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ANDOVER, Mass. -- Over the past two weeks, 449 boys and girls around the world have received letters from Phillips Academy inviting them to become students at Andover. Among those receiving the acceptance letters are 279 students who have been offered a spot in the freshman class of 2010. The remaining 170 students would enter the school as 10th, 11th, or 12th graders or as postgraduate students.
In earning acceptance to Andover, the students had to make their way through a highly competitive application process during which they were asked to write essays, take a standardized test, and participate in one-on-one interviews. In total, just 20% of the students who applied to Andover are accepted, giving it one of the lowest admit rates of any independent secondary school in the nation. Those who have been accepted now have until April 10 to let the school know if they will attend. The school estimates that 73% of the accepted students will matriculate, a percentage that represents the highest yield rate of any of its peer schools. The initial acceptance letters were sent out on March 10.
While all the accepted students are similar in that they have a track record of academic success, they are also a highly diverse group of students who cut across all cultural, geographic, racial, and socio-economic lines. Thirty-three percent of the accepted students are students of color, 47% are female, and 39% are slated to receive some form of financial aid. Of those receiving financial aid, 10% will receive full scholarships, while 64% will have at least half of their tuition paid for by the school. In total, Andover estimates it will provide nearly $11.7 million in grant money during the 2006-2007 school year, and that the average grant will be more than $25,000.
Maintaining a diverse student body has been a fundamental mission of the school since its founding 228 years ago. Among the goals stated in Andover’s original constitution is a commitment to provide educational opportunity to “youth from every quarter,” a charge that has broadened with the times. The Academy’s current Strategic Plan challenges the school to work toward a “need-blind” admission process, a challenge school officials take to heart.
“We attract a lot of very bright and financially needy students at a time when some of our peer schools are searching for ways to develop more diverse applicant pools,” says Andover Dean of Admission Jane Fried. “It’s very rewarding to know that Andover already is seen as a school that provides access for low- and middle-income families. And as we develop ways to implement our new Strategic Plan, we look forward to making the school even more accessible to students of all income levels.”
Andover also attracts a student body that is geographically diverse. The newly accepted students are drawn from 38 states, one U.S. territory, and 22 countries. Eight percent of the accepted students come from outside the U.S.
A geographically diverse student body represents another key goal of Andover, which is to nourish within its students a deep awareness of the global community, an understanding of world affairs, and a sense of public service.
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