This spring marks the admission of Andover’s 239th class. With a 14 percent acceptance rate, newly-admitted students will represent 40 states and territories and 30 countries. After implementing the hashtag “SayYesToAndover” for the first time in its social media efforts this year, the Admissions Office has received positive feedback from the admitted students.
“Not only have newly-admitted students used the hashtag to send us photos of themselves with their acceptance letters or with their families celebrating, but also folks from all parts of the Andover community – current students, alumni, faculty, and coaches – have used the hashtag to welcome the newly admitted students,” wrote Vivien Mallick, Director of Admission Operations, in an email to The Phillipian.
The Class of 2020 was awarded with a total of $6,720,000 in financial aid scholarships. A projected 48 percent of next year’s 2016-2017 student body will be on financial aid, with a projected 15 percent on full scholarship.
Jim Ventre, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, hopes newly admitted students will be able to recognize their place in the Andover community. “We hope the newly admitted students will discover that Andover offers unbounded opportunity and that they belong in our community,” wrote Ventre in an email to The Phillipian.
Admissions plans on continuing to use the hashtag throughout the four days of the Spring Visit program, during which a newly admitted student can spend a day at Andover with a current student.
“We know our current students, as well as faculty, staff, and administrators, will do a wonderful job of welcoming the newly admitted students and their parents to campus – on Instagram and Twitter as well as in person when they come for revisit days! We are grateful to the entire [Andover] community for showing our new families their Big Blue spirit,” wrote Mallick.
In addition to the hashtag, Admissions also released a short video to welcome admitted students and their parents on March 10. “We hope the delivery of the content feels fresh and relevant!” wrote Ventre.
With 1,899 middle schools and high schools represented in the applicant pool, 20 percent of newly admitted students identify as Native American, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino; or Biracial, 25 percent identify as Asian, Asian American, or Biracial Asian; 47 percent identify as White or Caucasian; and 8 percent chose not to identify.
