NCS - Pros and Cons

[Anonymous]

We know NCS has a reputation for being rigorous and competitive, but for those with daughters in the school, how would you describe the student experience? Is there really a ton of homework? What’s the focus on the whole child like? Are the girls generally happy and have positive emotional health? Feedback for all levels welcome.

[Anonymous]

Oh boy OP, you’re likely opening a can of worms. Have you searched for other NCS threads on this forum? Good luck, but I’m getting out the popcorn.

[Anonymous]

If the top priorities for your daughter is not very much homework and a happy and emotionally healthy environment, you should probably look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

The girls are happy. The teachers are wonderful. Your daughter will become more confident than you thought possible. Smarter than she ever believed she was.

[Anonymous]

My DD is in 4th grade so not sure how it is later on. DD is super happy. She has about 30 min to 1 hour of homework most days during the week (not on weekend). I know work load increases in the middle school and high school years, but we were looking for a rigorous education and I am happy with DD having a couple of hours of homework every day. I had lots of homework growing up (not in the US) and I find it weird how people are so against homework here in the US.

[Anonymous]

OP, what year are you applying for? To have applied you must have determined NCS is a good fit for your daughter. The key to NCS is fit. It's hard and the girls know and embrace that fact and at some point let go of having a perfect GPA. So many opportunities and incredible teachers. I'm sure the admissions office would be happy to put you in contact with current parents so you can get a better feel for the day to day at the school.

[Anonymous]

I think the difficulty is that, in HS, NCS is something of an environment of extremes. It’s a huge pressure cooker. Girls work their absolute hardest and may scrape by with a B+ in English simply because the teacher doesn’t like to give out A’s. It’s a grind. And some girls thrive under pressure and competition and are happy and confident, and others are worn down and doubt themselves. Plenty of anxiety and depression and therapy.

If it’s a good fit for your daughter then it’s a great school and an amazing education. If it’s a bad fit it could be truly harmful.

The LS and MS are not the level of pressure that the US is, so if your daughter is younger and it seems like a good fit, try it out but be open to changing for HS if needed. If you’re already looking at HS, just really think about how well your child does under pressure cooker demands.

[Anonymous]

Particularly since the 90s, NCS admins have tried to do what they can to improve the culture and help girls to be less stressed. They’ve had brown bag lunches for parents, recommended readings, assemblies for the girls, presentations for families, etc. Yet, it is still a place with relatively high levels of stress and behavioral health challenges. At the end of the day, many (most?) families choose the school *because* it is competitive. The focus on admission to elite undergraduate institutions and anxiety around college admissions seems to drive the school culture. Even if your family is chill and focuses more on the “whole child,” your daughter will be in class with at least one person who loses her mind any time she receives a B on a test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the difficulty is that, in HS, NCS is something of an environment of extremes. It’s a huge pressure cooker. Girls work their absolute hardest and may scrape by with a B+ in English simply because the teacher doesn’t like to give out A’s. It’s a grind. And some girls thrive under pressure and competition and are happy and confident, and others are worn down and doubt themselves. Plenty of anxiety and depression and therapy.

If it’s a good fit for your daughter then it’s a great school and an amazing education. If it’s a bad fit it could be truly harmful.

The LS and MS are not the level of pressure that the US is, so if your daughter is younger and it seems like a good fit, try it out but be open to changing for HS if needed. If you’re already looking at HS, just really think about how well your child does under pressure cooker demands.

You write this exact same thing on every NCS post verbatim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Particularly since the 90s, NCS admins have tried to do what they can to improve the culture and help girls to be less stressed. They’ve had brown bag lunches for parents, recommended readings, assemblies for the girls, presentations for families, etc. Yet, it is still a place with relatively high levels of stress and behavioral health challenges. At the end of the day, many (most?) families choose the school *because* it is competitive. The focus on admission to elite undergraduate institutions and anxiety around college admissions seems to drive the school culture. Even if your family is chill and focuses more on the “whole child,” your daughter will be in class with at least one person who loses her mind any time she receives a B on a test.

Do they have DEI commitments in their enrollment contracts? That seems to be the be-all, end-all for some.

[Anonymous]

We have a middle schooler at NCS. We are very happy there, it's a good fit for our family. DC has developed excellent study habits and has made a lot of friends. The biggest change I have noticed is executive function and focus - she plans out her study time, homework and other activities. On her own volition, she requests me to wake up 30 mins earlier in the morning so I can quiz her for a test.
The teachers are excellent and very attentive. You get an email right away if your kid slips in schoolwork. I would describe the atmosphere as demanding and supportive.
She is not a sporty kid, but at NCS she has taken up climbing, which is an excellent fit for her.

