young women on horses in a corral

Preparing students for college

Do you have the desire to ride at the collegiate level? Deerfield Farm has a proven progression built around the team concept for riders who want to try to attain a scholarship or compete in Equestrian events on a college level.

We have established relationships with many collegiate coaches. Our riders are prepared when they enter the college level and coaches recognize us as a world class Equestrian program.

College Scholarships

We can be beneficial while negotiating terms as scholarships are decided on a case by case basis with some offering tuition, books, reduced rates, etc. and the biggest advantage often comes in fringe benefits.

Every school has an Academic Resource Center, which is usually a state-of-the-art building only available to student athletes that has tutoring in all subjects. Other perks can include a special cafeteria with cooked to order meals and preferential treatment for class selection, rooming and schedules.

Deerfield students awarded scholarships

Many Deerfield students have been awarded athletic scholarships from prestigious universities. Haley Pembroke signed with Auburn University to ride on their NCAA Equestrian Team. Julia Kelly is riding at Fresno State University in California and Malena Palmer signed to ride with UC Davis starting in the fall of 2019.

Advice for high school freshman and sophomores

  • Consult the Varsity Equestrian website to learn general information about Varsity Equestrian and colleges that offer NCAA-sanctioned teams.
  • Attend a Varsity Equestrian competition to get a better idea of what it’s all about.
  • Download or order a copy of the NCAA “Guide for the College-bound student-athlete.”
  • Let your trainer know of your interest
  • Keep up your grades and take the PSAT as its good practice for the SAT and ACT.
  • Keep riding, learning and showing as much as you can.

Advice for high school juniors and seniors

  • Make sure you’ve followed the advice above
  • Very important-register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center
  • Explore colleges and narrow down your choices to which you would like to apply
  • Go to the individual websites of your colleges of interest to fill out their online Equestrian Athlete Questionnaire (very important step).
  • Start taking the SAT and ACT in the fall of your Junior year (allows for time to retake it if necessary)
  • Create a 1-page riding resume that includes highlights from your horse-show experiences
  • Create a 1-page non-riding resume outlining academic achievements, awards and extra-curricular activities.
  • Review the NCAA Rulebook so you know the bylaws and terms.

List of NCAA Schools

Division 1 Schools

  • Auburn University-Auburn, AL
  • Baylor University-Waco,TX
  • Brown University-Providence, RI
  • California State University, Fresno-Fresno, CA
  • College of Charleston, Charleston, SC
  • Cornell University- Ithaca, NY
  • Delaware State University- Dover, DE
  • University Of Georgia - Athens, GA
  • Kansas State University-Manhattan, KS
  • New Mexico State University-Las Cruces, NM
  • Oklahoma State University - Stillwater, OK
  • Sacred Heart University- Fairfield, CT
  • University Of South Carolina -Columbia, SC
  • South Dakota State University – Brookings, SD
  • Southern Methodist University - Dallas, TX
  • Texas Christian University - Fort Worth, TX
  • University of Tennessee, Martin - Martin, TN
  • Texas A&M University - College Station, TX

Division 2 Schools

  • University Of Minnesota - Crookston, MN
  • Pace University - Pleasantville, NY
  • Seton Hill - Greensburg, PA
  • Stonehill College - Easton, MA
  • West Texas A&M University - Canyon, TX