Hi!
I was just accepted to a couple prep schools (Exeter, Deerfield, and Hotchkiss) and I would like people’s opinions on the schools (if they don’t mind). I’m not going to share any of my opinions, I would just like to hear yours about which one you think might be a best fit.
I would be entering as a repeat sophomore to each of these schools; I’m not old for my grade but I’m not young either (I’m pretty much right in the middle). I’m a competitive distance runner, so I would run cross country at all of the schools. I love being challenged (and most of the time I actually enjoy doing homework). I take three honors classes right now, and last quarter I received all A’s and A-'s (same on my mid-terms). My freshman end-of-year weighted GPA was a 3.95
The public school I am at right now is about 1,400+ students, so I am used to going to a larger school. I also am a fairly outgoing and talkative person and in the past have never had a problem with making new friends. I like the outdoors a lot, and doing hands-on activity is probably the best way that I learn. I think being in a town is a plus as well!
Also, the quality of the food is very important! If I’m going to be eating it three times a day, it should taste good!! haha
I was also accepted to NMH, but have decided to reject their offer. It seems like a great school, but it was my safety and I feel I will get a better education at the other three.
Thank you so much for your advice!
Hi! As a current Exeter student, I hope I can tell you a little about PEA!
First, let me say that there are a ton of “new repeat lowers” (sophomores who have already completed 10th grade) at Exeter each year. Not sure if you were even wondering about that, but I just thought I should mention it 
Exeter is a large school, with about 1100 students. Coming from a small school the large size scared me a little bit, but I’ve found that the school community does not at all feel that big. For the most part everyone can at least recognize everyone else (even if we don’t know each other’s names and I wouldn’t say that I ever see someone and am totally confused with who they are.
The girls cross country team at PEA is SUPER close and really successful! A lot of my close friends are on the team and they absolutely love it. They all have really great relationships with one another and with the coaches and are always talking about the season and how excited they are.
As for the food, it’s really not at all as bad as I expected! I’ve never had a meal where I walk into dhall and there’s just nothing I want to eat. Also, PEA’s campus is located right in the middle of the town of Exeter and the town is FULL of really good restaurants. Some really popular restaurants are Szechuan and Penang (chinese food), Green Bean and Me & Ollie’s (sandwiches), Laney & Lu’s (healthy smoothie bowls, etc.), Las Olas (kind of like chipotle, but no e-coli!!) and Stillwells (ice cream). There are also more upscale restaurants where people go sometimes for birthday parties and other things like that. The proximity of all of these restaurants to campus was one of the huge pros for me when I was deciding to come to Exeter. My dorm is actually closer to Stillwells than it is to the Science Building!
I would DEFINITELY come to Experience Exeter if you can because these days are really the closest experience you’ll get to being a student without being officially enrolled. I know my Experience Exeter day was really when I felt like I understood the culture of the school and what I was getting myself into!
I have friends that have gone to both Deerfield and Hotchkiss and they all seem to really enjoy their schools. You really can’t go wrong.
That being said, GO BIG RED and I hope you choose PEA!!! Feel free to message me with any other questions or worries, we’re on spring break right now so I have a lot of time!
As a parent, I feel compelled to tell you that choosing a school based on the quality of the food is not a good idea.
Hi! I go to DA right now so I hope I can give you some information on DA!
First, congratulations on your M10 results, all three schools are excellent! Deerfield is a smaller school compared to other prep schools but it also means that the community is tighter. When I first came here (as a new junior - not all that different from a new sophomore) I was initially scared that I wouldn’t fit in and everyone would already have their own social circles. I soon realized that it wasn’t a problem at all because the community is so welcoming and you’d fit right in as a new student! We do have a pretty good XC team - unfortunately I don’t know that much about the XC teams but I’ve heard that it’s really fun and we also do pretty well! Deerfield’s classes are also really challenging - one thing I like the most is how the teachers are really flexible in terms of course material. Teachers are willing to give you more if you tell them you like to be challenged - some teachers have provided me with extra course material upon request - so you’ll definitely feel challenged and stretched to whatever degree you want.
Even though Deerfield is (apparently) in the middle of nowhere we do get a lot of chances to leave campus during weekends. There’s a bus to Greenfield, a town 10 minutes away, every weekend, as well as mall trips to Northampton and Hadley. During school competitions, especially STEM ones, you also get chances to be off campus for an entire day, so that’s a plus. And finally the food - the best for last! We take a lot of pride in the food we get - my personal favorites are the turkey dinners and the shepherd’s pie - among lots of other good food. We get lots of choices, especially during walk-through meals, and Sunday’s breakfast is especially nice - we get freshly-cooked omelettes, waffles, pancakes and more. Even if you don’t really like the school food you can always order takeout (like a lot of my friends). The Thai restaurant is just a call away and people love it a lot, there are also Chinese restaurants and fast food nearby so you’ll never run out.
Just like @coconut5 I encourage you to come to our Spring revisit day, simply because it’s always the best to experience for yourself. On paper, a school may seem really fitting but you’ll know whether the school is “right” for you when you step on campus and experience for yourself! Feel free to message me with more questions, we don’t bite:)
If you want the best food, go to NMH.