I say all this with the understanding that for some parents, what I described isn't what they are looking for. It is important to know what you want, what's right for your kid and align that with what the school offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the difficulty is that, in HS, NCS is something of an environment of extremes. It’s a huge pressure cooker. Girls work their absolute hardest and may scrape by with a B+ in English simply because the teacher doesn’t like to give out A’s. It’s a grind. And some girls thrive under pressure and competition and are happy and confident, and others are worn down and doubt themselves. Plenty of anxiety and depression and therapy.

If it’s a good fit for your daughter then it’s a great school and an amazing education. If it’s a bad fit it could be truly harmful.

The LS and MS are not the level of pressure that the US is, so if your daughter is younger and it seems like a good fit, try it out but be open to changing for HS if needed. If you’re already looking at HS, just really think about how well your child does under pressure cooker demands.

You write this exact same thing on every NCS post verbatim.

NP, but if people keep asking the same questions, they are going to get the same answers. I generally agree with the post above. I would say that beyond grades, at the HS level there is just a general focus on achievement that increases competition. I have had kids at other schools, and the girls seem to put more focus on winning accolades: becoming President of a Club, becoming Captain of a team, winning this award or that one, etc. I am not saying that’s bad, but like the poster above, I would say that some girls thrive and others get worn down. Our DD liked her experience there and it was good for her, but it was not easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the difficulty is that, in HS, NCS is something of an environment of extremes. It’s a huge pressure cooker. Girls work their absolute hardest and may scrape by with a B+ in English simply because the teacher doesn’t like to give out A’s. It’s a grind. And some girls thrive under pressure and competition and are happy and confident, and others are worn down and doubt themselves. Plenty of anxiety and depression and therapy.

If it’s a good fit for your daughter then it’s a great school and an amazing education. If it’s a bad fit it could be truly harmful.

The LS and MS are not the level of pressure that the US is, so if your daughter is younger and it seems like a good fit, try it out but be open to changing for HS if needed. If you’re already looking at HS, just really think about how well your child does under pressure cooker demands.

You write this exact same thing on every NCS post verbatim.

NP, but if people keep asking the same questions, they are going to get the same answers. I generally agree with the post above. I would say that beyond grades, at the HS level there is just a general focus on achievement that increases competition. I have had kids at other schools, and the girls seem to put more focus on winning accolades: becoming President of a Club, becoming Captain of a team, winning this award or that one, etc. I am not saying that’s bad, but like the poster above, I would say that some girls thrive and others get worn down. Our DD liked her experience there and it was good for her, but it was not easy.

The mayor complaint from recent grads and current seniors is that many of their policies seem to hurt the girls in the college process. I hate to say this because we love the school but it is the truth. They refuse to even consider making any changes - some are simple easy changes that could really have positive effects.

This is a very hot topic right now in the senior, junior, and even sophomore grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a middle schooler at NCS. We are very happy there, it's a good fit for our family. DC has developed excellent study habits and has made a lot of friends. The biggest change I have noticed is executive function and focus - she plans out her study time, homework and other activities. On her own volition, she requests me to wake up 30 mins earlier in the morning so I can quiz her for a test.
The teachers are excellent and very attentive. You get an email right away if your kid slips in schoolwork. I would describe the atmosphere as demanding and supportive.
She is not a sporty kid, but at NCS she has taken up climbing, which is an excellent fit for her.

I say all this with the understanding that for some parents, what I described isn't what they are looking for. It is important to know what you want, what's right for your kid and align that with what the school offers.

Middle school at NCS is warm and kind and gentle. The teachers are supportive if a girl needs help or is late with an assignment or anything.

High school is very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a middle schooler at NCS. We are very happy there, it's a good fit for our family. DC has developed excellent study habits and has made a lot of friends. The biggest change I have noticed is executive function and focus - she plans out her study time, homework and other activities. On her own volition, she requests me to wake up 30 mins earlier in the morning so I can quiz her for a test.
The teachers are excellent and very attentive. You get an email right away if your kid slips in schoolwork. I would describe the atmosphere as demanding and supportive.
She is not a sporty kid, but at NCS she has taken up climbing, which is an excellent fit for her.

I say all this with the understanding that for some parents, what I described isn't what they are looking for. It is important to know what you want, what's right for your kid and align that with what the school offers.

Middle school at NCS is warm and kind and gentle. The teachers are supportive if a girl needs help or is late with an assignment or anything.

High school is very different.

I am the pp that wrote about them needing to make changes for girls applying to college to put them in a better position but I disagree with this assessment. There are some really wonderful teachers in the high school that are supportive and warm.