Phillips Academy Andover is one of the most prestigious and selective boarding schools in the United States. Founded in 1778 in Andover, Massachusetts, the school enrolls approximately 1,169 students across grades 9 through 12, including a postgraduate year, with applicants coming from across the country and around the world. Admissions is competitive, and the costs are significant.
This guide covers everything prospective students and families need to know: location, tuition, financial aid, admissions requirements, and what makes a strong application.
- What Is Phillips Academy Andover?
- How Much Does It Cost to Attend Phillips Academy Andover?
- How to Get into Phillips Academy Andover
- Applying to Phillips Academy Andover?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Takeaways
What Is Phillips Academy Andover?
Phillips Academy Andover is a private, coeducational boarding school offering a rigorous liberal arts curriculum to students in grades 9 through 12, with a postgraduate year available. The school was founded in 1778 and operates under the motto Non Sibi, Latin for “not for self,” a phrase that signals the school’s emphasis on character, service, and contribution over individual achievement.
The student body reflects genuine global diversity. Andover enrolls students from 53 countries and 41 U.S. states and territories, with international students representing a significant share of the approximately 1,169 enrolled students.
About 75% of students board on campus, while the remaining 25% attend as day students from surrounding communities.
A brief history of Phillips Academy
Samuel Phillips Jr. founded Phillips Academy in 1778, making it one of the oldest incorporated secondary schools in the United States. For nearly its first two centuries, the school operated as an all-male institution. A pivotal change came in 1973 when Andover merged with the neighboring Abbot Academy, a well-established school for girls, making Phillips Academy fully coeducational.
The school’s alumni record reflects its nearly 250-year history. Notable graduates include Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, and actor Humphrey Bogart.
That breadth across politics, law, and the arts points to what Andover has consistently produced: graduates who go on to shape public life in consequential ways.
What Is Andover known for academically?
Andover’s academic program is built around a liberal arts philosophy that resists narrow specialization. The school operates 20 academic departments offering more than 300 courses, including 150 electives and instruction in 8 world languages. Class sizes average 13 students, which allows for the kind of discussion-driven, instructor-intensive learning that defines the Andover experience.
The curriculum extends well beyond the standard Advanced Placement framework. Andover designates courses at the 500 and 600 levels, with 600-level courses carrying the rigor equivalent to AP coursework. Students are expected to engage critically, write analytically, and contribute meaningfully to classroom discussions from their first term.
One important update for prospective applicants: Andover reinstated required standardized testing for admissions beginning with the Fall 2025 applicant cycle. Students must now submit scores as part of a complete application.
Campus life and extracurricular opportunities
Life at Phillips Academy Andover is structured around a cluster housing system. The campus is divided into five residential clusters, each home to approximately 230 students, including both boarding and day students. Each cluster has its own faculty, house counselors, advisors, and student government, giving the large campus an intentional sense of community at a smaller scale.
Outside the classroom, students have access to 67 interscholastic teams across 23 sports, more than 125 student-run clubs and organizations, and more than 50 performing arts groups spanning music, theater, and dance. Community engagement programs draw more than 400 students each term. The range of options is broad, but the expectation is genuine participation, not resume padding.
Where Is Phillips Academy Andover?
Phillips Academy Andover is located in Andover, Massachusetts, a town in Essex County roughly 21 miles north of Boston. The campus spans approximately 500 acres and is set within a historic New England landscape, accessible by commuter rail from Boston’s North Station.
The surrounding town of Andover is a suburban community with a walkable downtown area roughly ten minutes from campus on foot. Families visiting for interviews, admitted student days, or performances will find the town straightforward to navigate. Boston’s proximity adds significant value for students seeking cultural, professional, and educational resources beyond campus.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Phillips Academy Andover?
For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, boarding students pay $79,800 per year while day students pay $63,840. These figures place Andover among the most expensive secondary schools in the world, but the sticker price is only part of the story. Families who cannot afford full tuition have strong options through Andover’s financial aid program, which is one of the most generous at any secondary school in the country.
Financial aid at Phillips Academy Andover
Andover’s financial aid program is one of the most generous in secondary education. The school practices need-blind admissions, meaning a family’s financial situation plays no role in the admission decision. Once admitted, every student’s demonstrated financial need is met in full, and all aid is awarded as grants rather than loans. Students graduate without debt.
Currently, 47% of students receive financial aid, and 12% are on full scholarship. The average annual grant for returning students is $45,000. Andover does not set an income ceiling for scholarship eligibility, meaning families across a wide range of financial circumstances have received significant aid packages.
Families apply for financial aid at the same time students submit their admission applications, with a deadline of February 1. Andover uses the Clarity Tuition application to collect financial information, and the process typically takes under 30 minutes to complete.
The takeaway: do not rule out applying to Phillips Academy Andover based on sticker price alone.
How to Get into Phillips Academy Andover
Andover admits approximately 13% of applicants, a figure that puts it in the same selectivity range as many highly selective colleges. The admissions process is holistic. The school is looking for students who are intellectually curious, meaningfully engaged outside the classroom, and aligned with the Non Sibi ethos of contributing to something larger than themselves.
Andover admissions requirements
Applications are submitted through Gateway to Prep Schools, with a deadline of February 1. A complete application includes:
- Candidate Profile (submitted through Gateway)
- School transcripts from the current academic year and the two prior years
- Teacher recommendations from current English and math teachers, plus a principal or counselor recommendation
- Personal recommendation from someone outside the classroom
- Graded writing sample
- Personal essay
- Short video response (submitted through the Andover application portal)
- Parent or guardian statement
- Standardized test scores: SSAT (Upper Level) or ISEE (Upper Level) for most applicants; PSAT, SAT, or ACT are accepted for grades 11 to 12 and postgraduate applicants
- English proficiency scores (TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test) for international students whose school does not use English as the primary language of instruction
Use the following school testing codes when registering for standardized exams: SSAT: 5758 | ISEE: 220030 | SAT: 0156 | TOEFL: 8127. Decisions are released on March 10.
