Most students purchase the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 256GB storage from the Apple educational store, and are happy with its performance during their time at The Academy. Students who wish to have a larger or faster machine are welcome to purchase a more expensive model, but unless you have a specific need for a more expensive machine our only requirement is 256GB minimum of internal storage.
Apple does not announce its new products ahead of time, making it difficult to time purchases around new equipment. There are rumor sites that give estimates of new product announcements, but they are not always accurate. We generally recommend purchasing new equipment in July or early August to get the latest models but still have them arrive in time for the start of school.
International students who wish to order and ship the computer directly to our campus may have difficulty purchasing with a non-US credit card. In this case, contact us and we can help make the purchase on your behalf and pay for the computer through the student's debit account.
If a student already has an Apple laptop, they may use that machine at Suffield Academy. However, we ask that families budget for the machine's replacement if the laptop will be more than four years old during a student's time here. For example, if a student arrives with a 2-year-old laptop their freshman year, they should plan on replacing it during their junior year. We cannot guarantee support for machines older than four years or machines that are no longer covered by warranty, so planning for replacement prevents a sudden unexpected expense.
If you have a little extra money to spend, consider purchasing additional RAM for the laptop. Apple's current laptops cannot be upgraded after purchase, so extra RAM can help extend the life of a machine.