Phillips Academy (Andover)

180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810, USA
Official website

Boarding / Day
Co-ed
Grades 9–12

Summer School

Available

Financial Aid

Need-based

Admissions

Gateway

About the School

Founded in 1778, Phillips Academy (Andover) is a co-ed boarding and day school in Massachusetts. The oldest incorporated boarding school in the U.S., it draws about 1,165 students from 43 states and 46 countries.

Pride

Founded in 1778, Phillips Academy (Andover) is a co-ed boarding and day school in Andover, Massachusetts, and is the oldest incorporated boarding school in the United States. It became fully coeducational in 1973 after merging with the neighboring Abbot Academy for girls. About 1,165 students from 43 states/territories and 46 countries are enrolled (855 boarders and 310 day students), and 61% identify as students of color. The school colors are navy and white, and its athletic teams are known as “Big Blue.” Since 1985, the school has also had an unofficial mascot, Gunga the Gorilla, which is one of the campus favorites amongst students. Given the test-optional admissions landscape, Andover no longer publicly reports average SAT/ACT scores, but previously reported scores were well above the national average. Its most famous alumni are U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Its most famous tradition is Andover Exeter Day, one of the oldest prep school rivalries in the country. Andover competes against its sister school, Phillips Exeter Academy, in athletic contests throughout the academic year, and the rivalry is taken very seriously.

Courses

Trimester system / 300+ courses (150+ electives) / avg. class of 13, 7:1 ratio

Andover operates on a trimester system, offering more than 300 courses, including more than 150 electives. The average class size is 13 students, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 7:1. Students typically take five courses per trimester. The campus is divided into five residential “clusters,” each home to about 230 students and a group of faculty, creating a close-knit community within a large school. Courses are numbered from the 100-level (introductory) through the 600-level (college-level), with many courses using college-level materials.

Campus & Facilities

Campus Facilities

Addison Gallery of American Art

Opened in 1931, the Addison Gallery of American Art is the Academy’s on-campus museum, home to a collection of more than 29,000 works of American art spanning sculpture, painting, photography, and printmaking from the 18th century to the present, including pieces by Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and Thomas Eakins. It is actively used as a teaching resource not only in art history courses but across the curriculum. Admission is free, and the gallery also serves as a cultural hub for the wider Andover community.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL)

Built in 1929 and extensively renovated in 2019, the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL) is known for its collaborative learning areas, group study rooms, a makerspace for data modeling and 3D printing, and a reading room for the Academy’s special collections. The renovation increased student seating capacity by 50%, transforming the building from a traditional library into an integrated hub for learning, research, and collaboration.

Gelb Science Center

Opened in 2004, the Gelb Science Center houses three floors of contemporary labs and classrooms equipped with college-level scientific and digital equipment. Its rooftop observatory features a computer-controlled 16-inch reflecting telescope, a solar telescope, and a high-performance CCD camera for research-grade astronomy. Beyond regular astronomy classes, the observatory hosts stargazing nights that are popular with the wider student body.

Affiliations

Andover is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), the Eight Schools Association, and the Ten Schools Admission Organization. The school regularly competes in athletic events against other prestigious schools that are members of these associations.

Signature Programs

Learning in the World (LITW)

Through Andover’s Learning in the World (LITW) program, students can take part in off-campus learning opportunities ranging from single-week trips to full-year programs. These include School Year Abroad (SYA), co-founded in 1964 by Andover, Exeter, and St. Paul’s School, which allows students to live with a host family for a full year, as well as experiential programs held around the world, such as a cultural immersion trip to Ghana, a cross-country skiing expedition in Finland, and a trek through the Himalayas. On campus, the Brace Center for Gender Studies and the Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD) office also play a central role in the school’s diversity education, promoting understanding of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic background.

The Area

Safety

Andover, Massachusetts, is a historic New England town with a population of about 36,500, located roughly 20 miles (about a 40-minute drive) north of Boston. Its crime rate is generally lower than the national average, and it is known as one of the safer towns in Massachusetts. The Academy’s roughly 500-acre campus has dedicated campus security, and boarding students live in dorms supervised by resident faculty, creating a safe environment for daily life.

Weather

Andover has a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Summers (June–August) are warm, with daytime highs around 27–29°C (81–84°F). Winters (December–February) are cold and snowy, with daytime highs around 0–2°C (32–36°F) and nighttime lows that can drop to nearly -8°C (18°F), making warm coats, boots, and gloves essential. Spring and fall are milder and more comfortable, and fall is especially known for its beautiful foliage.

Accessibility

The closest airport is Boston Logan International Airport, about 25 miles (a 35–45 minute drive) from campus. For international travel, most students use this airport, since JAL operates nonstop flights between Narita/Haneda and Boston. The town of Andover has an MBTA commuter rail station about a 15-minute walk from campus, offering a direct connection to Boston’s North Station. The Academy does not run its own free airport shuttle, but since the drive takes under an hour, most students use a car service or taxi.

Food

Along Main Street in downtown Andover, within walking distance of campus, there is a wide range of dining options, from cafes and pizzerias to Chinese restaurants and seafood spots. The Whole Foods Market in town even has a Genji sushi counter, making it easy to enjoy Japanese food nearby.

Culture

Settled in 1642, Andover is a historic New England town whose brick-lined downtown retains a classic New England charm. Every September, “Andover Day” turns Main Street into a pedestrian festival filled with food vendors and live music. The school similarly places great value on diversity, with 61% of students identifying as students of color and international students representing 46 countries. On campus, the Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD) office supports a range of cultural events, and students from many different backgrounds live together. As both the town and the school have deep histories, a strong sense of history runs throughout the surrounding area.

Tips for Japanese Students

First-hand advice from Japanese students on finding food and everyday essentials.

Grocery

The Whole Foods Market in Andover has a Genji sushi counter, making it easy to access Japanese food nearby. For a more authentic selection of Japanese groceries, H Mart in Burlington, about 25–30 minutes away by car, stocks Japanese seasonings, snacks, and frozen foods. Traveling about 40 minutes to Boston or Cambridge opens up more specialized Japanese supermarkets and restaurants.

Getting There

Access from Japan

JAL operates nonstop flights between Narita/Haneda and Boston Logan International Airport (about 13–14 hours), and most students use this route to reach Andover. The drive from the airport to campus takes only about 35–45 minutes, which is relatively short compared with many other East Coast boarding schools. The Academy does not provide free airport shuttles, but since the drive is short, most students use a car service or taxi. It is also possible to reach campus from Boston via the MBTA Commuter Rail.

What to bring

Laptop
Passport
Admission letter
Plug adapter

Winter clothing

Andover sits farther south than many other New England boarding schools, but winters are still quite cold, so warm coats, boots, gloves, and heat packs are essential.
Japanese food & essentials

Japanese seasonings, snacks, and skincare products can be hard to find locally and are often expensive, so it’s a good idea to bring your favorites from home.
Small appliances

An electric kettle or humidifier (check your dorm’s electronics rules in advance) can be handy for quick meals and for getting through the dry winter months comfortably.
Comfortable shoes

You’ll be walking across the roughly 500-acre campus daily, so comfortable, broken-in shoes are a must.
Semi-formal outfit

Everyday clothing can be casual, but some school events call for semi-formal attire, so it’s worth packing one or two outfits for those occasions.