As a boarding school consultant who works with families navigating the competitive private boarding school admissions landscape, I believe there’s tremendous value in experiencing these campuses firsthand. Last week, I had the pleasure of revisiting one of the largest and most historic of boarding schools, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply “Andover.”
The school is one of the largest U.S. boarding schools with nearly 1,200 students (about one quarter are day students). It’s well thought out 700-acre campus blends colonial-era brick architecture with state-of-the-art academic buildings and top ranked athletic facilities. There’s a sense of tradition here, yes, but also a refreshing openness to innovation. The Snyder Center, with its light-filled athletic facilities, and the modern classrooms in the Gelb Science Center reflect Andover’s commitment to providing its students with top-tier resources for both interscholastic competition as well as general health and wellness. The school seamlessly caters to the contemporary needs of its students while preserving its historic character.
It is the facilities that jump out at you as you walk across campus – with 19 playing fields, 18 tennis courts, Phelps Stadium, a skating center with both NHL and NCAA regulation-size rinks, the Pan Athletic center, the Rosenau Fitness Center and the aforementioned 100,000 square foot Snyder Center, which opened in 2018, the school can support many different passions.
Phillips Andover is located quite literally at the top of a (small) hill connecting with the town’s downtown area via a short 10-minute walk from campus along Main Street (or alternatively, Bartlet Street). There, students can find a vibrant downtown area with boutique shops, diverse dining options, J.P. Licks Ice Cream, a CVS, Starbucks, and the charming Andover Bookstore, all grouped together in just a few short blocks. Downtown and its nearby park, known simply as The Park at Chestnut Street, serve as a hub for community events and activities, including farmers markets and Clown Town. Movies and concerts are also offered over the summer months. Andover is only ~20-miles due north of Boston and “America’s Technology Highway” along the Route 128 corridor is even closer, meaning the town has grown over the decades as a commuter town, and the downtown area and infrastructure has grown to support the town’s population growth.
I often tell families that finding the right school is about more than rankings or reputation—it’s about fit. Andover isn’t the right choice for every student, but for the intellectually curious, socially engaged, and self-driven student who thrives on rigorous academic challenges, it offers an extraordinary environment set in a beautiful campus setting and with a charming downtown nearby.