Phillips Academy Andover

Prep School Admissions
1

Hi everyone!!!
I am a boy entering in the class 2029 in the fall and I just have some questions:
Thank you all so much!!

  • Is it socially acceptable to study in silent? What are some secret and or cool study places around campus?

  • Is it possible to get a single as a 9th grader? I know this is incredibly hard to get but what about a 3 room double? Will I have a higher chance of getting a 3 room double as a ninth grader as I get older? Is there a dorm you recommend? I heard “rockwell” has a lot of singles which sounds appealing but is it nice? What about the people/culture in the dorm?

  • Where do freshmen sit in the dining hall? I know of some sort of social dynamic.

  • I am a boy and is it weird if I decorate my dorm? The dorms look bland in some of the pictures of boys decorated dorms I have seen.

  • I play tennis which I am beginner/intermediate at but am hoping to move up to the varsity team eventually and was wondering how much time there would be to play outside of the season? Is there enough time to play during breaks or after school. What about in the athletic center in the winter indoor tennis courts? Will it be unlocked during the school day?Are there instructional sports like tennis in the fall that I could take just to practice even though I already have some experience.

  • How much access does your keycard give you? Can you enter buildings whenever you want? Athletic buildings?

  • Is there anything in particular that I must buy? It can be for dorm, school supplies. I haven’t received a packing list but I was just wondering if I do receive a list if there is stuff that you recommend that won’t be on it.

  • What is the policy on AI? Do teachers care?

  • Will I take placement tests for the school to pick classes for me? If so, when will I take it?

  • When I arrive on campus in September, what will my schedule be for the first couple days until I am totally independent.

  • I am from Sacramento California and want to experience Boston since I have never been there before. Do you ever get to go into it? Can you take the train to Boston by yourself for the day on weekends? Is that a weird thing to do?

  • Does anyone use a bike to ride around campus?

  • Where do popular people hang out on campus?

  • I am black and was wondering if there are any clubs/affinity groups I can join? What is the culture there?

  • Is there enough time to walk downtown for lunch on a school day? What if I wanted to get coffee in the morning?

  • What is the policy on doordash?

  • Is there one tryout or is there a separate varsity tryout and a separate jv tryout where you get placed?

2

Can’t answer all of these but will take a swing at a few:

  • Yes you can study in silence. There is a silent room in the Library for just this purpose.
  • Yes there are singles for Juniors as well as three room doubles. Rockwell has traditionally been a Junior dorm. None of the dorms are particularly nice, nor particularly bad. Think: cinderblock.
  • Not at all weird to decorate your room. Expected. It’s your room.
  • I believe there was a separate thread for supplies. Do a search.
  • I believe you will take a math placement test and perhaps a language if you want to start above the traditional Junior level course.
  • Exploring Boston is common and encouraged; just make sure you have the time. There used to be a bus that picked you up from school by the Chapel, but don’t know if there still is.
  • Several Black affinity groups. There is Af-Lat-Am as well as a BSU. I’m told there is now an affinity group for both African and Caribbean students as well. The culture is The Culture.
  • Going downtown to get a coffee could work if you’re in the right dorm (West of the Chapel), but not particularly practical except on weekends.
  • Doordash is common
    Not sure about the other stuff, so hoping someone else can help.
    Good luck!
3

This is (unfortunately) coming from a mom’s perspective, so feel free to ignore since we tend not to know much.

My son mostly reports studying in his room, but there are times where he’s working in a group for something for class. In those cases, he typically is going to the library or the music building to meet up. He, too prefers quiet hours for studying and hasn’t mentioned feeling like that is a challenge to arrange.

It sounds like it is more usual than not to have a single as a 9th grader. My son is in a three room triple, but he thinks that’s more of an outlier than having a true single. Most of his friends are in Rockwall, and they seem nice and happy with their dorm.

Not weird! Lots of people (including boys!) decorate their dorm rooms. Just be aware that at the end of the year you have to pack everything up for storage/shipping by yourself in the middle of finals week. It can be a challenge if you have really moved in and nested.

Lots of access to the places you need to be. Just be sure to keep it on you and not lose it as many times as my son has this first year at Andover. :upside_down_face:

The Andover honor code about academic honesty has pretty strong language about not using AI (in addition to not discussing assignments with pretty much anyone before they are turned in). My son seems to think that the school takes this extremely seriously. YMMV

The placement tests will come around the same time as a lot of other information (like how to set up your new email account) does. You’ll also need to submit a picture for your ID card/internal face book. I think those emails started coming in early May. Don’t worry about the tests – they’re low-stress events and just determining placement for things that you kind of already know: math, foreign language (unless you’re starting a new language), art and music. Also, if something is actually wrong with your placement, you’ll be able to fix it once you’re on campus during the Add/Drop period while working with your advisor. Seriously, don’t stress about them.

You move in, and then you start right off the bat in your new schedule. But don’t worry: everyone else is also starting something new, so even though you don’t know what you are doing yet, you will figure it out pretty quickly and with lots of help from the people around you.

We’re also from across the country, and Boston was pretty exciting and new to our kid, too. A lot of your access to the city is controlled by the permissions your parents set in your student profile. So, if they are OK with you going into the city, you can. I will say, though: you won’t do as much as you think you will because you’ll be pretty busy with classes/sports/homework/making new friends/sleeping, at least at first. Go ahead and set up an Uber/Uber Teen account. That’s how all the boarding students seem to manage getting on/off campus, at least in my kid’s dorm.

There are affinity groups that limit membership to members of the group, as well as clubs, which may touch on demographic groups, but welcome all students for membership. Go to the first group and club fair (held really close to the first day of school) and get a taste there. Some affinity groups and clubs have instagram accounts. Reaching out to them over the summer may help ease anxieties about there not being a friendly face around for you to find.

Lunch is a very, very quick period of time in your day. I doubt that you’ll be regularly eating lunch off campus. HOWEVER

There are virtually no rules about Doordash. It is out of control how often ONE PARTICULAR STUDENT IN THE CLASS OF 2028 is Dashing dinners.

You’re doing fine and asking the right questions. Don’t worry about the fall right now. It may not feel like it, but you are almost certainly ready. Just keep doing school at your current place, soak up all the family time you get between now and the end of summer, and you’ll be in good shape to hit the ground running in Massachusetts after Labor Day. For real.

1 Like
4

Thank you so much everybody for answering!! If anyone else has any other information to share I would greatly appreciate it!!

5

Congrats! It’s an amazing place and a great experience