Phillips Andover Admissions Consulting
Independent Guidance for Families Applying to One of the Oldest and Most Selective Boarding Schools in the United States
Cardinal Education is an independent educational consulting company. We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with any private or public school, including Phillips Academy Andover.
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About the School
About Phillips Academy Andover
Phillips Academy Andover is an independent, coeducational boarding and day school in Andover, Massachusetts, serving grades 9 through 12 plus a postgraduate year. Founded in 1778 by Samuel Phillips Jr., it is the oldest incorporated boarding school in the country, and it still runs on the motto stamped into its seal: Non Sibi, or “not for self.” Roughly 1,170 students live and learn across a 700-acre campus that holds two accredited museums, a nature sanctuary, and more than 300 courses. Andover draws students from across the United States and around the world, and it expects them to arrive curious and leave useful.
Phillips Academy Andover Fast Facts
Location
180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810
School Type
Independent, Coeducational, Day and Boarding
Grades Served
9 through 12, plus a postgraduate year
Total Enrollment
1,172 students (861 boarding, 311 day)
Average Class Size
13
Student-Teacher Ratio
7:1
Campus
Approximately 700 acres in suburban Andover, about 25 miles north of Boston
Founded
1778
Athletics
23 sports across 67 interscholastic teams
International Students
18 percent of the student body
Students of Color
61 percent of the student body
Application Status
The Fall 2027 application is open, with a February 1, 2027 deadline
Academic Snapshot
Andover publishes middle-50-percent and average score bands for its graduating students. These are outcomes for enrolled seniors, not admissions cutoffs for applicants.
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
660–740 (Average: 699)
SAT Math
670–770 (Average: 711)
SAT Total
1340–1500 (Average: 1410)
ACT Composite
29–34 (Average: 31)
Grade 9 (Junior Year)
230 students
Grade 10 (Lower Year)
305 students
Grade 11 (Upper Year)
316 students
Grade 12 (Senior Year)
321 students, including 23 postgraduates
Academic departments span Art, English, History and Social Science, Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Music, Natural Sciences, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Physical Education, Theatre and Dance, and World Languages. A college counseling team of fourteen supports students through the university process. For a longer walkthrough of requirements, timing, and student life, see our complete guide to getting into Phillips Academy Andover.
Phillips Andover Admissions Timeline and Events
Andover runs a single annual admissions cycle with one hard deadline. The Fall 2027 application is currently open.
Application Opens
Late summer 2026 (Candidate Profile goes live on Gateway to Prep Schools)
Portal Credentials Issued
24 hours after Candidate Profile submission (Required before an interview can be scheduled)
Interview Scheduling
Rolling, once credentials are issued (New appointment times are added on a rolling basis)
Interviews Conducted
Through the month of January (On-campus, virtual, or recorded)
Application Deadline
February 1, 2027 (All required materials due)
Campus Visits and Tours
Announced by the school each cycle (Andover publishes visit dates on its admission site rather than a fixed annual calendar)
Andover does not publish a fixed open-house calendar far in advance, so specific visit dates for this cycle should be confirmed directly with the admission office rather than assumed from a prior year.
What Makes Andover’s Admissions Process Unique?
Two things set Andover apart procedurally. First, applicants now choose day or boarding status themselves, without geographic restriction, and that choice is locked in permanently when the application is submitted. It is a genuine strategic decision, not a formality, and it is worth thinking through before you file. Second, Andover asks for a short recorded video response through its own portal in addition to the written essay, so your child is evaluated on how they speak as well as how they write. Andover also requires a personal recommendation alongside the standard academic ones, which gives applicants a rare chance to be described by someone outside the classroom.
What the Phillips Andover Application Requires
Andover uses Gateway to Prep Schools for most of the application, plus its own portal for the interview and video. Our private school admissions consultants work through each piece with families well before the February deadline.
Top Tips for Applying
- Decide day versus boarding deliberately, because the choice cannot be changed after submission.
- Submit the Candidate Profile early, since interview scheduling only unlocks 24 hours afterward and appointments fill.
- Treat the recorded video response as a real assessment, not an afterthought.
- Choose a graded writing sample that shows thinking, not just a high mark.
- Ask the personal recommender in the fall, giving them time to write something specific.
Best Practices for Families
- Read Andover’s own admission pages each cycle, because requirements have changed recently.
- Have your child, not a parent, drive the essay and video content.
- Prepare for the interview format you actually select, whether live or recorded.
- Keep the parent statement about your child rather than about the family’s accomplishments.
- Register for testing early enough that scores arrive before February 1.
Application Requirements
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01Standardized Testing
Andover requires one of the following: SSAT Upper Level, ISEE Upper Level, PSAT, SAT, or ACT. Students attending a school outside the United States that is not English-medium are asked to take the TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test; admitted international students typically score at or above 100 on the TOEFL iBT, 7.5 on the IELTS, or 135 on the Duolingo English Test. Our SSAT preparation and ISEE preparation programs build the underlying skills rather than drilling test tricks.
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02Interview
Applicants supplement the application with exactly one of three options: an on-campus interview, a virtual interview, or a recorded interview submitted through the Andover portal. Interviews run through January, and appointments are released on a rolling basis. Each format rewards different preparation, and our interview coaching is built around the specific one your child chooses. Families weighing a recorded submission may find our guide to remote boarding school interviews useful.
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03Essay, Short Answers, and Video
Andover asks for a written essay response through Gateway and a short recorded video response through its own portal. The video is a required item, not an optional supplement. Together they give admissions officers a sense of how your child reasons and how they carry themselves in conversation.
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04Graded Writing Sample
A graded writing sample from a current course is submitted through Gateway. Admissions officers read it for the quality of the thinking and the teacher’s marginal comments, not just the grade at the top. Our writing sample preparation helps students produce classroom work worth submitting.
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05Recommendations
Andover requires four recommendations: principal or counselor, current English teacher, current math teacher, and a personal recommendation from someone who knows the student well outside those classrooms. Optional special-interest and arts or athletics supplements are also available. The English and math recommendations must come from current teachers rather than former ones.
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06Transcripts and Parent Statement
Andover requires first-term grades from the current academic year plus the prior two academic years. Applicants to grade 12 and the postgraduate program submit a complete high school transcript. Parents complete their own statement through Gateway, and our parent statement guidance helps families write something specific and honest rather than promotional.
How Cardinal Education Helps
Andover reads thousands of strong applications, which means competence is the floor rather than the differentiator. We start early, get to know your child properly, and build a case that only they could make, whether that means sharpening the video response, choosing the right personal recommender, or thinking clearly about day versus boarding. Our boarding school admissions consulting is honest about fit, including when Andover is not the right target. Asian American families looking for a more specific view of the community and the application should read our Phillips Academy Andover Admissions for Asian American Families.
“We were not sure how to go about the Phillips Andover admissions process, but Cardinal Education helped us to stay calm and focused. Our admissions consultant gave my child the tools and resources he needed to succeed, and he was always there to answer our questions and give encouragement.”— Andover Applicant Parent
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Phillips Andover application deadline?
Does Phillips Academy Andover require standardized testing?
What is Phillips Academy Andover’s acceptance rate?
How large is the Asian American population at Phillips Academy Andover?
Can my child choose between day and boarding at Andover?
How is Phillips Academy Andover ranked?
Considering Phillips Andover?
Andover has been admitting students for nearly 250 years, and it has always been looking for the same thing: young people who will do something with what they are given. Tell us about your child and we will tell you honestly what a competitive Andover application would take.