Admissions Moves Toward Need Blind Approach

Although Deerfield is not considered a need-blind school, the administration and admissions team were able to take a need-blind approach for the 2022-2023 academic year student recruitment. This approach was feasible specifically for this upcoming year after a meeting in January with the Board of Trustees that granted the Admissions Office the ability to expand their yearly financial aid budget. This allowed the team to admit students without considering socioeconomic circumstances as potential barriers during the selection process for the domestic pool.

Director of Financial Aid Melissa Persons said that there was no policy change, but rather simply more resources allocated by the Board of Trustees that allowed them to take this approach. Mrs. Persons shared, “It has been a priority of the board to increase financial aid. This year’s significant increase [in resources] allowed us to avoid making those difficult decisions and cuts during the selection process and instead allowed us to remain focused on seeking excellence.”

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Chip Davis shared more on the admissions process itself, revealing that out of 2,400 applicants in the initial stage, between 25-30% go to the committee round. The committee round features different types of committees based on grade, gender, academics, arts, athletics, legacies, siblings, and programs that send their recommendations of good students to the admissions team. As Mr. Davis elaborated on the process he said, “From there, we were able to vote on students without any awareness of financial need, so in the last stage of our process, we resembled a need-blind process, which had almost happened organically.”

In years past, the financial aid process had looked different. Mr. Davis explained “Usually there is a collision between the two, and unfortunately some candidates end up being put on the waitlist because of financial issues. This year, with the exception of being need-aware for international students, we were able to take the students we wanted most.” 

With regards to international students, Mr. Davis said, “We are aware of [international students’] financial needs. That means that while there is not necessarily a set amount, in our allocation of financial aid, we are at least aware of how much of that aid is going to international students.”

In the 2021-2022 school year, 37% of the school’s student body are recipients of financial aid, with the average grant size being $54,600 covering 83% of the total cost of tuition and other fees. 

On March 10, 292 students were admitted. Although there was no change in the financial aid policy of Deerfield, the Academy experienced a record number of applicants this past year. Additionally, the admittance rate dropped from previous years’ 16% to an even more selective 12%. Mr. Davis shared his thoughts on this matter and said, “I think it’s a good thing, in the big picture, of making Deerfield accessible to as many people as possible. In a way this year was sort of a pilot, so if we deem it to be a successful pilot, it may unlock opportunities for a bigger commitment to financial aid in the future.” 

Looking to the future, Mrs. Persons said, “The trustees have always committed to increasing the financial aid budget yearly, so funding will continue to increase. However, our applicant pool changes each year so it’s hard to predict what our funding needs will be and at what level we can support our future applicants.”

In the meantime, as the Admissions Office prepares for yet another busy admissions season, the Deerfield community can look forward to the arrival of new students in the coming fall.