Welcome from the Dean of Admission
We are so pleased that you have included Phillips Academy, also known as Andover for the town in which it is located, on your list of schools for consideration and are hopeful that our new Web site will answer many of your initial questions about the school. The school search process is a two-way conversation. You will learn about Phillips Academy and the Academy will learn about you. Transparency in this process is important in order for you and for us to determine whether this is the right match.
In the spirit of transparency, I offer the following thoughts about the Andover community. My hope is that my perspective may help you refine your school search process.
Try as it might, a school cannot be all things to all students. The most successful schools are clear about what they do well and what they do not hold as priorities. The good news is that once you open your mind to the possibility of attending a boarding school and remove geographic constraints from your search, you can find the right match for you. Try to find the time to learn about not only what the school offers in terms of academics, arts, and athletics but also whom it strives to serve and which values it holds dear.
Founded during the Revolutionary War to educate “youth from every quarter” to lead the new democracy, Andover holds a special place in the field of American education. Its history will tell you a great deal about its values. Its 1778 Constitution established the Academy’s institutional precepts of Youth from Every Quarter, Non Sibi (Not for Self), Knowledge and Goodness, and the idea that the outcome of an Andover education extends beyond personal gain to Usefulness to Mankind. These inspiring thoughts set the Academy on a path to leadership in American education. The timeline in our Admission Catalog describes the many educational initiatives of the Academy.
Certainly the founding of the school amidst the trying days of the Revolutionary War inspired its values. However, there are other factors that influenced the Academy’s mission. As you may be gathering, Phillips Academy is not your typical school. In fact its founding as an “academy” distinguishes it from boarding “schools.” The academies were often among the first schools in New England. They had strong local support and community participation. They typically attracted more diverse populations than the first boarding schools, which were founded about a century later, and were built in rural areas away from the outside influence of townspeople. Boarding schools were also often religiously affiliated. As one of the first academies in the country, Phillips served students from the local area as well as students who came from afar. Its location in a small New England town and its close proximity to Boston provided a constant flow of people and ideas through its campus.
The intentional openness of the Phillips Academy community began when its first board of trustees decided to provide need-based scholarships to the Academy’s first students, a rare viewpoint at that time but which reflected the Academy’s democratic values. The theme of “firsts” continues throughout Andover’s history. Richard T. Greener, the Academy’s first African-American graduate went on to become Harvard University’s first Black graduate. Andover was the first secondary school in the nation to develop exchange programs with the People’s Republic of China and the former Soviet Union. These and other examples are detailed in the catalog timeline.
What do these values and ideas mean for you as a candidate for Andover? A good match for Phillips Academy is a student who shares these values. Yes, Andover students are bright and talented, and they are also kind, interested in cultures other than their own, and in making a difference in the world. They are eager to commit to a community that invites varying perspectives and opinions. They are motivated to succeed but not at the expense of others. They are leaders by example first and by position second. They are open to the opportunity of the world today and are willing to work hard to tackle the problems of the future.
Andover’s academic and residential programs best serve interested students who have performed well in their previous schools, are self-motivated, and are independent relative to their peers. The academic program is rigorous with many opportunities for advanced study. While group work and discussions are regularly employed in Andover’s small classes, Andover students should have the ability to work independently as well. This is the one area of our program which is somewhat counter-cultural.
Today’s students are so busy with activities in and out of school that they rarely have the opportunity to learn how to manage their own schedules, work independently on homework or projects, or make their own decisions about how to spend free time. This is particularly true of candidates for ninth and 10th grades. Developing independent young people is a hallmark of an Andover education. Students who are serious about Andover should also be serious about rolling up their sleeves to learn these basic but important life skills and their parents should be committed to allowing their children to grow into independent young adults. This is a process. We do not expect our students to arrive with all these skills fully developed. We have a graduated program of independence and responsibility that supports students as they grow in this area.
Andover students also like to try new things. They follow passions. They have fun. You may have heard that Andover is “all work.” There is no doubt that Andover students work hard. In fact, the students who are happiest at Andover choose the school because they want to be challenged. However, they have fun too. Members of the Andover admission staff often describe the magical combination of Andover’s rigorous program and casual social setting. Students are more competitive with themselves than with others. They revel in each other’s successes and appreciate talents that are both similar and different from their own. It is just as “cool” at Andover to be a musician as it is to be an athlete. The community values excellence in all forms.
Inclusive, committed, open, interested, smart, talented, adventurous, unique, fun, determined, and kind are all words that I would use to describe the young people who are good matches for Andover. In searching for your next school, I encourage you to think less about whether you think you want a big or small school or whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, and more about who you are and what you value and how those things match the school’s programs, community and mission.
The end depends upon the beginning is yet another one of the Academy’s founding precepts. When thinking about your future educational options, make sure that you begin with a list that includes the schools whose values and programs match your talents and interests. Consider how you may grow and change during your high school years. Who you become in the end depends to a large extent on how you begin. Your “beginning” includes the caring foundation built by your family and the teachers who have helped you get to where you are today. Your high school teachers, friends, coaches, and mentors also will play important roles in shaping your life. And as I have shared with you already, I believe that the values of your secondary school will also inform your future path.
In an interesting way, the Andover admission staff act as “investors” in the future. Although we are a long way from Wall Street, we work hard to identify the students in whom the Academy will invest its resources. This considerable investment is not only for the individual benefit of our students and their families but also for future of their communities, their countries, and the world. We have seen how an Andover education makes a difference in our students’ lives and, in turn, how our graduates’ lives make a difference for others.
We look forward to learning more about you and to your learning more about Andover. Good luck in your school search. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can assist you in this important process.
Jane Fried
Assistant Head for Enrollment, Research and Planning
Dean of Admission