<p>Hello everyone, I am an international student and I am planning to request for information from Deerfield Academy. I have some questions about the website where you fill out your profile- For</a> Applicants :: Deerfield Academy</p>
<p>At the bottom, it says "*Has the applicant taken the 2010 - 2011 Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) or other required standardized test? (See below)" and they give a few choices including the SSAT, ACT, ISEE, and the TOEFL. As an international student myself, I have already took the TOEFL, and planning to take the SSAT this winter. However, Deerfield announced that "Applicants for whom English is a second language may take the grade appropriate test described above or the TOEFL test.".
Does that mean I don't have to take the SSAT for Deerfield? Are there any other solutions to this problem? </p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time. I would appreciate replies from experienced people who have actually went through this process, or just any people who are planning to apply for Deerfield Academy.</p>
<p>It is a little early to request information. Schools are typically getting ready for the students to come back for the new year. It is best to request information after Labor Day, Sept 6th this year.</p>
<p>But I would call the school and ask for clarification. My d is not a international student so i cant help with your situation.</p>
<p>I applied, was accpted and will enroll this September :D, </p>
<p>I took both tests even though the SSAT included me flying to London for the weekend, and even if you’re not required to take the SSAT they highly recommend it, as it includes a math section read: VERY IMPORTANT and a more advanced reading section (they don’t expect a great vocab score but they want a decent one) so if you can you should take the SSAT and they will take into account that you’re a foreign student when comparing your score to toher applicants, unless you are from an english speaking country then you will be evaluated in the same category as Americans, Britons etc.</p>
<p>DeerfieldSwede, I’m asking an impossible question, however that doesn’t stop me from rambling. It is my understanding that applying as a international student is more difficult than applying locally. Do you think if you are considered international and score well on both the TOEFL and SSAT’s, will that increase your chance for admission? Will they consider the international students overall performance on the SSAT and TOEFL at the same level as the domestic student student who scored the same on the SSAT? All other elements including full pay being equal.</p>
<p>@Alexz825Mom, thank you, I’ll start requesting for information from September. I hope the school can clarify some orders! Also, good luck on your d applying.</p>
<p>@DeerfieldSwede, wow! That’s really good for you!
I’m already beginning to study for the SSAT, due to the fact that I’m fairly weak in vocabulary words. In the mean time, I will probably excel in mathematics, because it’s one of the subjects which I actually like to study for. However, when I actually request for Deerfield later on, which test (SSAT or TOEFL) do I tell them I took? How about you, did you select the SSAT or the TOEFL for that question? Thanx!</p>
<p>@cdgni, as far as I know, it’s highly likely that if you score high in both the TOEFL and the SSAT (and you’re an international), your chance of getting in will be increased. Also, most boarding schools will acknowledge the fact that English is not your first language, and your reading scores will be probably lower than natives.</p>
<p>@JP Yeah the vocab is prett hard but don’t get frustrated if you don’t know some of the words my score was in the 52% on the vocab part my other scores were in the 90’s so it evened out to a realy good score, and the math part is fairly easy just make sure that you know mathematical terms and do not rush through the test, cost me a couple of points WHen you sign up for the test you can choose how many schools that you want to receive your test so that is rep, if you reported directly by the testing instiution and the schools will not accept you personal score report. I my case I reported both scores as that is what they recommend, in my experience you don’t really have anything to lose by reporting both scores.</p>
<p>Beware though, if you apply to several schools (which I highly recommend, remember Deerfield only has an acceptence rate of 14%) most of them will require you to send both scores. Deerfield was a unique case when I applied as the only school who would let you substitute the SSAT with the TOEFL.</p>
<p>@Cd well linguistically it’s more difficult but being from an underrepresentd country (pretty much all of them except China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada and in some cases Mexico) your chances increase slightly as they want a diverse student body. However this ONLY applies if you do not require any Financial Aid, if you do your chances will decrease significantly and unless you have done something extraordinarly such as published a bestseller or started a successful business you really don’t stand a chance. If you score is as good as an American’s your chances will definitely increase, unless of course English is your native tongue. No if you and a domestic applicant (whose first language is English) score the same on the SSAT your score will be considered higher since it is significantly harder for you as an international to achive such a score.</p>
<p>@Both actually the reading part is really easy I scored in the 98% and only missed 2 questions, however I’ve been reading English litterature since I was 12 so I may have been more prepped than I presumed.</p>
<p>@DeerfieldSwede, wow, I learned a lot… :0
Thanks for the advices, and I am applying to several schools, the way you recommended. Also, I’ll probably send both scores due to your experience! By the way, on your response to cdgni, you said </p>
<p>“However this ONLY applies if you do not require any Financial Aid, if you do your chances will decrease significantly and unless you have done something extraordinarly such as published a bestseller or started a successful business you really don’t stand a chance.” </p>
<p>Is this really true? I’m actually thinking of requesting for FA… maybe I shouldn’t?
