Ask About Deerfield

Prep School Admissions
1

Hi everyone,

I’m a senior at Deerfield and I absolutely love it here! I remember having a ton of questions about what things were like and how everything worked at Deerfield when I first got in, so I’m happy to answer and respond to any questions, concerns, comments about Deerfield or boarding school in general. Congratulations to all who were accepted and best of luck to those on the waitlist: it is possible to get off!!

2

@Snowfire88 i’m a junior at DA… who dis

3

Hi Snowfire

My child just got accepted to deerfield and exeter. We are still deciding between the two although Deerfield is the preference but we went to Exeter for the summer program last summer and had a blast. The potential or possible college majors that we are considering are architecture and computer science.

We like Deerfield’s smaller student body and felt that the art department was superior to Exeter. And also found that the course planning to be a lot simpler at Deerfield versus Exeter. But at Exetor they have a lot more courses to choose from especially if you’re in liberal arts.

Any comments appreciated! Can we actually discuss course selecfion before we decide where to go?

Thanks!

4

My daughter was in the same exact spot last year and in the end, she decided Deerfield was a better fit for her. It depends on the student and that’s where she felt most comfortable. I really believe you can’t go wrong with either school and your child will find all the courses they desire at both schools. My daughter loves math and science but says she’s equally enjoying English where her teacher is amazing. For my daughter she preferred not having school on some Saturdays. Exeter also starts at 8 am with sports in the middle and then another class block. Deerfield made a decision to start the day a little later at 8:30 based on some recent studies about student performance early in the morning. All activities are after the school day ends.

I think you can in general discuss scheduling and what might be possible. Consider digging a little deeper into whether your student will be able to do all that s/he wants to do for ECs. For example, if a varsity sport is important, will there be time to be involved in the orchestra? Is it realistic and are other students doing this? At any school, the list of opportunities is much more plentiful than most any student can practically partake.

5

Thanks @snowfire88 and @MAandMEmom

I have a question about the course selection, on the catalog it indicates the course as FWS, does that mean the course is a year long course or that the course is available in all terms?

I also noticed there are some AP classes that are available on P/F basis. How does that work? If we are looking take the AP test of the course and we dont take a graded class will that help us to determine how strong we are in the course?

6

I am 13, female, Japanese and was accepted into Deerfield to be a freshman Fall of 2017. I loved Deerfield, but I am worried about the social aspect. I know that you are a DA student, but if you could answer without sugar coating things that would be great.

  1. As I said earlier, I am an Asian female which would be a minority at DA. However, I grew up in a place close to Greenwich with the same all white preppy type of peers. All of my friends are white, and I act basic too. In my school, there is a social pyramid where white kids dominate and although I am on the second tier I find that my ethnicity can be hard to balance at times. I heard that at da the 'elite clique' is comprised of all white Greenwich/ny kids in every grade. Do you think that these kids dominate because of their ethnicity or socioeconomic status? Do the other cliques feel that they are being minoritized by the social cast or is there no social pyramid? How do u think I would fit into the da environment considering the difference in my ethnicity and background?
  2. What type of sports are the most 'popular'? Or what type of sports do the 'popular' people play? I am a competitive dancer that has won in many regional and state competitions, but do people at da take dance seriously? Also, I am thinking of starting volleyball in the fall but is the volleyball team strong/respected, and how hard is it to make it on varsity?
  3. Are smart students labeled as smart, then left at the bottom of the pyramid or accepted?
  4. Do you find the dress code hard to manage and find clothes that abide? How much to people follow the code and how much do teacher enforce it? What brands are popular? (I like urban outfitters, Brandy Melville, American eagle, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin, lululemon, ugg, converse, Steve maddens, vineyard vines, etc)
  5. Do lots of people do drugs or drink at school? Are there parties that people 'host'?
  6. Are a lot of people in relationships?
  7. As a dancer, smart STEM student, artist, Asian female how hard would it be for me to find/make friends?

Sorry those were a lot of questions but if you could answer those that would be amazing- thank you so much!!

7

Hi worriedaboutprepschool.

Congratulations on your DA acceptance. Our DS is, like you, an international student and was concerned about the social scene he would encounter at the various boarding schools he was fortunate enough to be accepted by. As you mentioned, there is an important Greenwich/NYC group at DA (similarly, at other boarding schools, there are important Boston contingents). While our DS does not count this group as a primary source of his friends (actually, a good number of his close friends are Asian), he gets along well with most of Greenwich crowd. Our DS certainly does not feel as an outcast or at the bottom of any social pyramid.

DA is truly welcoming and most students are very friendly, regardless of their backgrounds. Ultimately, you will choose with whom you spend your time with and, should you chose to attend DA, you will join a school which is diverse and which systematically focuses on making everybody feel part of the community. DA’s collaborative culture and strong traditions really help on this important front. Our DS chose DA over his other excellent alternatives, exactly because he concluded that DA students (from different backgrounds) were happier, relative to what he sensed at other BS during revisit days. He also felt that at DA it was acceptable to be smart and to love your classes.

