Deerfield Academy

Focus

Preparing students for leadership

Day fees 2024/25

$51,500

Boarding fees 2024/25

$71,800

Pupils

649

Ages

14–18

Spear’s Review

Chartered in 1797, Deerfield Academy’s core values include citizenship, face-to-face interactions, connectedness, reflection and balance, pursuit of mastery and shared experiences. The Massachusetts school offers a space for students to grow intellectually, with a curriculum that centres around high standards of scholarship and personal responsibility.

In addition to offering a wide range of rigorous academic subjects – many courses use university-level texts and match the pace of an undergraduate university – Deerfield emphasises the importance of arts, athletics and community service. Extracurriculars include an array of clubs and organisations, from the drone club to the investment club to the ethical eating club.

The school is well known for its college advisory programme, with graduates regularly earning a space at Ivy League colleges such as Brown, Columbia and Harvard.

Academics

Average SAT score is 1384. 

Average ACT score is 31. 

University and college destinations

According to the school, 100 per cent of Deerfield graduates attend four-year colleges and universities. Between 2020 and 2024 students went on to all eight Ivy League schools, including at least 30 each to Brown and Yale.

Head teacher

Dr John P.N. Austin was appointed Deerfield’s 56th head of school in 2019. Prior to this he was headmaster at King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan, and before that academic dean at St Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. A graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts, Austin holds Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy and doctoral degrees in English and comparative literature from Columbia University. He also has a master’s from the school of English at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Admissions

Deerfield accepts students for September enrolment only, with an application submission deadline of 15 January. After completing their candidate profile, applicants are required to attend an in-person or virtual interview; on-campus tours are also encouraged. Depending on the age of entry, applicants will then complete standardised exams. To finish their application, students will submit teacher recommendations, a series of essays and their academic record from previous schools.

Accessibility

Boston Logan International Airport: 2 hours / JFK Airport: 3 hours 

Location 

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