An essential element of the definition of a fallacy is that the information presented is not false; rather, it is intentionally misleading and presented in a way to be interpreted as such. To play a game of fallacy is to be knowledgeable about the truth and intentionally mask it in such a way that both increases public image and diverts responsibility. Andover plays this game of deception, and does it dangerously well. Right as you open “andover.edu,” notable buzzwords appear. The home page itself highlights Andover’s “intentionally diverse community,” “18 years of need blind admissions,” and students from “53 countries” and “41 states/territories.” In no way is any of this information wrong, but it is misleading. This article will contextualize the reality between and beneath these numbers and bring into reality the fallacy of diversity and equity here at Andover. Throughout this article, specific geographical locations and specific institutions will be referenced. The aim is to uncover systemic and societal patterns that affect Andover’s student body and is not intended to target or marginalize any individual. The limits of Andover’s diversity and equity are only revealed through a clearer reading of truths already presented, and with the courage to question their framing.
The first statistic Andover flaunts is its ability to draw from an extremely geographically diverse applicant pool and thus curate a geographically diverse student body. While a student body from 53 countries and 41 states and territories may sound impressive, finer data tells a different story. The 2025 State of the Academy (SOTA), conducted by The Phillipian, received 865 responses, representing 74.2% of the student body. Of respondents, 58.8% identified as being from the Northeast, 8.3% from the Southeast, and 10.1% from the West. The student body is especially underrepresented in the U.S. Midwest, accounting for only 3.9% of 2025 SOTA respondents. Thus, the question arises: are there no students of comparable caliber in these geographic areas, or is it a lack of effort by the institution to find them and provide them with an opportunity at a place like Andover? While it is important to note that perceptions of preparatory boarding schools can differ in these rural areas, and that students from more rural areas may receive fewer resources for academic success due to educational disparities, it is also important to recognize institutional shortcomings in recruiting and attracting students from these geographic locations. Presenting a diverse student body with statistics such as “41 states/territories” is intentionally misleading and omits that Andover draws the majority of its student body from established hubs of wealth and opportunity; in evaluating the 2025-2026 Andover Directory, a clear concentration of the student body comes from these locations, notably N.Y.C, Chicago, and Los Angeles. For the betterment of living up to the Academy’s values, Andover should acknowledge its shortcomings and disparities in its student body’s geographical representation, and pursue more rigorously a strategy to truly recruit “youth from every quarter.”
The pattern continues in wealth and the ability to afford quality education before Andover. It is not a coincidence that many students come to Andover from the Northeast, because there are simply better educational opportunities, specifically private schools, that operate under specific frameworks of matriculating their graduates to elite boarding schools such as Andover. Though prevalent in most major hubs of wealth, this unequal representation is evident among students from N.Y.C. and junior boarding schools in New England. First, N.Y.C offers elite private middle school and high school education that consistently “feeds” students into Andover. These institutions include, notably, Brearley, Dalton, Buckley, Chapin, and Trinity. Brearley boasts an endowment-to-student ratio of ~$207k per student, and Dalton at around ~$222k per student. The educational accessibility and opportunities provided, in turn, better prepare them for Andover and cause a chain reaction in which Andover continuously draws from these schools. Perhaps a more substantial subset of “feeder schools” is New England junior boarding schools, such as Fessenden, Cardigan Mountain, and Fay. All three of these institutions boast $70-90k in yearly tuition, and the results show. Over the past five years, Fay has matriculated 34 students to Andover, Fessenden matriculated 10, and Cardigan Mountain matriculated 9. While there is no question that students from these institutions were qualified for enrollment at Andover, this does not change the fact that Andover consistently skews its data to appear more inclusive and racially and socioeconomically diverse than the actual makeup of its student body.
Further, the SOTA provides additional data that seemingly contradicts Andover’s values. A part of the school’s commitment to intentional diversity is its socioeconomic diversity in tandem with its geographical diversity. While fewer than 0.5% of Americans earn more than $1 million a year, 17.7% of Andover students report a net family income of $1 million or more. In fact, the Andover student body has more students in the top 10% of the US income distribution than the entire bottom half, with 58% of the student body having a net family income of more than $250,000 yearly. Though need-blind admissions are necessary and noble, misleadingly presenting data to put more weight on the economically disadvantaged rather than the economically advantaged misaligns with Andover’s values of honesty and integrity.
Given factors such as geographical location, access to quality education, and net family income, the data Andover portrays, though true, is intentionally misleading. This article is not a critique of Andover’s constant effort to achieve an intentionally diverse community but rather an effort to align, analyze, and bring into conversation the real, unfiltered truth about the socioeconomic and geographical makeup of the student body. To continue to improve and draw from various parts of the country and the globe, Andover must first be honest in its self-assessment and recognize its shortcomings in drawing talent from specific cold spots, both in geographical location and socioeconomic class. We, as a community, must recognize our diversity-and-equity fallacy and urge those in positions of authority to make conscious changes to build a student body that truly reflects and advertises the morals and institutional values Andover thrives upon.
