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Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy
Photo of the Academy Building
Photo of the Academy Building
Headmaster Tyler C. Tingley
School type Private Boarding School
Religious affiliation None
Founded 1781
Location Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Campus size 471 acres
Campus surroundings Township
Enrollment 1052
Student Teacher Ratio 5:1
Average Verbal SAT score 691
Average Math SAT score 699
Sports Teams 62
Mascot Lion Rampant
School color(s) Red

Phillips Exeter Academy (also called Exeter or PEA) is a co-educational independent boarding school located on 471 acres (1.9 km²) in Exeter, New Hampshire, USA, one hour north of Boston. It is widely considered to be among the finest preparatory schools in the United States. Phillips Exeter currently has the largest endowment of any secondary school in the United States at a market value of about $639,000,000 (as of June 30, 2004). In the fall of 2004, Exeter announced a capital-raising program: Exeter Initiatives. Exeter Initiatives is the most ambitious capital-raising program in the history of secondary schools; it is intended to raise $305,000,000. The Exeter Initiatives is also the most ambitious capital-raising program per capita (dollars/number of alumni) in the history of American education.

The school was established in 1781 by John and Elizabeth Phillips. It shares a long standing (and friendly) rivalry with its sister school, Phillips Academy, also known as Andover.

Like Andover, the Academy's primary Latin motto is Finis Origine Pendet, meaning "the end depends upon the beginning," and it is scrolled across the bottom of the school seal. The school's secondary motto, Non Sibi, located in the sun, means "not for one's self." The Deed of Gift, written by John Phillips at the founding of the school, articulates a second pedagogical philosophy in addition to that of self-sacrifice: "Though goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous." Every year, the principal is required to speak on this theme at the school's opening assembly.

Since a 1930 gift by the oil magnate and philanthropist Edward Harkness, the Academy's principal mode of instruction has been by discussion, "seminar style," around an oval table (known as the "Harkness table.") Classes are restricted to small sizes to encourage participation of all the students. "Harkness" classes are Exeter's trademark, and they are considered the world's finest method of teaching-- so effective, in fact, that schools from around the world have attempted to copy the method. However, Exeter still remains the home of Harkness teaching and education. No where else are Harkness classes taught with such dedication or so central to the identity of the institution.

Phillips Exeter has been co-educational since 1970. Prior to that time, it was an all-boys school.

Exeter is widely regarded as one of the top boarding schools in the world, along with Eton, St. Paul's School, and Phillips Academy. Exeter is most well known for its unrivaled academic excellence. Most students are accepted to the top colleges in the nation, as the school has sound relationships with the Ivy League colleges and top liberal arts colleges.

The Academy greatly values an international perspective which is reflected in the student body and the numerous study abroad programs offered. Currently, 29 different countries are represented in the student body. In addition to the traditional year-long programs offered in China, Spain, Italy and France through the School Year Abroad (SYA) program, the Academy sponsors semester-long programs in Stratford, England; Grenoble, France; Krasnodar, Russia; Göttingen, Germany; and Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Athletics are an important part of the school's history. The Exeter/Andover football rivalry is the oldest football rivalry in the country, and is considered to be one of the most important rivalries in all of sports. Exeter's hockey, lacrosse, and crew teams are also a big source of pride at the school. The Academy has produced numerous Olympians and professional athletes.

The Academy is also known for its uniquely modern library, designed by Louis Kahn. At present, the library houses 145,000 volumes and has a shelf capacity of 250,000 volumes. It has a quite unique architectural shape, being formed to resemble four books resting against each other. It is the largest secondary school library in the world.

Phillips Exeter was the inspiration for the Devon School in John Knowles' novels, A Separate Peace and Peace Breaks Out .

As Exeter, New Hampshire, was the birthplace of author John Irving, it is said that the town and the school appears in many of his books, most notably, A Prayer for Owen Meany.

Exeter slang

  • 333 - The title of the American history course required of all uppers, and also the name of the paper required by said course. The best papers are often published in academic journals.
  • Bubble - The semi-circular glass enclosure on the North side (facing Webster Hall) of Wentworth Hall.
  • The Cage - Building across from the soccer and baseball fields which housed the indoor track, wrestling room, and provided indoor training facilities for numerous other sports during inclement winter weather.
  • Dick - A verb form of dickey, meaning both the act of a student missing a class and the act of a teacher turning in an absence slip, as in, "I dicked that class," and, "I just got dicked." The term dates back to the 1930s when Wells Kerr served as the Dean of Students (actually Mr. Kerr served in that position from 1930 to 1953). The students of the time viewed Mr. Kerr as being very honest and fair-minded. They made a connection between Mr. Kerr and Dickey Kerr, the one honest starting player employed by the White Sox during the scandalous 1919 World Series and so began calling Mr. Kerr, "Dickey." Notes received from Mr. Kerr (which were often about attendance) were eventually referred to as "dickeys," and the rest evolved from there.
  • D.H.M. - A term used by students to describe their quest to understand a text--that is, to uncover or discover the Deep Hidden Meaning of a text. One of the hallmarks of the English Department.
  • Fishbowl - Windowed dining room in Wetherell Dining Hall.
  • Lower or Lower-Middler - A 10th grader, sophomore.
  • Midnight Scream - This ritual involves yelling out the nearest dormitory window at midnight on the last night of each term.
  • PG - A post graduate student. A student that has already graduated from another high school and is doing an additional year of high school.
  • Prep or Junior - A 9th grader, freshman.
  • Probation or Probes - Disciplinary Probation. The most stringent disciplinary consequence while still remaining at the Academy. A twelve-week period that includes five weeks of early check-in and a review by the Discipline Committee. If a student does not pass the review, he will be required to withdraw from the Academy.
  • RAL - Reporter-at-large paper written by uppers (third-year students) for their English class.
  • Senior Spring - The final term in an Exonian's time at Exeter, typically consisting of an easy course schedule, hanging out with friends, and having a last hurrah. However, a failed course during this term will result in the awarding of no diploma.
  • Sevens - A form of punishment requiring students to check into their dorms by 7:00 p.m. every night. Students under Sevens are not allowed to leave the dorm until the next morning.
  • Smurfs - A nickname for Andover students, whose school color is blue.
  • Spaz - a.k.a. prep-spaz or Prep Program. A fond nickname for the ninth-grade physical education program required of all preps not playing a varsity or JV sport in a given term.
  • Upper or Upper-Middler - An 11th grader, junior.
  • Vs - Visitation privileges required to have a member of the opposite sex in one's dorm room. An unauthorized visitation is called an "Illegal V", and can result in disciplinary action.

Notable alumni

Books or movies with portrayals of Exeter alumni, students or staff:

External links

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