Thanks for your answers!</p>
<p>Well I may have exaggerated a bit, but pretty much yeah, you need to be a national/international champion of something it may be a bit original such as french cuisine but something like “breeding a snail that’s winning races” won’t help ur case. You also need stellar grades and if you apply for FA a stellar SSAT and TOEFL scores and amazing teacher recommendations and fantastic extra curriculars that you need to REALLY excel in, you should be very active and talented in pretty much all of them and compete in the highest level possible. Then you will stand a chance but with my scores I can honestly say that if I were an international FA applicant I wouldn’t get any money at all.</p>
<p>If you need FA to attend then ofc you should apply for it, however if it’s not really necessary than I strongly recommend that you don’t apply for it.</p>
<p>Thank you again for the advices. I’ll talk with my parents, and try to not apply for FA, if possible. I was simply surprised how applying for FA can actually decrease your chance of getting in. Wow!
Just asking, do you know any “elite” schools that hold fantastic science, music, and math departments, as well as a swimming pool? Thanks.</p>
<p>Seconding SPS’s amazing music program! Their arts in general is top-notch, really. Although I had no idea about its pool-lessness…and that’s totally a word. Yeah.</p>
<p>ANYWAY. I may be a liiittle biased, but if you have a passion for science and math, apply to Exeter! A number of Exonians have nabbed places in national and international Olympiad contests and the math club itself has over 50 members. Exeter has ME excited for math and seriously, my history with math is…not so great, haha. The music and science programs are great too- I mean, just flip through the course catalogue and take a look at the Phelps Science Center. Plus we have two pools. ;D</p>
<p>Good luck applying!</p>
<p>/tuesdays the saleswoman over and out</p>
<p>Btw, definitely take a look at Choate too. I think they’re the only boarding school with a professional in-residence orchestra.</p>
<p>Agreed Exeter and Choate (although I as a future Deerfielder prob shouldn’t say that :P) seems to be what u are lookin’ for. Exeter’s math/science program are always considered if not the best definitely amongst them, Choate has an extraordinary economics team, something that requires skill in mathematics. And FA isn’t a huge factor if you are a domestic applicant but it’s very hard for international students to obtain any. I don’t know why, it may change in a couple of years but I have absolutely no idea.</p>
<p>@DiveAlive, Exeter seems excellent! However, SPS also has great programs within math & science. Thanks.</p>
<p>@tuesdays, thanks! I totally agree with SPS, they hold “first-class” levels of music and art. I will surely be applying for Exeter, due to the fact that they have all the aspects that I want. To be detailed, I’m specifically interested in physics, and I was searching for a school that held great science and math courses. Choate seems good, too!</p>
<p>@DeerfieldSwede, why not Deerfield? Anyway, I’m am heading for Exeter, Choate, and Deerfield. Oh, good news- I discussed the FA with my parents and concluded that I will probably not apply for FA.</p>
<p>@neatoburrito, hello (I like your name)! SPS has a beautiful pool? Oh, but I swim and want to compete with a swim team. I still think SPS is a superb school, though.</p>
<p>Click through the photos. There is a post somewhere in the depths of the SPS thread that discusses the reason that they don’t have a swim team. I am not affiliated with the school so I’m not a reliable source. My knowledge of the SPS only comes from what I learned when my son applied last year.</p>
<p>Best of luck with your applications! It’s an exciting time for you. And regardless of your results on March 10th, you will have discovered a great deal about yourself - your goals, your dreams, your priorities - just by going through the process.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the information about SPS, plus the photos. I’m also wondering why they don’t have a swim team! Anyway, I’ll try my best in the application process, and look forward for my dreams.</p>
<p>yo jp you can request for admission stuff whenever you want man. You don’t have to wait, its your call. I got my viewbook and stuff early and finished my app up early. As for FA, I think deerfieldswede was right. FA is tough enough locally, I can’t imagine how hard it would be internationally. Anyways, I just wanted to say although Deerfield may not be the most math-science school, know that its a very nice environment without the massive stress of some other schools and that it has many other great things. Also, its ivy acceptance rate is higher than both andover and exeter.
And for those of you who are asking for the source, I think my dad got it in an email from Deerfield a while ago.</p>
It is my understanding that applying as a international student is more difficult than applying locally. Do you think if you are considered international and score well on both the TOEFL and SSAT’s, will that increase your chance for admission? Will they consider the international students overall performance on the SSAT and TOEFL at the same level as the domestic student student who scored the same on the SSAT? All other elements including full pay being equal.</p>
WHen you sign up for the test you can choose how many schools that you want to receive your test so that is rep, if you reported directly by the testing instiution and the schools will not accept you personal score report. I my case I reported both scores as that is what they recommend, in my experience you don’t really have anything to lose by reporting both scores.</p>
won’t help ur case. You also need stellar grades and if you apply for FA a stellar SSAT and TOEFL scores and amazing teacher recommendations and fantastic extra curriculars that you need to REALLY excel in, you should be very active and talented in pretty much all of them and compete in the highest level possible. Then you will stand a chance but with my scores I can honestly say that if I were an international FA applicant I wouldn’t get any money at all.</p>