Frequently ASked questions

Deerfield welcomes applications for students currently in 8th – 12th grade who would be applying to 9th – 12th grade or a postgraduate year for the following academic year.

Current 6th graders and beyond may request our viewbook to be entered into our system for future application years.

Prior to 6th grade, we encourage you to explore our website to familiarize yourself with Deerfield and all it has to offer.

In late spring, our office is open to 7th graders and above on select days for tours and an informal chat with an admission officer. Dates may vary, but traditionally these appointments are offered weekdays from mid-April – June.

Over the summer, our office provides Tour and Interview appointments in July and August on select days for current 8th grade families and above who are applying this upcoming fall.

Beginning in mid-September our On-Campus Tours and Interviews open for current 8th grade families and above, who are applying this upcoming fall. These appointments will become available to schedule in early August.

In GPS systems, you can use: 7 Old Main Street, 1 Albany Road, or 1 Academy Lane.

An interview is an important part of Deerfield’s holistic application process. As space becomes limited in December and January, we highly recommend that you book your interview appointment early.

No, Deerfield does not admit students in the middle of the academic year.

Yes, you may apply as either a boarding student or a day student, but not both.

Yes, we do. If you are thinking of repeating your current grade we encourage you to discuss this with your admission officer during your interview.

You should make the recommendation request through Gateway to Prep Schools with your English or Math teacher from last year and inform our office of your situation.

Deerfield offers a test–optional application process. The Academy’s Admission Office will continue to evaluate each application using a holistic approach that considers each student’s achievements and successes in relation to their individual opportunities and challenges. For those students choosing to submit standardized testing, we have created the following testing guidelines:

Ninth and Tenth Grade Applicants:

We will accept an SSAT, PSAT, or ISEE test taken after September 1, 2021.

Eleventh, Twelfth, and PG Applicants:

We will accept any SAT, ACT, PSAT, or SSAT that you have taken after September 1, 2021.  

International Students: 

For international students, if English has not been your primary language of instruction for at least three years or English is not your primary language spoken at home, you must submit the IELTSTOEFL iBT, or Duolingo English Test.

Deerfield does not hold academic classes on Saturdays; instead many of our students participate in co-curricular activities.

Yes, the dress code is a shared experience and an everyday practice that signals seriousness of purpose and mutual respect within our community. Please see the following link to learn more: https://deerfield.edu/parents/dress-code-links

Deerfield does provide application fee waivers for families on a financial-need basis. To be considered for a fee waiver, applicants who have completed their Candidate Profile must submit our Fee Waiver Request Form.

Deerfield’s financial aid program is a need-based program that supports 100% of demonstrated need. Currently, our program provides funding for 37% of our student body.  The program is comprehensive and may cover up to 100% of the total cost of tuition and fees.  We also support additional expenses such as travel and health insurance for a portion of our community.

Our financial aid application deadline is January 15th. For more information on Financial aid proceed to the following link: https://deerfield.edu/admission/financial-aid  

 Financial aid awards are sent on March 10th.

Deerfield accepts students for September enrollment only. Our priority application deadline for September enrollment is January 15. We will make every effort to give full consideration to completed applications (including testing) received after January 15, however we cannot guarantee a March 10 notification.

Admission opportunities for late candidates, who do not receive a March 10 notification, is limited by the number of spaces available after April 10. The Admission Committee meets periodically throughout the spring to make decisions on this group of candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Deerfield welcomes applications for students currently in 8th-12th grade who are applying to grades 9th-12th or a postgraduate year for the following academic year.

Current 6th graders and beyond may request our viewbook to be entered into our system for future application years.

Prior to 6th grade, we encourage you to explore our website to familiarize yourself with Deerfield and all it has to offer.

7th graders can visit campus April-August. Dates may vary, but traditionally these appointments are offered on weekdays.

Over the summer, our office provides Tour and Interview appointments for 8th grade families and above who are applying for the upcoming fall.

Academic year appointments are for application eligible students only. 

In GPS systems, you can use: 7 Old Main Street, 1 Albany Road, or 1 Academy Lane in Deerfield, MA.

An interview is an important part of Deerfield’s holistic application process. As space becomes limited in December and January, we highly recommend that you book your interview appointment early.

No, Deerfield does not admit students in the middle of the academic year.

Yes. If you are thinking of repeating your current grade, we encourage you to discuss this with your admission officer during your interview. This process is also called reclassifying. 

You should make the recommendation request through Gateway to Prep Schools with your English or Math teacher from last year and inform our office of your situation.

As of June 2023, Deerfield will require all candidates to submit standardized testing as part of our holistic admission process.

Ninth & Tenth Grade Applicants: We will accept any SSAT, PSAT, or ISEE taken between January 2023 and January 2024.

Eleventh Grade Applicants: We will accept any ACT, PLAN, PSAT, or SSAT taken between September 2022 and January 2024.

Twelfth and Post Graduate Applicants: We will accept any ACT, PSAT, or SAT taken between September 2022 and January 2024.

If English has not been your primary language of instruction for at least three years or English is not your primary language spoken at home, you must submit the IELTS, TOEFL iBT, or Duolingo English Test taken between January 2023 and January 2024, in addition to the standardized testing appropriate to your application grade.

Deerfield does not hold academic classes on Saturdays; instead many of our students participate in co-curricular activities.

Yes, Deerfield has an academic dress code policy. The dress code is a shared experience and an everyday practice that signals seriousness of purpose and mutual respect within our community.  You can view our dress code policy HERE.

Deerfield does provide application fee waivers for qualifying families. To be considered for a fee waiver, applicants who have completed their Candidate Profile must submit our Fee Waiver Request Form. This is a financial need based process.

Deerfield’s financial aid program is a need-based program that supports 100% of demonstrated need. Currently, our program provides funding for 39% of our student body.  The program is comprehensive and may cover up to 100% of the total cost of tuition and fees.  We also support additional expenses such as travel and health insurance for a portion of our community.

Our financial aid deadline is January 15.  You can find more information on financial aid HERE.

Financial aid awards are sent on March 10.

Deerfield accepts students for September enrollment only. Our priority application deadline for September enrollment is January 15We will make every effort to fully consider applications completed (including testing) after January 15, however we cannot guarantee a March 10 notification.

Admission opportunities for late candidates, who do not receive a March 10 notification, is limited by the number of spaces available after April 10. The Admission Committee meets periodically throughout the spring to make decisions on this group of candidates.

Our Day Student vs. Boarding Student Residential Policy:

Deerfield Academy recommends that Day Student applicants reside within a 25-mile radius.  This radius restriction does not apply to children of employees. 

An Applicant residing more than 25 miles from campus must apply as a Boarding Student. Note:  the typical Deerfield schedule requires that students be on campus, at a minimum, from 8:30 am – 5:45 pm. 

Any applicant who would qualify as a Day Student per the radius restriction may apply as a Boarding Student. However, a Day student applicant should not expect to change to a Boarding Student any time after the admission process closes (January 15). Please note that tuition and fees may vary depending on the Day or Boarding designation.

 

Contact Admission Office

admission@deerfield.edu
413-774-1400
Fax 413-772-1129

Main School Building
Mon-Fri, 8:00am4:30pm

7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 65
Deerfield, MA 01342