Credit: Deerfield Academy

Instead of sending students a standard acceptance letter, Deerfield Academy created an interactive board game highlighting the many experiences of student life.  

The game, “101 Things to Do Before You Graduate: A Never Bored at Boarding School Game,” spotlights some defining moments and traditions that students admitted to the boarding and day school for grades 9-12 in Deerfield, Massachusetts, U.S., can do that are unique to the campus, such as a hike to the rock that sits on one end of the school, or a walk to the Deerfield River at the other end of campus for a morning “shriv at the Riv,” an early morning swim. 

The aim is to stand out among other schools that students may have applied to and share the traditions, experiences, and community that students can join if they choose Deerfield. 

“Hopefully they come, bring it with them, and they try to check some of the boxes off and really experience all that Deerfield has to offer,” said Brent Hale, Design and Art Director.

The game can be played using the 20-sided die to move in any direction on the board, landing on an action and seeing if the student can complete it. Hale also hopes that the game encourages kids to support each other and motivates them to branch out and try new things. 

The box comes adorned with illustrations of historic buildings on campus, and contains an acceptance letter, a felt banner, a pen, stickers, a folder with materials for parents, and a hat. The design was inspired in part by the boxes of breakfast cereal that Hale ate as a kid.

“You’d read the whole box and there would be all these Easter eggs everywhere. So that’s what I want[ed] to do with this, to keep it in their hands for the longest amount of time,” he said.

The list of “101 things” was adapted from one created by former students and added to over the years. A couple of things, such as skipping class or sleeping late, were not included on the board game.

“We’ll let them figure that out once they get here,” joked Hale.

The communications team of eight people, including two designers, created the board game, packaging, and other materials. Jojo Delgado, one of two in-house designers, created the line drawings and illustrations throughout the box and packaging, as well as the enamel pins that function as playing pieces. Other team members helped with logistics such as ordering hats and stickers.

For teams looking for creative ways to entice accepted students, Hale advises them to “be authentic and make sure you let them know the personality of your school and [its] spirit.”

The game received a gold Circle of Excellence Award in 2025, with judges noting that it was a “brilliant marketing strategy that makes the decision to attend Deerfield a memorable and exciting one—so much more engaging than the standard acceptance letter.”