Drugs or alcohol are not at all part of his DA experience. Our DS reports that he knows very few students who regularly partake in such activities. As far as steady relationships are concerned, apparently it is quite difficult (like at other BS) to maintain them at DA, given the staggering commitments (academic, athletic, extracurricular etc) that limit available time. Still, some students somehow manage to have relationships during their time at DA. As far as the dress code is concerned, quite a few students shop from the stores you mention but others set their own sartorial trends. Regarding sports, LAX, hockey, crew, squash and soccer seem to be very popular at DA. Keep in mind though, that ALL sports are big at DA. I am not in a position to answer your other questions (e.g. dance), as our DS is not involved in them. Good luck!

8

do they turn off the wifi at a specific time for sophomores?

9

@doglover6226 Yes, wifi turns off at 11:45 PM for freshman and sophomores and 1:00 AM for juniors and seniors. Wifi turns back on at ~4:45 AM

10

@hpmindo Sorry for the delayed response!

FWS: This is short for fall, winter, and spring. Courses labeled as FWS are year-long courses and will be taken for all three terms.

The only P/F AP courses to my knowledge are those that are in the fine arts, such as AP Studio Art or AP Photography. Deerfield has a policy where students can enroll in 6 courses (the normal is 5) with the 6 course (if a fine arts course) graded on a pass/fail basis. This is simply to help students manage their heavy workload and not have to worry about a specific numerical grade. In terms of preparation for an AP exam, feedback is also provided via teacher comments every term, and students often do very well on the AP exams.

11

@worriedaboutprepschool

  1. I am an Asian female and the following response is simply based on my experiences at Deerfield. From my experience, I've never experienced any social pyramid at Deerfield or felt minoritized based on my ethnicity. There are certainly friend groups, as there are in any school, but they are inclusive, fluid, and quite large. Everyone is on the same equal footing and Deerfield is comprised of people from multiple backgrounds and ethnicities. You'll come to find more similarities than differences with your peers at DA. As to how you would fit, I think you know yourself and the answer the best. I strongly suggest going to a revisit day if possible, and seeing if you feel like Deerfield is the fit for you! :)
  2. The sports program is incredibly diverse at Deerfield, and there is no particular sport that comprises of 'popular' people. I can tell you which sports are the strongest: crew, swimming/diving, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, squash, and hockey. The volleyball team is definitely strong and respected; however, having no experience as part of the team, I can't speak to how hard it would be to make the varsity team. In regards to dance: Deerfield takes dance very seriously, and at every dance showcase, the entire auditorium is packed with students and faculty. In my opinion, we have a very strong dance program and students often perform at school meetings (every Wednesday). We have some phenomenal dancers, some of whom have been part of professional ballet schools, and a group of incredibly dedicated dance teachers.
  3. I don't really believe there is a pyramid at Deerfield. Smart students are well respected and accepted in every way I can imagine.
  4. As someone who previously wore jeans and t-shirts to school her entire life, I don't find the dress code that hard to manage. Certainly, it takes a few extra minutes in the morning to get ready, but it hasn't drastically changed my life. Most people follow the dress code, though for girls, the code seems to be a little more flexible. Teachers are usually pretty relaxed about the code unless you are severely out of dress code (e.g. sweatpants + t-shirt). What brands are popular? Everything. Your preferences would work any day. I personally have never worn anything from Urban, Brandy, American Eagle, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Lululemon, Steven Madden, or Vineyard vines. I usually get my clothes from Hollister, Forever, Topshop, and J. Crew.
  5. Rarely do people do drugs or drink at school. And besides graduation parties, I don't know of any other parties.
  6. Not a lot, but there are people in relationships. I personally would love to see more.
  7. Not difficult at all. One of my best friends is a phenomenal dancer, artist, STEM student, and Asian female and she's had a great experience. PM me if you want to meet up with her on a revisit day or get in contact with her.

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

12

@Snowfire88 thank you so much! Upon hearing this, I have an almost positive that I will attend. (Also sorry mistake above I am not Japanese) anyway, thank you much and I look forward to my Deerfield life in the near future

13

Hello! I’m a freshman who just got introduced to the world of boarding schools. Unfortunately I missed the sophomore application date, but have decided to apply for junior year. Could you answer some quick questions for me?

  1. What are the realistic chances that Deerfield will accept an incoming junior?
  2. What is the Deerfield tennis team (girls) like?
    Also, would you mind if I PMed you? Thank you so much!
14

@reallypanicked Hi! No worries :slight_smile: and feel free to PM me!

  1. Deerfield usually accepts around 25-30 students as new juniors. I’m not completely sure how large the new junior applicant pool is, but I believe it is very competitive due to the small number of students that they admit. Sometimes, students will choose to repeat as a sophomore, thus increasing their chances of getting into Deerfield.
  1. Deerfield has 3 tennis teams: varsity, junior varsity, and recreational. I don't play tennis; however, I have several friends on the teams, and I've heard it's always fun and welcoming. Everyone especially loves the varsity tennis coach. There are also a ton of tennis courts to practice on, and we're currently building an indoor tennis court. Deerfield tennis scores very well in competitions, having one of the highest # of wins for a Deerfield sports team in a season.