About PA Academics

Andover’s academic program offers a strong and broad foundation in the arts, humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.  The Academy’s extensive and rigorous curriculum, along with its varied approach to teaching, not only prepares students superbly for college but instills in them a lifelong love of learning.

Between the ages of 14 and 18, students make significant leaps in their cognitive development.  Andover varies its teaching methods to suit these developmental stages and to present effectively the material and methods of inquiry specific to each discipline.  Quickly paced introductory courses provide the structure and guidance necessary for young learners to build basic skills and to handle progressively more difficult material.  At the same time, students who are exceptionally capable in certain areas of study are encouraged to enter the curriculum at advanced levels.

For advanced students, Andover provides extensive elective offerings, with courses beyond the college entrance level.  Before they graduate, students may do research with recombinant DNA, study the calculus of vector functions and quantum mechanics, take a seminar in existentialism or economics, compose a major musical work, or direct a play.

Our dynamic faculty members reject the rigid orthodoxy of a single teaching method in favor of techniques that suit the material at hand.  Students find themselves in small class discussions one day and in a group project the next; they conduct research, prepare and present demonstrations, and question guest lecturers; they think, write, compute, experiment – in short, they learn to examine the world from many points of view.  The result is a vibrant program of education, rooted in a philosophy of learning by doing, that is constantly renewing itself as we debate pedagogy, review and adapt offerings, revisit syllabi, and integrate new technologies.

Beyond the classroom, a rich array of extracurricular activities offers unparalleled opportunities for development of skills and talents.  Numerous student publications showcase creative, scholarly, and journalistic writing and editing.  Artistic skill blossoms through dozens of musical, theatrical, and dance performances each term.  Clubs enable students to explore new areas of interest and to sharpen skills in such areas as debate, mathematics, politics, and languages.  Teachers and students model for each other a commitment to inquiry and performance that makes Andover a true community of learners.   Inside the classroom and out, the academic energy is palpable.