming and orchestra. Case closed.
@panpacific I am all for rivalry and all that but I view those comments as a bit beyond that. Nonetheless advice taken. We looked hard at both schools. That stuff didn’t even enter the equation.
@center, It’s evident that you care about your child’s school and application process. Thats normal. But there is ABSOLUTELY no need to act the way you did to a high-schooler’s comment. In addition, it is also concerning that you say “we” when discussing your child’s application. This should be a process for we students to figure out ourselves and get into our schools without the hand-holding of Mommy and Daddy. All due respect, if an applicant is unable to handle the application, than schools such as Andover and Exeter are not the right place for them. Now please do not continue to shoot down students - it is strange, uncalled for, and actually hypocritical - we are all here to help students make their own decisions and sharing our advice to others. You stated that I would “be shouting down speakers that had opinions with which you didnt agree …” well you did exactly that to my comments. This process should be for students - not their parents.
@andover20___ Hold your horse. Are you a current student? If you really are, you are not representing your school well.
I’m actually very interested in hearing more about the political differences you see between the schools and what specifically you have observed. On what basis do you form your opinion? I’m not doubting you at all, just very curious to hear more. Thank you.
@andover20___ @panpacific @Center To the extent useful comparisons can be stated, that might help the original poster. I am not sure why this board gets so “touchy” at times. @center, if andover20’s impressions were not yours, that’s fine, but I think your comment about political correctness, etc. was out of bounds and personal. It’s a message board cloaked with anonymity, so to each his own, I guess.
I’d be dishonest if I say Ive seen material differences between the two schools. As far as I know, Exeter has all classes “Harkness table” style while Andover has math and science classes “traditional style”. I’ve also heard that exeter’s math classes are more demanding. I have an impression that Exeter is a bit more rigorous and/or intense than Andover. If you want in depth info about how students feel about their schools, check out the school newspapers of both schools, from which you will definitely know more about both schools, good and bad.
BTW, I didn’t have time to edit my last post after @andover20___ deleted her earliest post. Everyone has the right to share their experience and express their opinions, as long as they are not trying to suppress other points of views.
I’m a current student at Exeter, and really Exeter and Andover are really quite the same, as much as we try to distinguish each other from one another. Exeter is quite liberal, and so is Andover, but Exeter might seem less liberal because of our formal dress code or maybe other arbitrary factors, but I can assure you wearing a suit to class doesn’t make anyone any less liberal hehe. (of course i’m not trying to put words in anyone’s mouth, btw)
but yeah, I do think exeter gets this view of being super wound up, when really, we are still all just a bunch of teenagers trying to go to school and live our lives like anyone else
but of course sticking to the rivalry exeter is the superior school by far, and you would love your time here 
also, even as a liberal myself, there is nothing wrong with a conservative presence on campus, and there has been a lot of discussion this year about how to listen to do differing opinions and being respectful.
Thank you @hellofrands, obviously students at both schools are going to be smart. It really is just a preference. At Andover, students will claim to be better than the dreaded “Exonians”, but in reality, we are just about the same. While an Andover “Phillipian” might mention that the average SSAT score of someone admitted here is 94% or higher compared to Exeter’s 90% - so be it! Exeter probably has some better aspects than Andover, and Andover probably has some better than Exeter (such as our 13% acceptance and Exeter’s 16%) ;). But actually, both schools are great, and lets be real, sometimes Exeter is rated higher than Andover, and Andover higher than Exeter.
Many people forget, however, that ANDOVER AND EXETER ARE OWNED BY THE SAME FAMILY! So to say one is drastically better than another academically is quite preposterous. There are qualities about each school that appeal to different students.
I wasn’t a fan of Exeter’s location, and some might not be of Andover’s - and the bottom line is, that’s okay. I just noticed how of the students I met at both schools during my visits I could see some political differences. It isn’t a huge deal, but something to keep in mind instead.
At Andover, I could count the number (openly) conservative students on my hands. Exeter just gave me that conservative vibe; and I figured it might be something people might want to know before making such a huge investment. And you are right, there are people from all over the political spectrum at both schools I can imagine, but I was just talking about the environment in which one might be. For example, Andover takes some controversial positions (as one might see on their Instagram) such as putting in place many LGBTQ+ flags across campus, or being aware of climate change, and making sure that everyone is given equal opportunity and rights. These are all great to almost everyone on campus, including myself. Exeter may hold the same positions, but they are not as public about such stances as I was able to tell during my visits. Hopefully I won’t be targeted after this comment lol. Here is an example on the Andover campus in this link
I can not believe someone said Exeter had a conservative feel. The campus is MAJORITY liberal. It’s one of the few things about Exeter that I somewhat dislike. In a recent student mock election 300 Students voted Democrat while 100 voted Republican. This surprised me as I only knew of about 20-30 republicans on campus and I am politically active. Conservative voices don’t feel as comfortable speaking up here because the campus is so liberal. Political correctness is a must here. No one is allowed by their peers to be homphobic, racist, sexist, or bigoted. Recently there was a free speech forum to talk about free speech and the culture at Exeter. Exeter has recently tried very hard to express a willing openness in communication between political opinions on a campus that is majorly liberal.
Also, Exeter is in no way rural. We’re in the middle of downtown Exeter. There’s about 20 shops within a 5 minute walk of my dorm.
Exeter has a climate action day where school is cancelled and workshops are held as well as Martin Luther King Jr. day where there are workshops and assemblies. There are multiple queer groups on campus. The GSA is gigantic this year. They are very “open” about their stances. Exeter is the most accepting enviornment I know.