Madeline

Name: Madeline
Class Year: 2013
Entering Year: 2009
Hometown: Wells, ME
Residency Status: Boarding
Athletics: Andover Dance Group
Clubs: Mock Trial, Blue Strut, Ambassador Board

How did you hear about Andover?

I was home-schooled through eighth grade. While I enjoyed it a lot, I knew that I wanted to go to school for high school. I first looked at a boarding school near my house, and decided that I should look at others as well. Andover came up when my family started doing a little bit of research, and it ended up being my favorite of all the schools I visited!

Why did you choose Andover?

I was really drawn to Andover’s size, and the opportunities it offered. Having more students makes it possible for Andover to offer a wide variety of classes, sports, and clubs. When I came for my revisit, everyone also seemed very down-to-earth, so that I felt very comfortable right away.

Favorite faculty member:

Miss Fulford, who was both my math teacher and my house counselor last year! She really is an excellent example of the ideal PA teacher, because she is both a math teacher and an amazingly empathetic and helpful house counselor. She is someone who does not satisfy one job but both. Some nights I would go to her apartment for help with math homework, and end up staying ten minutes or fifteen minutes longer to chat about how my week was going.

Favorite class:

English. I’ve had two great teachers and classes during my two years here. I love that English teachers don’t have to follow a strict syllabus or guidelines because it makes it possible for them to focus on areas and genres that they have a great deal of knowledge about. It’s also great how relaxed our classes are, so that we can have fun and interesting discussions.

Why do you enjoy giving tours?

Through my own experience looking at schools, I realized that the ability of a tour guide to anticipate and respond to any questions I might have had a huge influence on my perception of the school. I love Andover, and I think that is a great fit for lot of different people, so I am always eager to introduce prospective students to the school and the aspects of it that most interest them!

Favorite Paresky Commons food:

Perfecto’s bagels for Saturday brunch.

Favorite Susie's food:

Cookies.

What do you do during your down time?

When it’s nice out, I love spending time on the great lawn with friends. During the rest of the year, time spent downtown or hanging out in the Den is always fun.

Favorite Andover tradition:

Grasshopper Night, the annual talent show. I was in the audience my 9th-grade year and I had a lot of fun watching, so it was really great to dance in the shows last year!

Best thing about being a boarding/day student:

Living in a dorm is great because there’s always someone to hang out with, whether it’s to study late at night or just to talk to after sign-in on weekends.

One thing you would change about Andover:

It’s really easy to get stuck focusing only on classes, sports, and homework, and to get a little out of touch with the world outside of Andover, or even the goals (beyond good grades and enough sleep!) that we all have as students here. I love the times when I get really excited about a particular project I’m working on, or when I am able to have an interesting conversation with a teacher or another student about issues and interests that are relevant outside of the Andover campus. I just wish there could be more of them!