
Scholarly Opportunities
At Andover, there’s always a path for further scholarship. IPs—Independent Projects—provide advanced study for students who have exhausted Andover’s standard curriculum.
Abbot Independent Scholars Program
This program (the AISP) provides selected seniors (and the occasional younger student) who have exhausted the course offerings in their desired area(s) of study an opportunity to work independently with a faculty mentor for course credit. Each project is graded on the standard 0-6 scale by the supervising faculty mentor.
Brace Student Fellows
Each year, a small number of student applicants receive funding from the Brace Center to conduct independent summer research projects in gender studies, including multiracial and multicultural dimensions. The Student Fellows Series is presented in the fall and provides an opportunity for the fellows to share their research findings in a public forum.
CAMD Scholars
The CAMD Scholar Program is an opportunity for selected Phillips Academy students to pursue independent summer research projects related to diversity and multiculturalism. Students work closely with a faculty advisor as well as the program coordinator during spring term to focus and shape projects that will be developed and completed during the summer. CAMD Scholars write a significant research paper in the summer and make a presentation to the PA community during the subsequent school year.
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society was founded at the Jacob Tome Institute in Maryland in 1906. Its purpose was to establish in American secondary schools an honor organization to recognize and encourage excellence in academic work. The Phillips Academy chapter was established in 1907, and in 1926 Abbot Academy became the first girls' school to establish a chapter. In February of each year, the Andover chapter elects to the society those members of the senior class who have achieved and maintained high scholarship during the whole of their upper-middle year and the fall term of their senior year. In June, those students who have achieved and maintained high scholarship during the spring term of their upper-middle year and the whole of their senior year are elected.
2019–2012 CAMD Scholars
Jeffrey Steele ’20, CAMD Scholar
The Digital Mirror: How Minority-Focused Casts are Revolutionizing Representations in Television
Karen Sun ’20, CAMD Scholar
A Devil's Advocate to God's Advocates: Religious Language in American Presidential Campaigns
Tenzin Sharlung ’20, CAMD Scholar
Children of Refugees: Reclamation and the Courage to Tell Our Stories
Natalie Shen ’20, CAMD Scholar
The Effects of (Mis)Representation in American Mainstream Visual Media on Asian American Youth
Chioma Ugwonali ’20, CAMD Scholar
Killing Us Softly: The Impact of Stereotypes, Stress, and Diet on the Academic Performance of Low-Income Black and Lantinx Students
Aissata Bah ’20, Barbara Landis Chase Scholar
Disempowered in Black Power? Black Women's Contributions to Activist Movements
300+
courses
150
electives
13
students in the average class
5:1
student-teacher ratio

[footnote]
At Andover there’s always a path for further scholarship. IPs—Independent Projects—provide advanced study for students who have exhausted Andover’s standard curriculum.