Record admission season in the books

Jim Ventre ’79, dean of admission and financial aid, recently announced a record admission season at Phillips Academy, with 86 percent of admitted students choosing to enroll in September. The school’s yield has remained 80 percent or above for six consecutive years.

“This year’s applicant pool was among the most talented and diverse we have ever seen,” said Ventre, adding that Andover’s expanded recruitment efforts across the United States and abroad coupled with a need-blind admission policy contributed to the strong season. Forty-eight percent of the entering class will receive financial aid, while 15 percent of the class will receive full scholarship support.

Andover is the only secondary boarding school in the U.S. to have maintained a full need-blind admission policy since 2008. The policy removes financial need as an obstacle to admission and is based entirely on scholarships, the majority of which are funded by philanthropy. The school’s commitment to the historic admission policy stems from its founding mission to educate “youth from every quarter,” which values socio-economic diversity as a key component.

Ventre also credited the 330 alumni around the world who conducted more than 900 interviews. Each year Andover’s Alumni Admission Representatives interview hundreds of students interested in the school. This year, with their help, members of the incoming class represent 27 states and 32 different countries.

Overall, 394 students, or 13 percent of the 3,000 who applied to Andover, were accepted. The Academy calculates its admission rate based on the number of completed applications. Of the 394 admitted students, 338 said “yes” to joining the community this September.