Admissions reports another high yield for 239th incoming class

James F Ventre ’79, dean of admission and financial aid, announced another strong admission season, with 81 percent of admitted applicants choosing to enroll at Andover starting in September. The school’s yield has remained 80 percent or above for five consecutive years.

“The quality of this year's applicant pool was extraordinary,” said Ventre. “No doubt the students who were admitted to Andover had several other excellent secondary schools from which to choose--not just other boarding schools but also strong day schools closer to home.”

Ventre credits the Academy’s broadened recruitment efforts and full need-blind admission policy for the strong season. This September, 48 percent of the entering class will receive needs-based financial aid. Fifteen percent of the incoming class will receive full financial aid.

Andover is the only secondary boarding school in the United States to have maintained a full need-blind admission policy since 2008. The policy removes financial need as an obstacle to admission and ensures that recipients graduate debt-free. The school’s commitment to the historic admission policy stems from its founding mission to educate “youth from every quarter,” which values socio-economic diversity as a key component.

Ventre also credited the more than 330 alumni around the world who conducted a total of 825 interviews. Each year Andover’s Alumni Admission Representatives interview hundreds of students from across the globe. This year, with their help, the members of the incoming class represent 40 states and 28 different countries.

“The entire Andover community worked together to welcome the prospective families and to provide them with a realistic view of Andover. Even families who declined our offers of admission spoke at length about their positive experiences on campus. We are grateful to all the current students, faculty, staff, and administrators who worked with us to welcome our newly admitted families.”

Overall, 420 students, or 14 percent of the 3000 who applied to Andover this year, were accepted. The Academy calculates its admission rate based on the number of completed applications. Of the 420 admitted students, 341 said yes.

The incoming student body will consist of 215 Juniors, 67 Lowers, 26 Uppers and 33 Seniors and PGs.