Phillips Exeter Academy - Review #1

Having gone to inner-city schools for elementary and middle school, Exeter was a different world for me. What most struck me about academic life was the Harkness teaching method. The small class size really allowed you to get to know your professors and other students. The method of having the students run the conversation with the professor there to steer it in the right direction really developed our intellect because information was not being spoon-fed to us.Exeter also gave me the opportunity to go abroad. The school offers numerous term-abroad and year-abroad programs. I participated in the year long School Year Abroad Program to Spain my Junior year. This program, which is sponsored by Exeter, Andover, and St. Paul's, allows students to spend a year abroad in a school that is as academically challenging as the home schools so that you can get the "abroad experience" without losing a year of high school. It was a wonderful year.

I was able to become very independent at an early age by attending boarding school. Living away from home in such a challenging academic environment made me really grow mentally and emotionally in ways I would not have been able to if I had stayed at home for high school. I was able to have so many opportunities that many kids my age could never have. The transition to college was extremely easy; the hardest thing about going to college for me was having to leave Exeter. I feel that I was able to better enjoy and grow in college because I already knew how to live on my own and manage my academics. I felt like my college preparation was lightyears ahead of my peers.

I would have joined more activities. The workload really intimidated me when I first arrived there and I did not join a lot.I would not have done anything differently in the application process.

The closeness of the students and faculty. It was nice to have everyone know your name and something about you. I am grateful for the relationships I built at Exeter.I would also never change the scholarship program. I went to Exeter with full tuition paid and I hope that I too can help another student who could not otherwise afford Exeter be a student there.

Many students are very stressed due to the workload and to their parents. I am not sure how this could be improved, because although the workload is large I do not think it should be changed, and the school cannot change parent's attitudes.

Dvnbar Hall is a great dorm; don't be turned off by the fact that it is so large. The number of girls gives you more people to get to know. The location is great too.Get to know the custodian in your dorm. The one in Dvnbar was like a mother to many of us.The cheese fries at the grill are awesome, and the Jazz Brunch at the dining hall should not be missed. Also, the Loaf and Ladle has the best chili and the Exeter Inn has the best clam chowder I have ever had!

I liked the Harkness method of teaching because of the amount of control the students were given over their studies, and the relationship that it fostered between students and teachers. I also liked the variety of courses that were offered as electives.

The workload is VERY challenging. My first semester was a large adjustment for me coming from public schools. After my Prep (Freshman year) I was able to learn how to balance my studies.

I liked that there were so many sports offered at so many different levels of competition. You didn't have to be at the varsity level to play sports there, so everyone could be included in athletics.Many of the sports teams were very good so I enjoyed attending athletic events.

Nothing that I can think of.

I was heavily involved in music, taking lessons and being in the Wind Ensemble. The music building is amazing and a great place to practice and play. So I liked the facility as well as the opportunities to play.

Lessons were pretty expensive, but there are plenty of scholarships available (I received one.)

I liked the variety of activities. Many organizations would host events and fairs which were always fun and different.

I found it to be difficult to balance activities with the large workload.

I LOVED THE DORMS. Everyone lives in the dorm in which they are placed when they first enter Exeter, and for some reason it almost always fits. Few people switch dorms. I was in the largest girls' dorm which had 65 people, so I entered Freshman year with 19 other Freshman and was able to live with them for all my years at Exeter. We truly became a family as we grew up together. I also became really close with the faculty who live in the dorms because they really look out for the students.

Nothing.

I liked the variety of food; they had hot food, a stir-fry bar, salad bar, sandwich station, etc. The breakfast was especially good.

The food was not always that great, but I think that is a common complaint about institutional food. If you did not like something there was always another option.

I felt very welcomed. The faculty and proctors in the dorms were all very vigilant and looked out for us. Many of our classes were with freshmen only, so we really got to know each other well. I quickly met other people with interests in common with my own and did not have trouble fitting in.

Exeter was very diverse. I believe the ethnic makeup of the school mirrored that of the United States. There were cliques that formed among certain ethnicities, but on the whole I felt that people belonged to so many groups (like clubs, athletic teams, dorms) that while they may group themselves with members of their same ethnic group at times they also grouped themselves with others as well.

There were dances, shuttles to Boston on weekends, movies, entertainers, bands.

The town is really SMALL. I would go into town for lunch on the weekends or to buy things. There is a movie theatre but movies often run there for a very long time. There are many restaurants frequented by students.Further from the town center there was a place with supermarkets and a mall, and the school offered shuttles there on Wednesdays and weekends.