Deerfield Academy - Review #6

Deerfield is unique in its size, since most boarding schools are either small (300-400 students) or large (800+ students), but Deerfield has an enrollment of about 630-640 students. This unique size allows Deerfield to focus on being performant in sports as well as having a strong arts program while allowing the student body to come together as a community. Most small schools have a strong sense of community but the student body is too small to be diverse in its interests. Large schools are the opposite: the student body's interests are diverse, but it is impossible for the students to know all of their peers.

I did have a few moments that I will never forget, especially athletic moments, but I would say the best thing that happened to me by going to boarding school was the independence I gained from leaving home so early. It allowed me to discover the world on my own early and discover myself at a younger age that I would have otherwise.

I have no regrets. Live the adventure fully and remember that it's all about learning from experiences, so get out there and live as many different experiences as you can.

The people are what I liked most at Deerfield, although I didn't realize that while I was there.

Enjoy every single day you spend at Deerfield. You will face hardship there. You will get a terrible grade on a test and have a terrible day. Don't let yourself get affected by that, just enjoy the present moment and trust the process. You are there for a reason, and everything will work itself out.

The academics are challenging and offer a lot of freedom for the students to pursue the subjects they are interested in while maintaining the right amount of core requirements that the students have to meet in order for them to graduate. The quality of the professors vary. Some professors are excellent and have been members of the community for a very long time. The students respect them and look up to them as mentors. Some faculty struggle to adapt to the community and the needs of the students, but I found that these professors would not last very long at an institution with high standards like Deerfield.

The quality of athletics program at Deerfield varies from sport to sport. I would rate the quality of sports at Deerfield as high, and the school has been taking big steps to make their sports team better and provide better facilities for the athletes. The new athletic facility (finished in 2018) is nothing short of spectacular.

I did not participate in any form of art at Deerfield, but I attended performances all the time and some of the students during my time there were very impressive artists. I would say the arts program at Deerfield was viewed as very strong.

I liked that no matter what you wanted to do at Deerfield, there was a club that you could get involved in and pursue your interest. The clubs were also well funded and the school provided a lot of support for extracurricular activities.

Dorm life is where I made most of my memorable memories and life-lasting friendships. Living with my friends at Deerfield was an unbelievable experience. I would rate the quality of the dorms and the dorm life as very high as well.

The dining hall and the food is simply second to none. The food at Deerfield was very good and particularly healthy. I wish my college's food was as good as Deerfield's. If you like food, go to Deerfield.

Deerfield's campus is a bit isolated and students don't really leave campus all that much.

The social life was a bit boring by the end of my time there, but I remember loving the dances and activities on the weekends as an underclassman.