China Comes to Andover Philips Academy Students

Noted for the rigor and quality of its academic offerings, it is distinguished by the talent and diversity of its students. International students comprise 10 percent of the student body. Although Phillips Academy students hail from 25 nations, the largest contingent of international students is from China. This is fitting, for Andover’s direct links to China began more than 130 years ago. During the past 40 years, Phillips Academy has enriched its course offerings to include Chinese language and culture within its curriculum and supports ongoing programs involving travel to China for students and faculty.

For a century, this breadth of opportunity was defined largely in economic terms yet, even in the 18th century, a few international students attended Andover. The first organized contingent of students from beyond the United States came in 1878 and 1879 when 11 Chinese boys entered Phillips Academy under the auspices of the Chinese government in a program known as the Chinese Educational Mission.