Welcome to Phillips Exeter Academy

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Welcome

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Welcome to Phillips Exeter Academy! I am so excited to show you our campus and help you get a better sense of what it is like to be a Zodion. Before we get started here are a few tips for using this virtual tour. You can click on the forward facing arrow to start walking around, you can jump to the next stop by clicking on the Next button. If you already know where you want to go, you can select any location by using the list on the left side of your screen, or by clicking directly on the map. You can explore any particular location in more detail by clicking the icons for 360 images, photos or videos.

We start our tour at the Academy building. This is where every examination begins and ends their journey at Exeter. At the start of every school year we have our opening assembly here. And then in June seniors walk across this quad to receive their diplomas at graduation. In the building's large assembly hall, we come together as a community twice a week, students and faculty to hear from notable speakers, student leaders and enjoy campus wide celebrations. On a daily basis the academy building serves as one of our academic buildings. As you walk the halls you will hear discussions at the Harkness table. Students working together to solve problems and form new ideas. Classes in mathematics, history, religion, classical languages, anthropology, psychology and philosophy all happen here.

In case this is your first visit, here are some tips to help you get started:

-To jump to the next destination, select the "Next" button on the right side of your screen.

-Or, if you already know where you want to go, simply select that location from the list on the sidebar OR directly on the map below.

-And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location.

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Community gathering is an essential part of our school culture. The Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center is our Student Center and is one of the most popular spots on campus to hang out, grab a snack or hold club meetings. There are about 100 student run clubs on campus and 25 culture and affinity groups that are sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. WPA, the student run radio station is here too, so is the post office and the Student Activities Office, which organizes all of our on and off campus events. On weekends they may coordinate an outdoor movie or a dance, a trip to the mall or a day trip to Boston.Students and adults come together as a community during the week too. In addition to school wide assemblies, there is weekly meditation, a personal reflection read out loud by the author and accompanied by live recorded music is held in Philips Church. In the spring term, 20 Seniors are selected to present their meditation, which is written as a capstone assignment in the English program.

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Phillips Exeter Academy prepares students for a lifetime of learning. Our 16 academic departments aim to provide breadth of exposure, while over 450 courses allow students to dive deep into their strongest interests. At the very core of these academic pursuits is Harkness. The Harkness method of instruction, developed here nearly 100 years ago, is centered on thoughtful discourse and collaboration. Every class from math to music has 12 students and is taught in the Harkness tradition, usually around an oblong table. Here Harkness doesn't end after class. It's a way of life. Careful listening and questioning begin in the classroom and extend to the athletic fields, the stage and the dorm. At the table, students learn to collaborate, explore ideas as a group, develop the courage to speak, the compassion to listen and the empathy to understand.

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Exeter is home to over 1000 students. roughly 80% of students live right on campus while the other 20% commute daily. All students have access to two dining halls and grill, the popular campus snack bars. Chocolate chip cookies seem to be their specialty. Dorm life here is a little different than other schools. At Exeter you are matched with one dorm for the entire time you are here. Even day students are connected to a dorm. Students from all grades make up the dorm community. Your Dorm faculty and advisor remain with you throughout your Exeter journey. Living in a dorm with older students helps with the transition to boarding school life. Everyone thinks their dorm is the best one and every dorm has its own character and traditions. We have 23 dorms housed by gender and two opt in all gender dorms. Some dorms are houses and some are large residence halls. But no matter where you live, or which dorm you were affiliated with, you will find dorm faculty student proctor's and friends who are here to support you

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Did you know that more than 50% of Zodions are involved in the music program each term? The Forrestal-Bowld Music Building has performance spaces, lessons studios, rehearsal halls, a music library and a Digital Music Lab. We have an excellent collection of Steinway pianos as well as a host of other instruments to loan students. When you attend a concert in the Bowld, you can take in performances by world class guest artists, as well as our own faculty and students. With 31 clubs or ensembles to join, student performers have the opportunity to use the space to play instruments, sing or perform solo. From classes to clubs, private lessons to ensembles, many students call the music building home.

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Exeter has incredible spaces to practice or discover the visual and graphic arts, theater and dance. We also have a fine arts building, an art gallery, and this: the Goel Center for Theater and Dance, where a quarter of all students participate in theatrical productions, and 150 students take dance lessons, or participate in the 16 student run dance clubs. The Goel Center has Harkness instruction spaces that allow you to move seamlessly from discussion to performance exercise. In addition to practice and performance spaces, it has a scene shop, costume studio, technical galleries and state of the art equipment for fine artists. The Mayer Art Center and the Lamont Gallery combine teaching and exhibition space for students and faculty, as well as visiting artists. There are professional studio style classrooms for a variety of mediums from painting and printmaking to pottery, photography and 3d design.

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Regardless of what sport you play, or your favorite way to stay active, we are fortunate to have a state of the art athletic facility. There are indoor rinks, courts, pools, turf field tracks and Mother Nature's best, a river for the crew team with its own boathouse. We have 60 interscholastic teams from varsity to club level. In the Downer Family Fitness Center, our full time strength and conditioning coach is always available for your fitness needs.

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The class of 1945 Library has 300,000 print and digital volumes, plus a reference collection with more than 3000 print volumes. You can access subscriptions to 275 print magazines and newspapers and 60 databases. If the library doesn't have something you're looking for, the librarians know how to obtain it. Fun events take place here like the annual canine study break, and there are meeting rooms and study spots for students including the favorite library commons on the ground floor. Our library is the world's largest secondary school library. Speaking globally, you can experience new cultures and expand your worldview by signing up for one of Exeter's 40 off campus programs on five continents.

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Exeter, New Hampshire is a quaint New England town with shops and restaurants just steps from campus. Roughly an hour from Boston, a 15 minute drive to the beach, and a couple hours from the beautiful white mountains, we have the ability to dive into all four seasons. Downtown Exeter is like an extension of school grounds. There's an ice cream shop, coffee shops and restaurants where students meet and hang out and a bookstore that not only has an amazing selection, but an area in the back where you can do homework with a view of the river. The friendship between the academy in the town of Exeter is highlighted by one of our most prominent clubs, the Exeter Students Service Organization or ESSO, which brings to life our school motto of Non Sibi, Latin for Not For Oneself. ESSO has partnerships in town that have created volunteer opportunities in the local elementary school, Senior Center, and nonprofits like the food pantry and environmental organizations that need help with beach cleanups and trails maintenance.

Welcome to Phillips Exeter Academy

Welcome

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Campus Life

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Academic Life

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Residential Life

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Performing & Visual Arts

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Music

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Athletics

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Resources

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Beyond Campus

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