For over 200 years, Phillips Exeter Academy has defined its role as a leader in residential education in America. High School students from 46 states and 29 foreign countries come to the Academy every year to develop the maturity, self-discipline and respect necessary to foster and sustain their ongoing development as productive individuals in society today. The school achieves this through a distinctive classroom structure and intensive round-table Harkness discussions between a teacher and twelve students.
Located on 471 acres, the school was originally endowed by Colonel John Phillips in 1781. It campus is located only one hour north of Boston and includes the largest secondary school library in the world. Their faculty of 191 enables students to select from a rich curriculum of over 350 courses, where the academy balances the breadth of exposure with an in-depth pursuit of a student's strongest interests.
Regarding athletics, the academy promotes good health and fitness by teaching students skills in diverse physical activities ranging from soccer to swimming and bicycling to basketball. Students learn concepts of fair play, cooperative effort, and the ability to handle stress through participation.