Andover: Challenge & Empower (ACE)

An enrichment program for incoming and current Phillips Academy students, ACE welcomes approximately thirty students to campus each summer.

The ACE program includes two cohorts. ACE I (formerly ACE 9) includes students who will be new to Andover in September. ACE II (formerly ACE 10) includes students who have completed their first year at Andover.

ACE is a joint program of Summer Session and the Office of the Head of School.

ACE I

ACE I is a four-week summer program on our campus geared to supporting students in their transition to Andover.

ACE I is grounded in the understanding of the intractable connections among a student’s feeling comfortable in a new community, her knowing some of the rules, codes, and dispositions valued in that community, and her ultimate success as a member of that community.

Accordingly, ACE I is an opportunity for incoming students to get a preview of life at Andover: in the classroom, dining hall, and dormitory. Students have a chance to build relationships with Andover faculty and students who will become their teachers and peers in the fall, and they have a chance to explore the campus and town they will soon call their own. Through ACE I, we seek to ensure that students are as prepared as possible for the rigors of Andover life and, just as important, that they are as prepared as possible to balance those rigors with all the other aspects of their own lives.

ACE I Scholars take a course in Critical Reading & Writing, which is linked to the English, history, and science courses they will take during the academic year, as well as a course in quantitative reasoning. They also take the introductory course in art and visual studies, which fulfills a graduation requirement.

In addition, ACE I Scholars meet with the ACE director each week for a seminar, live together in small dormitories, and join the 700+ members of Summer Session for afternoon and weekend activities. During the academic year, ACE I Scholars continue to gather periodically with each other and with members of the ACE staff.

During the last nine years, ACE I has served 108 incoming students.

ACE II

ACE II is a five-week summer program that welcomes students who have completed one year at Andover.

ACE II helps empower students to seize the opportunities Andover affords, to tackle the rigors of our academic program, and to create the futures they seek for themselves. A key component of ACE II is a comprehensive introduction to Andover’s College Counseling Office and the college admissions process.

ACE II Scholars take a course in Critical Reading & Writing and a course in Computer Science. In addition, ACE II Scholars meet with the ACE director four days each week for a seminar, live together in small dormitories, and join the 700+ members of Summer Session for afternoon and weekend activities. ACE II concludes with a multi-day trip off-campus to visit a few colleges and universities. During the academic year, ACE II Scholars continue to gather periodically with each other and with members of the ACE staff.

During the last thirteen years, ACE II has served 236 students.