FAQs for Students & Families

This collection of frequently asked questions (FAQs) will be updated throughout the 2023–2024 school year. Additional questions may be submitted via email.

Academics

What is the weekly class schedule?

To view the weekly class schedule, click here.

Are progress reports shared with midterms?

At the mid-point of each term, students receive a Progress Report for each course in which they are enrolled. At the midpoint of each term, instructors report on each student’s progress using the following scale: Passing (P), Low Passing (LP), Not Yet Passing (NYP). At the midpoint of the fall and winter terms (Term 1 and Term 2), instructors also share written progress reports with students and parent(s)/guardian(s).

What is Andover's grading system?

At the end of each term, with the exception of courses graded on a pass-fail basis, all courses taken for credit are graded on the 0–6 scale described below. At the end of the fall term (Term 1), instructors share written reports with students and parent(s)/guardian(s), and they do so again at the end of the spring term (Term 3) for non-seniors.

6—Outstanding 5—Superior 4—Good 3—Satisfactory 2—Minimum Pass (and minimum college certifying grade) 1—Failure Pass 0—Low Failure

For more details on student grades, please refer to the Course of Studies.

What is the end term schedule?

To view the end of term schedule, click here.

What resources are provided to students at the Academic Skills Center (ASC)?

For information about our Academic Skills Center, please visit the ASC FAQ. You can also visit the Academic Skills Center website.

What is the process for my student to request accommodations?

Refer to the Student Accessibility Services FAQ or reach out directly to Laura Warner: [email protected]

Health and Wellness

General information about the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center

There is at least one medical professional at the Wellness Center 24/7 and a physician and counselor on-call while students are on campus. The Wellness Center is open for routine care Monday—Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and after hours for urgent care. Call us at 978-749-4455.    

What to do if your student is not feeling well? 

For boarding students and day students on campus…

Your student should go directly to the Wellness Center for evaluation and care by a member of the wellness team and, if necessary, to get excused from classes and/or co-curricular commitments.     

For day students who are at home…

A parent must call the Wellness Center as soon as they know their student will not be coming to school.    

Will you tell me about my student’s visits to the wellness center? 

The goal of the Wellness Center team is to ensure that students have growing autonomy and independence to be their own best health advocate while partnering with families. If a student comes to the Sykes Wellness Center for a routine cold, we are not likely to give a family a call for this type of visit. However, the Wellness Center will notify families under certain circumstances which include off campus care such as a specialist visit or emergency room evaluation, prescription medications, testing beyond routine testing (such as x-rays, labs involving an external lab), and if we are concerned and believe that a parent/guardian needs to be informed of our concern.    

What do I do if my student has an upcoming health appointment or procedure?

If your student has a health appointment/procedure that requires missing class time, please reach out to [email protected] or call 978-749-4455. If the appointment requires missing more than a day of classes, a request must be made to the Dean of Health and Wellness/Chief Medical Officer, and may require consideration from the Student Response Team (SRT).   

Residential Life

Understanding My Students Team

Core Team

The point person, advisor, and cluster dean form the student’s core team, providing steady support and guidance—both personal and academic—and a consistent connection throughout the entire year.

Point Person

Each student, boarding and day, has a single adult serve as their point person for the entire year. The point person is the family’s main contact at school. For day students, the day student advisor serves as both point person and advisor, while for boarding students, a house counselor serves as point person and most often a second adult serves as advisor.

House Counselors (for boarding students)

We consider house counselors to be the primary adults responsible for the students living in their dormitories. Resident house counselors live within the dormitory buildings, while complementary house counselors are assigned to be on duty in dorms on certain nights and weekends, but do not actually live in the buildings. House counselors are the primary liaison and point person with parents and work with advisors to help and support the students in their dorms.

Advisors

The advisor supports a student’s navigation of the program, ensuring the completion of diploma requirements, guiding choices around electives and extracurricular opportunities, and helping students develop the skills needed for success. Advisors oversee a student’s course selection and multiyear planning. Each advisee meets regularly with their advisor (weekly meetings, individually or in a group setting).

Cluster Dean

Each student, day or boarding, is assigned to one of our five clusters (named for a “cluster” of dormitories in the same neighborhood): Abbot, Flagstaff, Pine Knoll, West Quad North, or West Quad South. In each cluster there are about 220 students (including day and boarding students) as well as a cluster dean (residential dean) and a group of faculty members, many of whom are house counselors and advisors for students in the cluster.

How do I mail items to my student?

Please review our Mail Services Mailroom Policies to see where and when to ship items—and what items cannot be accepted.

How do I add funds to my student’s BlueCard?

Log into the BlueCard portal. You can also access the portal on The Hive under the ‘Quick Links’ section on the upper right-hand side.

What if I don’t remember my account information for BlueCard?

If you do not have an account or cannot remember your account information, you can still make a deposit by choosing "Make a Guest Deposit". For a guest deposit, you'll need the last name of the student and the student's 7-digit customer number (also known as the ID number or student number). NOTE: save the above BlueCard Portal URL to your browser favorites or bookmark it for easy access.

To get your account information, please contact the BlueCard office at [email protected] or 978-749-4124.