Ask an Andover Upper Questions

SergeantFriday
Fri, 19 Jul 2013 17:48:54 +0000

Andoverhopeful14,

Traditionally, students applying as new uppers, or eleventh graders, at Andover face the most difficult admission challenge. A couple of years back, I recall hearing that the admission rate for new uppers was something like 8 percent, about 6 percent lower than Andover’s overall admit rate of 14 percent.

Notwithstanding this greater admission difficulty, there are, in my experience, two primary advantages for entering Andover as a new upper. The first is not delaying college admission for one year. The second is avoiding the necessity of paying for another year of prep school.

Entering as a new upper does, however, present unique challenges. Where a new ninth or tenth grader has more time to adjust to prep school life, a new upper does not have that flexibility. Grades as a new upper matter most for college admission. Plus, new uppers have the added stress of preparing for the SAT, taking more advanced courses, and beginning the college application process. Most new uppers typically turn these challenges into opportunities. Some don’t.

These challenges, as well as the desire to extend prep school for an additional year, lead some applicants to apply as repeat tenth graders. This is especially true of athletes who desire an additional year to physically develop. While repeating a grade carries a stigma outside the prep school world, the prep school community commonly accepts this practice. I have never heard of a college penalizing a good student for voluntarily repeating a grade under these circumstances.

There is no right or wrong answer to your question. There’s just what works best for you. Good luck with your decision.