Deerfield Academy Reviews

78 reviews

Deerfield is a great school for anyone who wishes to challenge themselves academically while receiving support from teachers and other students. There are also many support systems for academic help. The range of clubs available is amazing for exploring new passions and there are many life sports for anyone who doesn't want to play competitive sports.

Better than Choate

Maybe add air conditioning to the dorms because it gets kinda hot during the summer

Admissions admits the richest white kids first, then rich communists. The rest get bullied. There's never an effort at self-examination or evaluation of student life. The Head focuses only on fundraising. Administration mostly women who favor the boys in the school for academic awards, and ignore all the bullying and the mental health issues among the students. Academics generally very good, but some bad eggs, like math teacher who humiliates students while administration protects her. Athletics very good, but also spotty. Some coaches, like rowing and soccer, are very engaged and work to recruit and to do college placements; others, like hockey, are lazy and wait for whoever shows up, and then doesn't help to get kids recruited. There's no accountability, and the school is sought-after, so why bother.

Review Deerfield Academy

I am currently a sophomore at DA. I have been here for about a month and a half now, and I absolutely love it! What sets DA apart from other boarding schools is its wonderful community, and almost everyone here is very friendly and welcoming. I am an international student from India, and yet I found it very easy to settle in here and make friends. The facilities here are amazing and all the teachers are very warm and supportive. Classes are extremely fun and interesting, and although challenging, the workload is not very high. There is a good balance between academics, cocurriculars, and social life, and there are many opportunities for clubs and other activities. The financial aid is very good, and most school trips/outings are free. The school also provides financial aid for music lessons, study abroad trips, etc. I genuinely don't have many bad things to say about the school. If community interactions and making connections are valuable to you I would highly encourage you to apply!

very good classes and teachers, no complaints academically, which is the point of school. very conservative and change-resistant culture in students and administration. don’t care about day students, very over scheduled. a lot of lip service to inclusion but inclusion office is unable to make any major changes and the campus culture remains extremely homogenous. ok for trans people if you are very mentally strong and a day student, i wouldn’t try to board as a trans student.

Deerfield Academy is rigorous, but the teachers are supportive and caring. My child got into Exeter, Andover and Choate, as well, but chose Deerfield because of it's beautiful campus and because the community just seemed happier in general. She was challenged throughout her four years at DA, but loved every minute of it. The dining hall is special and Deerfield is one of the few schools to mandate sit-down meals, which is an amazing community builder. The food is excellent! My daughter is a nationally ranked squash player, and the squash facilities are second to none! The whole athletic complex is amazing. I would recommend Deerfield over any other school.

I can say that from the moment I stepped on campus I felt like it was the place for me. Deerfield really makes you feel at home and you feel like you can succeed here and you will. I love Deerfield already and I guarantee anybody who comes here will to.

Academically challenging with supportive faculty and staff. A tight knit community where kids can really blossom.

The students are super motivated and academically driven. Everyone I met here works hard and takes academics seriously. We work hard and play hard. I've grown so much as a student academically in the past four years, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. At the same time, Deerfield is one of the more preppy and traditional schools — life is very structured, there is a lot of old money, and we are less reactive to change than others. Socially, as a POC, it was hard to find a large community here as it felt like I was surrounded by Greenwich Connecticut and Upper East New York students who already knew each other before they came here.

I have made my closest friends and have been so prepared for college. I left Deerfield with such a broad understanding of the different aspects of our society, and my education and opportunities there have shaped my goals to help others in the future.

As a parent of a senior in reflection I wish she had gone some place else! This administration has issues! They are not trying to get the kids to the next level of success. A lot of the kids have inherited their wealth but for kids trying to make it I would say go somewhere else especially if u are a member of a minority group! I’ve seen them ruin students lives over nothing ! It’s not good and the students aren’t happy and they aren’t even going to the best colleges anymore so is it really worth it… I think not! I have several children and my others are at better places that foster their well being and support their needs. I hope this is helpful I wish I could have known!

Though the administration upholds a facade of intolerance to racism, multiple acts of racial discrimination have taken place this year (90 days in) that admin has been made aware of.
The administration simply chooses to take no action. Its utterly baffling and sickening to watch.

Amazing facilities, engaging teachers. Limitless opportunities for growth and learning. A beautiful campus. Tough grading system. You have to work HARD for that 93! Great financial aid too.

