<p>Hey IntlDadof2,</p>
<p>Congratulations on navigating a difficult terrain; your family has some wonderful choices and it’s great that you are focused on fit, rather than ‘names’. I have a daughter at Andover and it sounds like they could have done a much better job with you guys. Fortunately, we’ve seen a culture which aspires towards constant improvement and I hope they will learn from losing a great applicant and do better next time. </p>
<p>Oh, one point about the coaches. The coach of my daughter’s team has a PHD in Physics and the Associate Dean of Admissions, who reads for 9th grade, is an ex-professional basketball player who has a Masters degree in education. I hope that he just had an ‘off’ day and he can successfully relate to all kids, including ‘nerds’ (of which, Andover has more than its fair share).</p>