@heartburner I would agree . Hardness is integral to everything at Exeter. In my opinion, the differences are Harkness and that Exeter is probably more intense. Also, Andover is far more legacy and development admit heavy. They may have slightly better Ivy admits but I believe that is why.
I am not going to address these issues. What I am going to do is caution any admitted student/parent to base a decision upon incidents in the past. If one were to google âscandals at XYZ school,â something will come up. It is unrealististic for anyone to think that A/E, or any school, public or private, that is loaded with teenagers is going to to be Utopia. What people should focus on is how the administration addresses/deals with these issues.
@Center I asked earlier and Iâll ask again - just from where did you get the idea about the legacy and development cases in different schools?? You are an adult correct? Making claims like that without giving any source sounds irresponsible to me.
The main reason Iâm chose Exeter over Andover was because I liked that they used Harkness in math and science. At revisit day, you should enter math/science classes at both schools and see which method of teaching you like better.
Ask your kid which campus they like better, because both of these schools are extremely similar, both in political climate, rigor, reputation and even the family that started them. I think the buildings are closer together at Exeter than they are at Andover, but both schools have the same amount of land. A campus can feel different to different kids and itâs important they can imagine themselves living in the space, because thatâs where theyâre going to be living.
(Iâll toot Exeterâs horn here because they have a SICK whale skeleton in the Phelps Science Center and everything looks really pretty during the winter.)
Exeter has a âreputationâ of being more intense and Phillipians tend to refer to them as âthe nerdsâ while Exonians call kids from Andover âthe smurfsâ since their school color is blue. Regardless of the reputation, both schools require a lot of work and many students report being over prepared for college upon leaving. Both have had problems with drug usage, thatâs just an uncomfortable truth about high school.
The thing Iâm trying to get at is there is NO consequence to choosing one school over the other. There IS a consequence, however, to not letting your kid decide for themselves where they want to go.
@junemaybees Well said.
When Exeter cheers at E/A weâre supporting our selves and getting hype. When Andover cheers they insult Exeter.
^I think both schools generally say that about each other. I remember the Exeter fans shouting âGeorge Bushâ at us during my freshman year.
yeah, thatâs not true at all, lol. Exeter can be brutal sometimes, as can andover.
COMMENT FROM A 2007-ish THREAD ABOUT A AND E⊠Hope it helps.
They are equal in prestige and selectivity even though I donât like to admit it. Many people say that Exeter is better for math and science, but Andoverâs AP Physics classes are ranked first in the nation, so think beyond the stereotypes. The feel of the schools are very different. Andoverâs campus is pretty spacious, spread out and has a more laid back feel while Exeterâs is more compact. I felt at home at Andover, but something felt a little out of place when I toured Exeter.
And you have to hike about 10 miles into the woods to find Exeterâs football stadium. The walk back after beating them is worth it though. Also, for those who think drug use is a âproblemâ on Andoverâs campus, that is not true at all. It is only a problem if you choose to use drugs.
In all seriousness, I donât think you could go wrong with either school. Both are very well regarded, will offer unique experiences and challenges, and will undoubtedly prepare you for college. We can sit here all day and analyze a multitude of statistics, but my advice is to use gut feeling. Go to both schools for revisit day, and then pick the school that FEELS RIGHT. Ask yourself this: Where to you see yourself thriving and enjoying life?
Here are some links⊠most are 2016.
