Healthy Deerfield and the 2020/2021 School Year

How to apply

Step 1: The Viewbook

To learn about student life, academic breadth, financial aid, and the many opportunities available at Deerfield, please fill out our Request for Information form. We look forward to mailing you a viewbook.

Does Deerfield have what you’re looking for? Find out. Complete the following form to receive Deerfield’s Viewbook, information about our financial aid program, and what to expect from a boarding school experience.

If you are an Educational Consultant or School Counselor requesting materials about Deerfield, please fill out this Viewbook request form.

Step 2: The Interview

We look forward to speaking with you about Deerfield! With the health and safety of our current students as our top priority, this year our fall interviews will be held virtually.  In order to make the most of our virtual time together, our interview consists of two parts—a one-hour information session and a forty minute interview.

To ensure that your family has an informative and enjoyable virtual Deerfield experience, both candidates and parents are highly encouraged to attend one of our Zoom information sessions the day before your scheduled interview. Our information sessions will include an introduction and Q&A with one of our admission officers and a virtual tour of campus with one of our student tour guides. On the day of your interview, one of our admission officers will first meet with the candidate and then save some time at the end to speak with parents. 

To schedule your Information Session and Virtual Interview please follow the steps below (Please note that information sessions and interviews are only available for candidates applying for entry in the fall of 2021.):

  • If you have submitted a Candidate Profile please schedule your visit by signing into your Admission Portal or by calling our office at 413-774-1400.
  • Applicants must be in our Deerfield admission database in order to schedule an interview. If you have not already, please fill out a Request for Information Form before scheduling your visit with us.
  • Once you have completed Step 1: Request for Information, please feel free to schedule your information session and virtual interview through our Online Calendar or call our office at 413-774-1400.

To cancel or reschedule a visit, please call our office 413-774-1400.

Step 3: The Standardized Test

 
We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our current and future students across the globe. For some students, through no fault of their own, access to standardized testing for the 2020-2021 application season will be impossible. Therefore we have made some important updates and modifications to our application policies for this year.

For the 2020-2021 admission cycle Deerfield will allow students to apply without submitting standardized test scores. Students who do not submit test scores will not be penalized in the selection process as we will continue to evaluate each application using a holistic approach that considers students’ achievements and successes in relation to their individual opportunities and challenges. 

For those students able to access a standardized test we do recommend submitting scores and have created the following testing guidelines:

We will accept an SSAT, PSAT, or ISEE test taken after September 1, 2019.  



We will accept any SAT, ACT, PSAT, or SSAT that you have taken after September 1, 2019.  




For international students who have not been in an English speaking school for at least three years, we require a TOEFL or IELTS exam.    

Step 4: The Application

Our online application is provided by Gateway to Prep Schools and can be found online at gatewaytoprepschools.com. All application materials can be submitted directly via the Gateway site. Further information detailing the application process is available here.

The Candidate Profile is the first part of the Gateway application. Your Candidate Profile should be submitted well in advance of the January 15 application deadline with the appropriate application fee:

  • For students living in the United States or Canada, the fee is $60.
  • For students living outside the United States, the fee is $125.
  • School and Student Services has established their own Fee Waiver Guidelines. SSS will automatically grant a Waiver if you fall within their qualifying income guidelines.
  • If you do not qualify for a Waiver with SSS, but feel this is a hardship, please email Melissa Persons. We will not offer fee waivers after January 31, 2020.

Part II is comprised of three essay requirements. It is also part of the Gateway application, but this section of our application is unique to Deerfield. Applicants are required to submit:

  • Short Answer Essay
  • Personal Essay
  • Graded Essay

For your short answer and personal essay, choose questions that are most interesting to you from the prompts we’ve provided. We would like you to share your perspective, voice, and hopes for the future. Be straightforward or creative—we appreciate either approach! Your graded essay should include teacher comments and be a product of one of your current academic courses.

Teacher Recommendations: Deerfield requires a Math, English, and third Academic teacher recommendation. All teacher recommendation forms need to be completed by current teachers. You can find these forms through Gateway or via the links below:

Additional Letter of Recommendation (2020-2021): This year we will provide an optional recommendation form that you may send to a teacher of your choosing.  We realize that students learning online may feel that their teachers have not gotten to know them as well as previous teachers.  Please use the opportunity to submit a recommendation from a teacher, past or present, who you feel can speak to your best qualities as a learner and classroom participant. (Instructions for sending an additional letter of recommendation can be found in your Deerfield Admission Portal.)