The interview and campus visit
Andover offers on-campus interviews, virtual interviews, and a self-recorded interview option for applicants who cannot secure a scheduled slot. Interview appointments fill quickly, so families should schedule as early as possible after submitting the Candidate Profile.
For second-round applicants (those applying after the February 1 deadline, through the June 15 cutoff), in-person and virtual interview slots are no longer available. Those applicants are encouraged to complete the Interview Recording instead.
Campus tours, both in-person and virtual, are available through the Andover visit page and are worth completing before or after submitting an application.
What does Andover look for in applicants?
Strong grades and test scores establish a baseline, but they do not differentiate applicants in a pool where most candidates meet the academic threshold. Andover’s admissions team looks for evidence of intellectual curiosity beyond coursework: students who pursue questions independently, take genuine interest in ideas, and bring that energy into classrooms and communities.
Demonstrated leadership matters as well. A student who organized a community science program, led a school newspaper through a difficult story, or started a cultural club at a school with limited resources is demonstrating leadership. The specifics are less important than the evidence of initiative and follow-through.
Character and the Non Sibi ethos are also central. Andover is looking for students who contribute to the people around them, not just to their own achievement record. That quality tends to show up in recommendations, in essays, and in how students talk about their experiences during interviews.
Tips for a strong Phillips Academy Andover application
Andover’s application consists of several components, so putting together a strong application means you’ll need to put time and effort into it.
Start standardized test prep early. For students applying in grade 9 or 10, the SSAT or ISEE requires dedicated preparation. These are not exams where strong general academic performance automatically translates into strong scores. Build a prep timeline at least six months before your target test date.
Write an essay that sounds like you. Admissions readers at schools like Andover read thousands of essays. The ones that stand out reflect a specific voice, a genuine observation, or an experience rendered with honesty. Avoid writing the essay you think they want to read.
Choose recommenders who know you well. A strong recommendation from a teacher who has watched you wrestle with a hard problem is more useful than a lukewarm one from a more prominent source. Give your recommenders enough time and context to write something specific.
Treat the interview as a conversation. Andover’s interviewers are not looking for polished, rehearsed answers. They are looking for intellectual engagement, curiosity, and self-awareness. Come prepared to talk about what genuinely interests you, including why.
Visit campus or attend an information session. Even a virtual tour or recorded information session gives you a clearer sense of the school’s culture and helps you write more specifically about why Andover is the right fit for you.
Applying to Phillips Academy Andover?
With a roughly 13% acceptance rate and a global applicant pool, standing out at Andover requires more than strong grades. A competitive application reflects intellectual curiosity, character, and a clear sense of how you will contribute to the community.
Starting early and approaching each component of the application with intention matters. AdmissionSight’s boarding school admissions consulting services are designed to help students do exactly that. Whether you need support with test prep strategy, essay development, interview coaching, or building a meaningful extracurricular profile, working with an experienced advisor can sharpen every part of your application before the February 1 deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What grades can students apply to at Phillips Academy Andover?
Andover accepts applications for grades 9 through 12, as well as a postgraduate year. Most students enter in grade 9 (Lower year) or grade 10 (Junior year).
2. Is Phillips Academy Andover a good school for students who need financial aid?
Yes. Andover is one of the strongest schools in the country for financial aid. The school is need-blind in admissions, meets 100% of demonstrated need through grants, and has no income ceiling for scholarship eligibility. Nearly half of all students receive aid, and the average annual grant is $45,000.
3. How long does the Phillips Academy Andover application process take?
The application window typically opens in the fall and closes February 1, with decisions released March 10. From start to finish, families should plan for a four to five month process, longer if standardized test prep is needed beforehand.
4. How does Andover compare to Phillips Exeter Academy and other top boarding schools?
Andover and Exeter are the two most closely compared boarding schools in the country, both in selectivity and academic reputation. Key differences include curriculum structure (Andover uses a traditional instructor-led model; Exeter uses the Harkness discussion method), campus culture, and geographic setting. Both are exceptional schools, and the right fit depends on the individual student.
5. Does going to Phillips Academy Andover improve college admissions chances?
Attending a school with Andover’s academic reputation, college counseling resources, and alumni network does provide meaningful advantages in the college process. Andover has a dedicated College Counseling Office, and its graduates gain admission to highly selective colleges at rates well above national averages. That said, college outcomes reflect the student’s own work throughout high school.
Takeaways
- Phillips Academy Andover is one of the most selective boarding schools in the country, admitting roughly 13% of applicants from a global pool, which means academic strength alone is not enough to stand out.
- Andover’s need-blind admissions policy and 100% demonstrated financial need coverage make it accessible to families across a wide range of income levels. With 47% of students receiving aid and an average annual grant of $45,000, the sticker price should not deter qualified applicants.
- A strong application goes beyond grades and test scores. Andover’s admissions team evaluates intellectual curiosity, demonstrated leadership, and alignment with the school’s Non Sibi values, qualities that show up in essays, recommendations, and interviews.
- The February 1 deadline applies to both the admission application and the financial aid application. Starting test prep, essays, and recommender outreach early gives applicants the best chance at submitting a complete, competitive file.
- Andover’s 13% acceptance rate means every part of your application has to work. Our Private Consulting Program pairs students with experienced advisors who provide hands-on support across test prep strategy, essay development, interview coaching, and extracurricular positioning. If Andover is on your list, start the conversation early.
