E over A

In last week’s paper, the news article entitled "Students Twice as Likely to Choose Andover Over Exeter" brought to light PEA administrators’ growing concern over the fact that students accepted to both schools were twice as likely to choose Andover over Exeter. As a student admitted to both schools, I would like to address the reasons behind my decision to attend Exeter, and why I would make the same choice again today.I still recall with excitement the weekend that I received acceptance letters from the four boarding schools to which I had applied: Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, Phillips Academy Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy. My reasons for applying to boarding school align with those, I imagine, of many fellow Exonians: I was searching for a learning experience unlike any that the schools at home could provide for me. Not only was I seeking an exceptional education, but I was also looking for a school with other highly-motivated students like myself who would force me to perform at my highest potential.After visiting each of the schools, my final decision came down between the schools of America’s earliest prep school rivalry. Andover offered me a rich course selection, classes with dynamic students and impressive college matriculations. Of course, Exeter abounded with all of the same qualifications. While I did get the impression that Andover had a more passive environment, and was perhaps, less conservative in their rules, there was only one significant aspect in my mind that differentiated the two institutions: Exonians are required to take an active role in their own learning experiences. We know this as the Harkness Method.As someone shy by nature, the thought of sitting around a table with at least ten other students and having to assert my thoughts was in no way appealing. I was, however, already doing something that scared me: I was moving over 3,000 miles away from my family whom I had never been away from for more than two days. So when pressed for a decision, I made one that most people might find contradictory: I chose the school that made me most uncomfortable.In reflecting on my decision to attend Exeter, I’m reminded of Thomas Jefferson’s famous words, "With great risk comes great reward." Exeter made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse: the chance to have direct control over my own learning experience, rather than the more passive classroom environment that Andover provides, especially in its science and math courses. I wish I could say that I was 100 percent sure of my decision. I came to realize, however, that the skills I have acquired around the Harkness table will be far more consequential than any Andover English elective examining the role of animals in literature. The ability to think critically, defend my opinion and question what is accepted was the best competitive advantage I could ever hope to achieve.As our trustees grapple in their attempt to increase Exeter’s appeal to accepted students, I urge them to remember that Exeter is more than an institution based on numbers. What has allowed our school to stand the test of time is not our low acceptance rate or high yield, but rather our commitment to propelling students toward their highest potential by encouraging them to take risks. The father of an Exeter alum once told me that students who come to Exeter graduate with the knowledge they will be the ones who take over the world. That is the mark of a truly exceptional school. ​