DO SHARE ANY OTHER RECENT/NOTABLE LINKS THAT YOU MAY FIND/ that I missed
2016-----
http://k12.nichebeta.com/rankings/private-high-schools/best-overall/
2016-----
http://www.businessinsider.com/25-best-private-high-schools-for-getting-into-top-colleges-2016-3
2016-----
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-private-high-schools-in-america-2016-3
2016-----
http://www.thestreet.com/slideshow/13471053/25/the-top-15-private-high-schools-in-the-u-s.html
2014-----
http://successfulstudent.org/26-best-private-schools-2014/
FORBES IN 2010âŠ
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/29/best-prep-schools-2010-opinions-private-education_slide.html
ANDOVER VS EXETER
http://boarding-schools.startclass.com/compare/119125-142319/Phillips-Exeter-Academy-vs-Phillips-Academy-Andover
Great input from students of both A and E on this thread! Let me reiterate that itâs such a âfirst world problemâ to have this âtroubleâ of trying to decide whether to attend Exeter or Andover (I bet even most of the posters on this thread donât/didnât have that trouble). To illustrate how unusual youâd have that trouble, first you need to get in both, second both work out financially, and third you didnât have a preference (including but not limited to the sport team you have set your heart on, a particular EC team you want to be part of, a class sequence you feel make more sense and want to take, you donât have a parent, sibling or friend going one that makes you want to go tooâŠ) going into the process. Then you âstartâ having the trouble. The trouble can (or should) go away when factors like how far away your home is, or which location is more convenient for family visits into consideration. If that still doesnât help, go around the campus and feel it, by when you are pretty much in the âsafe zoneâ - whichever direction you take would take you to the same destination. Congratulations to OP, and cheers all!
@centerprestigeru I hate to bring up an argument that seems to have ended, but someone needs to say this. For background, I am a student at Choate, so I am completely unbiased in the Exeter vs. Andover argument. The harsh reality is @andover20___ is right. Not necessarily about the political environments at Exeter and Andover (I havenât even set foot on Exeterâs campus, and the other comments on this thread make it seem like their political environments are in fact quite similar) but about the effect that political environments can have on a personâs education. As a person with the intent to send a child to private school, you should be taking advice from the experienced children and families on this board (within reason) because quite frankly, theyâve been through it and know how these institutions work. There are very conservative schools and very liberal schools as well, and for some students, choosing the wrong environment can ruin their high school experience. In addition, many of the comments that you (as an adult, iâm assuming) made to a child were disrespectful and quite appalling. The little snapshot you may have gathered from someone from one post on an anonymous board does not give you the right to determine whether or not they deserve to attend a prestigious institution. Adults on this board often feel that they have the right to be extremely harsh and disrespectful in their responses to younger counterparts, but it is unjust and gives a terrible impression of their character.
Iâve appreciated reading this thread, especial the comments regarding political views. When we first opened the email last week with the amazing video from Exeter and after my first âOMG she got in Exeter,â my immediate second thought was OMG its so conservative there. This worried me a bit as we are pretty liberal and this thread has helped clear things up in my mind.
Iâd say for a liberal student- Exeter is the place to be. Youâll fit right in.
Same for Andover. Liberals will love it here. It is a very liberal place, and iâm sure there are similar political discussions going on at both Andover and Exeter. I would also say that being conservative at one of these schools is not going to ruin you experience. I am a rather conservative minority(a rarity at Andover), and this hasnât ruined my experience. Schools such as Andover and Exeter have a large enough student body that you will undoubtedly find at l;east a few people with similar views. Have some of my more conservative friends found the âliberal frenzyâ and occasionally over-the-top PC frustrating? Most definitely yes, but the purpose of going to schools like these is to be able to see many different viewpoints, and engage in proper discourse.
@MAandMEmom The political climate at Exeter is pretty easy to tease out if you look at their newspaper.
They havenât updated since late February, but you can see that the campus is actually majority liberal, but with a sizable conservative minority. Most importantly, thereâs an emphasize on freedom of speech, but also respect and kindness towards others. There are political clubs for students to join and many other opportunities for students to get involved politically. Itâs a really neat place, at least looking from the outside in! 
As a pretty conservative parent that has had 4 kids attend Exeter, the notion that Exeter is conservative is comical. All elite institutions lean heavily left. What I have seen at Exeter is a willingness to listen to all points of view. Good luck to the OP on making a decision that is right for your family. I hope you spend the time to attend revisit days and look through the course catalogs to make informed decisions that work for your family.
@MAandMEmom Exeter is the farthest thing from conservative. It is a very, very, liberal campus, whose student body tries to create conversation as much as possible to allow everyonesâ voice to be heard. Although I feel bad for some of the conservatives on campus who are sometimes silenced, due to the majority opinion, I feel that the students are trying to change that, for the most part.
I endorse @AMS0203 statements. Very true.