Transcript Form: Your School Counselor, School Placement Director, or Head of School/Principal should fill out the transcript form. Current and previous transcripts requirements are as follows:

  • Ninth grade applicants: Please attach an official transcript that includes your current Fall Term grades as well as last year’s grades.
  • Tenth grade – PG applicants: Please submit your current Fall Term grades as well as all previous high school grades.

Principal/Counselor Recommendation: Deerfield requires a Principal/Counselor Recommendation in addition to the transcript form. Schools vary in structure, and in some schools, it is appropriate for both the Transcript and Principal/Counselor forms to be completed by the same person.

Deerfield accepts students for September enrollment only. All three parts of your Gateway application should be submitted on or before January 15, 2021. If you are not able to submit your application by January 15, we will make every effort to consider late applications, but we cannot guarantee a March 10 notification. If you do not meet the January 15 priority application deadline, please see the below FAQ for our late applicant guidelines.

We feel strongly that applying to Deerfield should be accessible to anyone capable of benefiting from our program.  Therefore, if you would like to apply, but are not able to meet the application requirements, please reach out to Chip Davis, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid.  




Step 5: Deerfield Admission Portal and Your Application Checklist

Once you have submitted your Application Part I: Candidate Profile through our application provider Gateway to Prep Schools, you will receive a link via email providing you with access to the Deerfield Admission Portal. You will have the opportunity to submit additional application materials and complete required items.

If you need portal account instructions and your authentication code resent please fill out the below form:

  • Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY

Admission Timeline

Now accepting applications for fall entry 2021!

 

September 21 – November 19 
Information Session and virtual Interview available for fall 2021 admission.

August-January 
Schedule and take your standardized test.

January 15:
Priority Application Deadline
Submit your completed application by this date.

January 15:
Financial Aid Application Deadline 
Submit Parent Financial Statement and all required supporting documentation to solutionsbysss.com by this date.

March 10
Notification of Deerfield’s admission and financial aid decisions.

April 10 
Candidate reply date.

Please note that Deerfield accepts students for September enrollment only. If you are starting the application process after January 15, please follow our late applicant guidelines found in the FAQs at the bottom of this page.

How to Submit Your Scores:

SSAT, ISEE or TOEFL: If taking one of these tests, results must be sent directly to Deerfield. Please provide the testing organization with Deerfield’s school code (see below), so your test results, including your writing sample, are sent directly to us.

PSAT, SAT Reasoning Test, PLAN, or ACT: If taking one of these tests, check to see if your test results are included as part of your school transcript. If they are not included on your transcript, please provide the testing organization with Deerfield’s school code (see below), email your score reports, or send them via postal mail.

  • PSAT, SAT, PLAN, ACT: 220685

Frequently Asked Questions

An interview is an important part of the application process. All candidates are required to interview by February 1. 

Deerfield offers a need-based financial aid program that includes full-need grants, which cover 98% or more of tuition costs and other fees, and middle-income grants, which vary in size. If you have specific questions regarding your financial aid application please contact the Financial Aid office.

For the 2020-2021 admission cycle Deerfield will allow students to apply without submitting standardized test scores. Students who do not submit test scores will not be penalized in the selection process as we will continue to evaluate each application using a holistic approach that considers students’ achievements and successes in relation to their individual opportunities and challenges. 

For those students able to access a standardized test we do recommend submitting scores and have created the following testing guidelines:

 
Ninth and Tenth Grade Applicants:
We will accept an SSAT, PSAT, or ISEE test taken after September 1, 2019  
 
Eleventh, Twelfth, and PG Applicants:
We will accept any SAT, ACT, PSAT, or SSAT that you have taken after September 1, 2019.  
 
International Students in a Non-English Speaking School: 
For international students who have not been in an English speaking school for at least three years, we require a TOEFL or IELTS exam.    

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

Deerfield accepts students for September enrollment only. Our priority application deadline for September 2021 enrollment is January 15, 2021.

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.

Candidates who do not receive a March 10 notification are considered late candidates, and their chances for admission are limited by the number of spaces available after April 10. Late candidates should file their applications as soon as possible and call the Admission office to make an appointment to visit campus after April 15 for a tour and interview. The Admission Committee meets periodically throughout the spring to make decisions on this group of candidates.

Contact Admission Office

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

Main School Building
Mon-Fri, 8:00am–4:30pm
Sat, 8:00am–12:00pm (Sept–Jan)

7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 65
Deerfield, MA 01342

 7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 87, Deerfield, MA 01342

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: Deerfield Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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