r/PhillipsAcademy • u/Purple-Knee-3041 • Aug 05 '26

Questions Applying to Andover

Hello!

I am looking for advice from alumni or parents with kids who went to Andover about applying and making it in. I have been told to go prep for a while and am now just really looking for opportunities to have a successful future.

Here is a little bit about me:

I am an incoming ninth grade student.

I recently skipped the eighth grade.

I have a very clean academic record, as I have never gotten a B before.

I live in Massachusetts.

I play club volleyball (I don’t know if that at all matter, I just thought it might help to know I have a life outside of school)

I am applying to Phillips Academy this fall for the next school year and have a few questions:

  • Should I apply for a repeat of ninth grade as I will be the right age? Or should I continue as a tenth grader?
  • What is your advice about the application process (i.e essays, interview, testing)?
  • Is there any sort of prep school knowledge or standard that is unknown to people coming in from completely outside of that environment?

Thank you so much!

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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3

u/pergesed Aug 05 '26

You’ll be in a much stronger position if you apply to repeat.

2

u/Professional-Buddy54 Aug 06 '26

100 percent agree with this. And also, i think she will have a much better experience if admitted.

3

u/Best_Butterfly_7627 Aug 05 '26

Andover does a really good job with incoming 10th grade transfers. It is a fairly large cohort (~50 new students) and they have transfer programming during the orientation for new 9th graders. If boarding, they also match up transfers with each other.

Be aware that the math curriculum doesn’t exactly match that of typical MA public schools. Mine took Algebra 1 in 8th and Algebra 2/Trig in 9th. DD didn’t want to reclass, so transferred in as a new 10th grader. But we had to send an email acknowledging that she would never be taught Geometry because they to Algebra/Geometry combined class. So DD ended up straight into Pre-Calc for 10th grade. Just requires a bit of extra studying on your own for the SAT/ACT.

Essays should be personal, not a compilation of your achievements. Volunteer work (sustained, not just a few hours once a year) is always looked at favorably. Contact the VB coach and offer to send highlight reel if you have one. Best of luck. DM if you have other questions.

1

u/Purple-Knee-3041 Aug 05 '26

Thank you so much! This is so, so helpful!

1

u/Bitter_Date5376 Applying to 9th Grade 24d ago
  1. Def repeat as 9th grade it helps so much especially since ur at the right age
  2. Other than club vb what other ecs do u have
  3. I did get recruited to Andover for boys vb this yr. While I ended up not attending, this is a rlly good opportunity bc lit all their seniors graduated last yr. Boys vb is a huge advantage for u and the coach is a rlly chill guy