Current 8th graders at NCS, applying out for 9th?

[Anonymous]

Well that is how they operate... like it or not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is a recent alum and said 18 girls were not asked to return.

That is garbage. My DD is in the class and only 8-10 girls are actually leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is a recent alum and said 18 girls were not asked to return.

That is garbage. My DD is in the class and only 8-10 girls are actually leaving.

PP did not specify a grade or division.

[Anonymous]

June 1st approaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The parents of the current 8th grade class have been talking about this fairly openly and several have told me about it. The number "28" has been bandied about but no one knows for certain how many girls went through with submitting apllications to other schools in the end. Many girls were ceratinly talkign about applying out. The girls (according to their parents) want to leave for a variety of reasons, including: atmosphere too intense both intellectually and socially; girls want less rigorous academics for high school; girls want a change of social scene because have been there since Beauvoir; unhappy as that class has some unkind socal dynamics; boarding school has always been the plan. The interesting part IMO is that many of the girls who are considered "popular" by their peers or "more social/into appreances/into boys" are many of the grils looking for a change.

Several are applying to boarding schools and that in and of itself is not unusual but the numbers applying to bs this year are higher than normal.

I do know a surprising large group (8 or so) wants to tranfer to Visi. They see it as slightly less intense/rigorous and yet still great school. That is a really unusual move.

The rumors flying around are fairly accurate in this case and I think its because its the girls who want to leave, and those girls' parents, who started most of the talk.

Something too to consider is herd mentality. Hearing about the large group wanting to transfer makes me consider that perhaps reasons for such a large group applying out isn't because of NCS but for personal reasons reaffirmed by other peers.

[Anonymous]

Of the 28 who looked elsewhere/applied out, 15 girls are leaving from the current 8th grade class. NCS managed to keep almost half of those who looked around. Thats really good. 15 leaving though is much greater than the number that typically leaves which is closer to 5.

[Anonymous]

Do you get a general sense that this is due to the perceived liberal leaning or too Trump leaning? Or due to their unpleasant social experience, or due to a too rigorous academic curriculum or demand? ... ...

[Anonymous]

NCS didn't "manage" to keep them they simply didn't get into the schools to which they applied. Given the problems they're having this year if NCS doesn't start paying attention to some fundamental problems this could become a bigger issue. If you think the girls that are staying are suddenly happy you're sadly mistaken.

[Anonymous]

DD in college now but I doubt NCS has changed much given the same leadership is there. The problem is not rigor, in my daughter's day it was often the top students who were most unhappy. The problem is that the head of the school is largely absent from the life of the school and the school places no real priority on the emotional life of the girls. There's a vacuum that is filled with competitive toxicity. There is bullying and no one seems to care. I will say that the teachers at NCS are a real treasure -- caring, dedicated.

Don't kid yourself, if 15 girls are leaving thats a massive number. Usually its around 5.

[Anonymous]

22:50 again -- it is laughable to say the problem is liberalism. Girls are transferring out to schools with more liberal reputations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:50 again -- it is laughable to say the problem is liberalism. Girls are transferring out to schools with more liberal reputations.

It would be difficult to be more liberal than NCS, despite reputations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NCS didn't "manage" to keep them they simply didn't get into the schools to which they applied. Given the problems they're having this year if NCS doesn't start paying attention to some fundamental problems this could become a bigger issue. If you think the girls that are staying are suddenly happy you're sadly mistaken.

For every girl that is staying because she didn't get in somewhere else, there is a girl that looked around, got in and decided to stay. There were a lot of different individual decisions and reasons for looking, leaving and staying. As with many issues discussed on DCUM, blanket statements are rarely accurate or helpful.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what the issue was in the 8th grade class, but most of the girls in the upper school, DD included, are very happy there. As far as liberalism goes, NCS is more liberal than some, less liberal than others. But diverse enough that you can find people who think like you do, if that is what you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:50 again -- it is laughable to say the problem is liberalism. Girls are transferring out to schools with more liberal reputations.

It would be difficult to be more liberal than NCS, despite reputations.

ABSURD! I have had children at NCS and other private schools and NCS is BY FAR the most conservative. Catholic schools are probably more conservative but thats about it.

[Anonymous]

Definitely. Maret and GDS by far are more liberal. Maret's AD loves to tell visitors to their face that his son has four dads. GDS has special events and tours for LGBTQ parents. Among the big-5, NCS/STA probably is the only one that has a uniform requirement. Maret, GDS and Sidwell all have unisex restrooms. I have nothing against these and have applied to all these schools. NCS is probably the most conservative among the big-5.