The Andover campus buzzed with visiting families during this year’s Family Weekend, which spanned five days instead of the usual three or four due to the PSAT exam on Wednesday, October 22. Parents attended classes, met teachers, and watched student performances such as Grasshopper, while students used the extended break to rest and reset.
Many students chose to remain on campus, taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere and time to unwind. Daniel Matloff ’28, who stayed at Andover this year after spending last Family Weekend in Maine, expressed appreciation for the slower pace.
“It was a lot quieter than I expected it to be. Last Family Weekend, even though it was shorter, felt longer because I was off campus and wasn’t seeing the same things that I saw every day for the past three months, but this one definitely felt like it went by faster… My motivation is through the roof right now. I had five long days just to hang out with friends, do nothing, chill, not worry about homework or anything, and I now feel better rested, rejuvenated, and more prepared for what lies ahead,” said Matloff.
For others, the longer break brought unexpected scheduling challenges. Quentin Cynn ’28 returned home to New York but faced confusion over sports commitments due to the extended calendar. Still, he enjoyed the mental break that came with the midweek pause.
“I was told to be back by Tuesday because I had a [soccer] game on Wednesday, and there was a lot of confusion about whether or not we had practice on Tuesday. I don’t think [the additional day] really made a difference to me, but having Wednesday off was still really nice. Going into the week knowing there were only two days of classes was also really nice. This weekend felt like a break, two days, and then [another] break, so that was really nice mentally,” said Cynn.
While many used the weekend to relax, some upperclassmen spent it catching up on responsibilities. David Porto ’26 used the extended break to work on college applications and assignments, finding comfort in the uninterrupted time to focus.
“I basically worked for most of [Family Weekend]. My parents didn’t come, so that’s mostly what I had to do. The first few days I just took to doing all my college apps and getting that work out of the way. It’s pretty nice having all that time and knowing that I still had some time to work on my school work. Knowing that I only had basically a Monday’s workload of work ahead of me was pretty reassuring… I’m happy that I managed to get all my work done during that weekend,” said Porto.
Dolly Nguyen ’27 shared how took the opportunity she explored beyond campus. She described how the long weekend coincided with her first visit to Boston during the school year with friends.
“I went frolicking around Boston. We walked on Newbury Street, trying to find a coffee shop to sit down and talk, and cat shops, because I haven’t seen most of [my friends] ever since summer started, so it was really fun to talk to them again… This is the first time I went to Boston during the school year, and it was fun taking the train for the first time,” said Nguyen.
Despite having to take the PSAT midweek, Nguyen noted that the break was still energizing. She reflected on how the break offered students a much-needed pause before entering the end of the term.
“Every Family Weekend is the same for me because it was a four-day weekend with nothing to do. The PSAT felt like a school day, so it didn’t make much of a difference. But in terms of whether or not I feel well-rested, yes, I would say so. This holiday was a really well-deserved holiday for all of us because we did so much for half the term. Now we have the final stretch, the home stretch of the Fall Term,” said Nguyen.
