Why is NCS' website so blah?

[Anonymous]

They have a strong market so there's no need for a flashy website and money is diverted elsewhere. I think that's myopic and not a good plan for the future

[Anonymous]

Reverse snobbery by the elites. I know, I do it all the time.

[Anonymous]

Schools need to be very careful about balancing website content with privacy. Probably even more important for an all-girls' school. And tastes vary -- super flashy school websites make me wonder if it's just all about the marketing. Finally, as a general matter I've seen that boarding schools put far more resources and "flash" into their websites than day school, and that makes sense given the different admissions models. Most families who apply to a day school probably get much more of their information from current families or a current school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have a strong market so there's no need for a flashy website and money is diverted elsewhere. I think that's myopic and not a good plan for the future

Meh. They have very active FB, Twitter, Instagram accounts (which are more current than a website) where you can find tons of information about what's going on around NCS. Maybe they think parents are more tech savvy than just simply going to one place (their web site) to get all their information.

BTW, if my DD got an acceptance package with glitter coming out of it I would think twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it representative of life at the school? I know that academically NCS is one of the best around, so this is not about whether the girls get a great education. My question is does it foster a love of learning? When browsing the website it felt serious and a bit uptight. I'll be looking for an all girls MS/HS for my daughter in the next year and I want a place that is academically rigorous but I also want it to be an enjoyable experience. Past and current parents or current student and alumni if you had to describe the school in less than five words what would you say?

I think the website is pretty good. It's purpose is to be informative, not clickbait. In any event, I wouldn't use a school's website as a gauge on whether the school is an enjoyable experience.

Less than five words? Academic, supportive, sporty, demanding

[Anonymous]

You know what they say Ducks: The best package contains the
worst present. Suck it up and move on.

[Anonymous]

mean girl reputation is real

[Anonymous]

The website could be wrapped in brown paper and tied with string for all I care. My DD benefitted tremendously from her experience at NCS and if you want to pass it by then feel free to do so. NCS isn't going to convince you to pay college tuition rates by dazzling you with eye candy. You are either driven or you deserve to be sidelined. Get in line or get out of the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The website could be wrapped in brown paper and tied with string for all I care. My DD benefitted tremendously from her experience at NCS and if you want to pass it by then feel free to do so. NCS isn't going to convince you to pay college tuition rates by dazzling you with eye candy. You are either driven or you deserve to be sidelined. Get in line or get out of the way.

Why such a nasty and snarky response? I was simply asking a question and not particularly looking to be berated in such a ridiculous way. I compared NCS' website Holton, Madeira, Stone Ridge, Visi, etc and it stood out as less than exciting. Excuse me for noticing the obvious, and asking if it was representative of the schools culture. Your response makes me believe the prior response was dead on -- completely mean girl!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The website could be wrapped in brown paper and tied with string for all I care. My DD benefitted tremendously from her experience at NCS and if you want to pass it by then feel free to do so. NCS isn't going to convince you to pay college tuition rates by dazzling you with eye candy. You are either driven or you deserve to be sidelined. Get in line or get out of the way.

Why such a nasty and snarky response? I was simply asking a question and not particularly looking to be berated in such a ridiculous way. I compared NCS' website Holton, Madeira, Stone Ridge, Visi, etc and it stood out as less than exciting. Excuse me for noticing the obvious, and asking if it was representative of the schools culture. Your response makes me believe the prior response was dead on -- completely mean girl!

You are correct all of those schools you mentioned their websites stand out and are more attractive than NCS. By the way Holton just spent a large amount of time in changing their website and adding the catchy video last fall. However, our visit to NCS vs Holton was far more impressive. My DD will attend NCS this fall.

[Anonymous]

I'm not an NCS parent but I like the site. We are at a k-8 and we have a new, flashy site that's nothing more than a marketing and admissions tool. It looks desperate in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Can this school, that sends 1/4-1/3 of every graduating class to ivy league + MIT/Stanford every year, do nothing right. Its too mean, its too rigorous, the website is too blah. People love hating this school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The website could be wrapped in brown paper and tied with string for all I care. My DD benefitted tremendously from her experience at NCS and if you want to pass it by then feel free to do so. NCS isn't going to convince you to pay college tuition rates by dazzling you with eye candy. You are either driven or you deserve to be sidelined. Get in line or get out of the way.

Why such a nasty and snarky response? I was simply asking a question and not particularly looking to be berated in such a ridiculous way. I compared NCS' website Holton, Madeira, Stone Ridge, Visi, etc and it stood out as less than exciting. Excuse me for noticing the obvious, and asking if it was representative of the schools culture. Your response makes me believe the prior response was dead on -- completely mean girl!

You are correct all of those schools you mentioned their websites stand out and are more attractive than NCS. By the way Holton just spent a large amount of time in changing their website and adding the catchy video last fall. However, our visit to NCS vs Holton was far more impressive. My DD will attend NCS this fall.

Thanks, and that's great to know! Of course I will visit schools and tour before making any decisions, but I thought this was a good place to get a little perspective on what to expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can this school, that sends 1/4-1/3 of every graduating class to ivy league + MIT/Stanford every year, do nothing right. Its too mean, its too rigorous, the website is too blah. People love hating this school.

I don't hate the school at all. I'm actually considering it for both of my daughters. However, as it was the second to last website I looked at it stood as as a bit "all business" and it was just a question. As I said, I know the academics are outstanding and the success of the graduates speak for itself. However, in this increasing crazy competitive culture I also want to be sure my daughter's enjoy school. As I have no first hand knowledge of what life is like there, I was asking for real experiences from those who attended.

[Anonymous]

If you want to hear about real experiences from those who attended, find real people, not anonymous ones who can say anything they want and not get called on it. Ask neighbors, friends, friends of friends. Or if that fails, ask the school to put you in touch with some current families. Talking to real people will give you the best idea of what to expect, especially if you talk to more than a few families, as each person's experience will be different.