Hi @afzfsf, I’m at Deerfield so I can help answer a few of those questions.
Deerfield’s average GPA is an 89, with most students falling in around the 90-91s. For me, academics have not been too much of an issue, but it does require hard work to maintain good grades, as with any school.
I don’t think Deerfield has a jock culture to where our social lives primarily revolve around athletics. I used to go to a large public high school in Texas where football and sports was such a big deal, so I was also concerned about this aspect in boarding schools. At Deerfield there are so many other things to do/watch besides sports and the community responds to that. For example, our cheerleaders don’t just go to support sports games, they come to every theatre, dance, and music production as a group. So, as a musician who hasn’t participated in sports, I really love the support the community provides.
I agree that Deerfield is more isolated, but I don’t think it’s made it the least bit boring. We have so many weekend activities off campus where the school provides free transportation. There are trips to Greenfield every Friday and also trips to Hadley and Northampton, all places where you can eat out with your friends. There are also trips to the ski resort, movies, corn mazes, dances, mall, and many other places. Furthermore, students have advisors who are basically your surrogate parent, and many advisors often take their advisees out during the school week.
In the end though, I really think you should go visit both schools. Both are fantastic places and it really just depends which one you feel more comfortable in. I personally love how close-knit the community is at Deerfield, not only between the students but the faculty as well. I think the relatively smaller student body and idea of sit-down lunches/dinners really help foster a strong community bond. And, the teachers and opportunities here are just phenomenal.
Anyways, feel free to message me too if you have questions!