or yourself!! just wondering what the culture’s like/if people enjoy it!
Wondering the same thing. Haven’t visited the schools yet but the culture seems to be extremely academically rigorous where you either sink or swim from what I have heard.
As in any school, there are people who like it and who don’t like it.
One thing I’d say about Exeter is that harkness in science, particularly math, makes it much harder for an averagely excellent student. If you’re the type of person who needs to work hard in middle school, Exeter math will likely be challenging. If you’re one of the smart kids, then less of an issue. Ideally you need to be used to studying proactively. Just going to class to learn will not work.
1 Like
I may be going to Lville which also used Harkness. Could you expand on struggling in maths due to Harkness?
I don’t know how Lville teaches math, but Exeter math problem sets are publicly available online. Students are expected to finish certain problems before the class and not to use concepts that are not taught. This in itself is challenging, given how many problems are worded and designed. Depending upon the teacher and the classmates, the in classroom learning can be good or bad. Some teachers provide little guidance. For kids who are used to listening to the teacher to learn, the learning curve is steep.
I have heard many kids struggling in math. Of course there are kids who think it’s too easy. If you get used to harkness math, you will do great in school and probably in college as well. But first you need to make sure you are ready for the challenge.
1 Like
S23’s friend (a few years ahead of him) was an outstanding student (National science fair winner, many science awards) and struggled his first year at Exeter. He came from a very progressive Montessori school and the pace and number of classes, along with the lack of downtime because of time devoted to studying, were a big adjustment. He was also very homesick. He stuck it out and ended up having a great experience and looks back very fondly now, but I remember his mom being worried sick in the beginning.
He was an Intel ISEF finalist while at Exeter and I just looked up his resume and he’s developing stuff I can’t even begin to understand. I’d say that Exeter set him up for success.
3 Likes
I am a parent of an Upper at Exeter and she loves it, but the rigor is real and time management is essential. I see the phrase “sink or swim” used a lot on this forum. I have to disagree with this sentiment. There are multiple resources for help if you need it. It’s an amazing school!
1 Like
Not sure if they still roam this forum, but I know people back from my app cycle that go to Andover. They absolutely love it and are thriving. They also entered as new sophomores which can be more difficult.
1 Like
I don’t know anything about prep schools personally but my childhood best friend is a senior (or whatever they call it there) at Exeter and I think loves it! She’s really into dance and last time we talked wanted to go into chemical engineering. The classes she’s able to take are crazy cool compared to my normal public magnet classes
1 Like