Deerfield prepared me well for a Ivy League engineering program. I took both APs and STEM classes scoring all 5s on all my exams. As an over-represented minority I was grateful to attend a great boarding school that also had fantastic arts and music programs as well as co-curriculars. The staff, admin, and teachers are extremely helpful and supportive. Since I was not a legacy or recruited athlete, Deerfield was able to help me focus on academics, ECs and testing. I feel that transitioning into an Ivy is a breeze and that I'm well prepared for any future coursework. The only thing that can continue to improve is the food, level of diversity and some leftover traditions from being a boys school. Now it's 50% female an 40% persons of color but more can be done.

As a member of an over-represented minority, my family and I picked Deerfield because getting into a Top college would be hard from a public HS. Deerfield has the best matriculation rate into the best schools in the US. The college preparation is unparalleled. I had a great college counselor that helped me stand out. While I missed my room and home-cooked meals and my dog, I felt comforted that everyone at DA came for the same thing. To be my best version. At DA, the resources were substantial from music to arts to sports to clubs to volunteering to independent research. I'm certain I made the best choice. College was an easy transition because of my time at DA. I picked DA over other higher-ranked boarding schools because of its size. When you go to a private school with 1100-1200 kids, it's not the same. I know at least 1/2 the kids here.
Many are still my friends.

DA is a remarkable place set in a time-capsuled neighborhood that looks right out of the 18th century like Williamsburg. All the buildings and facilities are beautiful. When I got to campus it took me a couple of weeks to adjust to the teaching style, the sit-down dinners, the culture, and all the structure. I soon realized that it was all intentional because what I lacked the most was a balanced study, sleep, and recreation schedule. My classes challenged me and all my teachers were dedicated professionals that easily could have taught at the college level. DA has incredible team spirit and a sense of community. Everyone is friendly and if you treat people with respect, kindness, and humility you will get along. It's not a place for the faint of heart because DA will require you to be on your "A" game most days. I'm happy DA helped me get into a top 20 college where I'm thriving.

I picked Deerfield as my top boarding school pick because their teachers and admin went the extra mile to make me feel wanted there. They wrote me hand written letters of expressing their desire to have someone like me be part of their school and wrote incredibly supportive emails. Their acceptance day video "Deerfield Days" encapsulated what I wanted for my boarding school experience and DA didn't disappoint. Learning strictly in a socratic Harkness style or tutorials was new to me but I thrived in that format. Although the course rigor was intense, that there were enough perks to make it fun to participate in all them from Winter and Spring break trips to Wash DC or the South to learn about US or Black History, having a beach volleyball court with sand in the middle of the quad, a full size open air skating rink during the winter, free concerts, lots of plays, weekly school meeting with speakers, amazing sports teams to cheer along side and plenty of ECs. DA friends are life friends

Review Deerfield Academy

Deerfield is the Columbia University of the Ivy League. Exeter/Andover is the Harvard/Yale. DA is compact, efficient, structured & fun. It has the hardest grading w severe grade deflation. There is only 1 GPA on a scale of 100. If you magically break 93, you are high honors. If you want the best odds of your child getting into an Ivy or Elite or Top LAC, Deerfield admit stats are up with the Top 5 feeders in the country. DA looks/feels like a country club, but the kids here work extremely hard unless you are shoo-in as recruited athlete or legacy. Regular Sit-down dinners force you to meet everyone in the school. Mandatory 1st or 2nd waiter duties teach humility. You get out of Deerfield, what you put into it because the resources are limitless. It's a tough place if your child needs coddling. But the best school if you want your kid to be an independent thinker and doer. The teachers and admin are unbelievably competent! It should be ranked 2nd/3rd but all these rankings are bunk

Amazing tight-knit community bonded by tradition in a gorgeous New England setting. Teachers go above and beyond to support student learning and growth. Students are generally are highly motivated, well-rounded and ambitious. They are well-prepared as they go on to attend the best colleges in the nation and become leaders in their career fields. The facilities and resources are among the best of any high school in the country. Students have a plethora of opportunities to engage with people of different backgrounds and to challenge themselves in and outside of the classroom. The Deerfield experience is top notch and one-of-a-kind. The friends I made at Deerfield are the best I’ve made in my life. As an alum, I’ve also found that our network and alumni resources are very strong.

The community at Deerfield is unmatched. You are surrounded by people who will stand by your side through any challenge, whether it be academic, athletic, or other. Everything from sit-down meals to athletic events creates an amazing feeling of home at Deerfield.

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