Inside the Prep for Prep Visit to Deerfield

On October 16, the Academy welcomed a group of Prep 9 students and their families to campus for a half-day of class visits, campus tours, and conversation. The few dozen seventh graders were recognized and welcomed at sit-down lunch. While this visit happens routinely, Deerfield’s partnership with Prep 9 represents more than three decades of widening access to independent school education.

Prep 9, founded in 1978 as an outgrowth of Columbia University’s Teachers College, is part of the larger Prep for Prep network, which, according to Prep 9’s website, identifies “high-achieving, motivated students from New York City…[to] prepare [them] for success at top independent boarding schools in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.” Their program “equips students to develop as leaders, pursue their passions, and make a lasting impact in school and beyond.”

According to Deerfield’s Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Chip Davis, the Academy has been connected with Prep 9 for roughly 35 years. He also mentioned that the program began as an academic enrichment program, saying, “I don’t think that it was founded with a boarding idea in mind.” Now, however, Prep 9 has evolved into a program that includes students who are interested in boarding schools like Deerfield.

The program mainly aims to provide access and exposure to under-resourced students. Mr. Davis emphasized that “not all the kids that were here will end up applying here,” explaining that prospective students often come from “modest income backgrounds and would not have the knowledge of schools like Deerfield” without the opportunities that Prep 9 provides.

Deerfield hosted visiting students and their parents for a half-day of activities. Mr. Davis described a typical visit: “We’ve given them and the parents access to one class…they went to sit-down lunch, and then the parents were hosted by members of the admission office.”

The day also included a student panel. “We had a little panel of current DA students, some of whom were Prep 9 kids, and they were just sharing about their Deerfield experience and answering questions,” Mr. Davis said. This part of the visit allowed Prep 9 students to hear firsthand how attending a school like Deerfield can impact students from backgrounds similar to their own.

Reagan Deery ’28 hosted five Prep 9 students and echoed Mr.Davis’ sentiment: “It was really great getting to know the kids. I think the program is very helpful in the sense that it helps kids get the opportunity to do something they wouldn’t normally be able to do: being able to see the school and get the opportunity to see what life at boarding school is like. They got to come eat lunch with us and just immerse themselves in the experience of Deerfield.” She added how she especially enjoyed her time with the students while touring the Athletic Center, noting that “when we went to the basketball gym…one of them was draining threes.” Not only does the connection between Prep 9 and Deerfield provide unique experiences for visiting students, but also encourages unlikely interactions that mutually benefit Deerfield and Prep students alike.

Deerfield is one of about a dozen schools that Prep 9 is connected with, and Mr. Davis stressed the role Prep 9 plays in providing a structured, intentional path for students to explore selective boarding schools. “Their founding principle was academic enrichment, kind of giving kids a little more access to quality education. It’s not about boarding schools, just more about giving them a better path,” he said.

The relationship between Deerfield and Prep 9 reflects the Academy’s broader commitment to expanding academic opportunity. “We see some…kids who are boarding-school-interested,” Mr. Davis noted. By offering visits, class experiences, and exposure to current Deerfield students of similar backgrounds, the Academy provides insight into campus life and academic expectations, helping students make informed choices about their educational futures.

Prep 9’s connection to Deerfield has endured for decades because of its alignment with both the Academy and the program’s missions: offering academically promising students access to top-tier education while enriching Deerfield’s student body with diverse experiences. As Mr. Davis concluded, “it’s all about providing access.”