A Letter to Future Exonians

Dear Future Exonians,

There is a reason why this letter is an OP-ED. See, an opinion article is supposed to lay out a strong opinion on some sort of difficult issue. Unlike news articles, an OP-ED isn’t written to inform. OP-EDs are written to persuade, to arouse controversy and discussion, and to present both normative and radical ideas. Importantly, OP-EDs will almost certainly make people uncomfortable. This OP-ED is no different.

Welcome to Exeter. Everything the Admissions Office has told you is true. Of course, our library is the largest high school library in the world. Of course, Harkness isn’t just a teaching style, it’s a lifestyle. In a nutshell, Exeter offers unlimited opportunities to pursue every passion possible. At Exeter, you will find passionate peers, resources of every kind, and a strong community. All of this is true.

What no admissions department will tell you is that Exeter is no place for the tentative. Exeter is no beautiful greenhouse where minds are tenderly grown with clean gloves and tweezers. Exeter is catharsis and angst, ecstasy and pain, bravery and fear, all sandwiched into one New England red-bricked paradise. 

At Exeter, it is up to each student to take the responsibility to use the plethora of resources that we have on campus. Take debate as an example. While most schools have debate coaches and adults who manage practices, training, and resources, Exeter’s Daniel Webster Debate Society (DWDS) is entirely taught and managed by students. Debate excels at it—just recently, we consecutively sent two world-class debaters to the Worlds Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC), an unparalleled feat among schools with student-managed debate clubs. It’s my impression that Exonians are the most independent and remarkably proactive students in the world. 

All this, though, would not have been possible without resilience and determination. Being a member of DWDS doesn’t just instantly make you better. At Exeter, you are responsible for making yourself better. At Exeter, you must be 100 percent willing to fight. Nothing the Admissions Office tells you now will help you in the middle of freezing January, encumbered by history papers and math tests. Exeter tests your passion, your drive, and your ability to beat yourself and face your limits. 

At Exeter, there will always be an ace. In whatever realm of battle, there will always be someone whose confidence, energy, and skill surpasses yours. And because Exeter is a wholly collaborative experience, you will be rubbing elbows with every single genius on this campus. If you come to Exeter, you will learn the importance of humility. You will learn how to imitate others. You will learn the central role that mentorship plays in becoming a master of any craft. At Exeter, you will shed those elements of yourself that pull you back and construct new towers of intelligence and emotional maturity. 

All this being said, you could come to Exeter and have a very carefree existence. You could work for only an hour a day, attend a few clubs, and rarely step out of your comfort zone. In fact, it’s very easy to be comfortable in a place like Exeter. But that’s like using the Mona Lisa as a carpet rug. Exeter is supposed to be a developmental roller coaster that trains the world’s greatest thinkers and leaders. Hiding from that fact is a shame on our school’s mission to “unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to lead purposeful lives.”

Exeter is a bit like this OP-ED. It isn’t intended to be comfortable, to sugarcoat reality, or make everyone agree with it. Exeter presents reality to you in the form of student-centered learning, independence, and resources galore. Remember, diamonds are made under pressure. Don’t come to Exeter if you aren’t set on becoming a diamond. 

Best regards,

Forrest Zeng