Does anyone have any insight into this?
Deerfield made a very big deal about it being the first or first-in-a-long-time event of that type. Are the open houses the new trend in admissions as a way to get bodies onto campus? And on campus twice if you have to come back because they weren’t doing interviews that day? These events seem to be everywhere this year, more than usual–or is that just an illusion?–but they scream ‘7th grade!’ to me. (The trick would be how to get families unfamiliar with the boarding school experience to start thinking about visiting for open houses a year early, but that’s another discussion…)
I always feel badly for the new students when they have hoards of the great unwashed bumbling across their campus so early in the year. But if every school/more and more schools are doing them, there must be something to them that’s not my bailiwick.
I don’t know anything about Deerfield’s decision, but if I were the director of diversity and inclusion, open houses would be one of the first things I would suggest. It’s a much more inviting, unthreatening way to check out a school than having to schedule a tour and interview with little idea of what to expect.
Honestly, as a person who can check every box of the "traditional " BS family, I found the process rather intimidating. Being part of the great unwashed would have appealed to me.
Oh golly, however will those Deerfield students survive amidst the bumbling hoards of the great unwashed? This is indubitably beyond the pale! Consider my pearls clutched.
I went to multiple open houses this year, as I really wanted to get a feel for the schools, etc. It definitely helped me during the interviews, and are a great way to show interest as well. They also boosted my opinions of schools right out of the gate also, as seeing the headmasters was quite cool. Turns out John Palfrey is an awesome dude, as is Temba Maqubela (though he couldn’t make it, so we saw this cheesy video message)! I think it is a big deal because open houses are not at all easy to organize, and require the assembly of panels, getting the headmaster, admissions head, etc. to assemble speeches, and arranging refreshments.
Deerfield’s pretty high up the food chain, though. Are they addressing the a decrease in interest from certain segments of the population, or are these open houses an insidious plan to make parents drag themselves to and fro across the campus multiple times?
I agree that open houses could be a useful way to put some eyeballss on the campus, but how to target them to the 7th grade parents is a difficult question. So many people (parents) report being maxed out by the frustrations of a normal application cycle that adding an open house to the mix seems less than ideal. I don’t have the answer, but I do know that schools are always trying to get the most out of parent info sessions, alumni and parent receptions at various locations, along with encouraging as many on-campus interviews as possible.
Right now, the open house thing feels faddish.
And if anyone didn’t understand that hordes of great unwashed bumbling around an elite boarding school campus is about the most wonderful thing I can imagine, well, then, I’m sorry for you. We in the hoi polloi will rank you with our files and forever keep you out and never miss a thing.
Still annoying for the kids, tho.
We’re a 7th grade family that chose to attend open houses this year. We’re probably not the traditional boarding school family and wanted to familiarize ourselves with what was out there. I liked that at open houses we got to attend student, faculty, and admission panels. I don’t believe you get to do that on a tour, so it was a better overview. When we attend tours next year, I will let the AO know that we came to the open house and saw x,y,z so we are really interested in seeing a,b,c while we are there. While visiting open houses wasn’t necessary, I don’t view it as a waste of time either.
You are looking far too much into this @gnarwhail and as I recall you mentioned this last month as well. New dean in admissions = new ideas. If its not your thing, don’t partake as its not at all required. I was there and I can assure you the younger students did not at all affect my 10th grade daughter’s ability to focus on her day.
I think open houses are a way to become more selective. It helps get the denominator up. Wider access creates more interest which generates more applicants for the same number of seats.
I get that new people bring in “new” ideas to make their mark. But traditional elitist institutions are not big on new things in general and embrace change with great consideration, so anything new or seemingly out of place should make you ask why. Sometimes the answer is simple and obvious, but not always.
Open House could mean More Selective, but it is hard for some sorts of families to navigate the process now and anything that adds another test might not be wonderful; more selective from the same traditional pool is not helpful. Deerfield may have other opinions. Would bet on it…
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
I’m not getting the purpose of this thread, but I’ll play along for the moment.
The answer to this original question is incredibly simple and obvious - contact them and ask.
Email admission@deerfield.edu
Tel. 413-774-1400
Fax 413-772-1129
Asking for guesses is fine (if, IMO, pointless) in the forum, but if it’s just going to go around in circles, I will just close it.
“But traditional elitist institutions are not big on new things in general and embrace change with great consideration”
Maybe they want to be less traditional and elitist. 
It would sure help them add some diversity of all kinds.
For those who don’t have a familial background or societal exposure to boarding schools, the standard personal tour/interview way of visiting a BS to kick the tires could be intimidating. An Open House comes across as more “open”. Even the dress code for the event was stated as casual compared to Deerfield’s more formal dress code of jacket/tie, etc.
Sounds like a good idea to try something new.
@doschicos I agree that new might be good. Adding a de facto new requirement to show demonstrated interest might also be a burden on some class of families. The open house concept might have real benefit if presented as a thing to do in 7th grade, but the burden would still fall on some of those non-traditional families if the admissions cycle is lengthened. I’m a huge advocate for the right kids, smart, hard-working, motivated, realistic, focused, at schools like Deerfield but I also want to see the franchise continue to be expanded so those right kids are not the same sort of kids over and over. I don’t have the answer to the question I asked, but I would like to encourage some people who might be unsure of the process in general to ask all the questions for themselves. When traditional institutions change things up–and make a very big deal about it–that’s a good time to ask why. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s something.
On the other hand, if anyone thinks they will get a straight answer on anything other than a tour appointment by calling an elite boarding school’s admissions office, well, opinions differ. And that’s what makes this forum so useful and makes the world such a wonderful place.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Perhaps you will get a straight answer, perhaps not. But it’s the “official” voice, and, IMO, more productive than assuming there is a conspiracy afloat. But as we are still going in circles, I guess the OP thinks we’re done here, so closing thread.