NCS - Pros and Cons

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the key to NCS is being honest about what kind of child you have. In a larger school (public or private) you get a wide variety of kids and so everyone eventually finds their "group" (large or small). NCS is very small, 70-75 girls in each class in HS. If you are very quiet or a child who is perhaps not yet socially comfortable, then this could be a lonely place. If your child is more outgoing or at least socially inclined than it could be a great experience. It is the same with academics, don't try to put your child in a HIGHLY academic environment if they are not that way inclined. You may wish your child to be an academic superstar, but don't kid yourself if they are not. The workload is hard is there is no getting around the fact that the demands and workload are high.
I think this is why the opinions on NCS are so varied, many families including ours love the school and their daughters have thrived there, but it is not for everyone. On the plus side your daughter will be pushed to achieve a level of academic success that will likely surprise you, but they will have to work for it. If you child is a B/C student, then this process could be demoralizing and I don't think anyone would ideally want that for their child no matter what the "brand" of the school. Our daughters have made incredible friends that I think they are likely to keep forever, but there are other kids who may have felt socially isolated. So I think the key is to be honest with yourself about what kind of environment your child will thrive in. Even if your child is an academic rockstar, NCS may still not be the right place for them because there is mandatory sports for example (why the girls games never have many spectators in case your are wondering - the girls are all at their own sports). Plus the social side can be tough. If you are not included in a group for invited to parties etc it can be isolating as the school is small.
I would say that NCS is perfect for a girl who is at least academically minded and able to cope with homework every night, plus a girl who has at least able to make a small group of friends at previous schools. If your child has struggled academically or is struggling in the middle school at NCS and is a bit socially reserved or has historically been socially isolated, then I would not chose NCS.

I think this is the case at ALL schools. Quiet reserved kids do often struggle but your daughter is going to find a more diverse group of kids at NCS (diverse in all ways not just racially but in interests too) at NCS than at some other schools that are currently having major mean girl issues where there is no place for girls that do not fit a certain mold. NCS is quite diverse and has become even more diverse in the past 5 years and that allows for a lot of different types to find their people there. As said if your child struggled before she came then she may struggle there too but maybe not. Also I want to correct the above poster who I think may be a bit dated. Classes are not 70-75 and have not been in years if ever. Classes are somewhere between 80-90 students.

The senior class is 71 girls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the key to NCS is being honest about what kind of child you have. In a larger school (public or private) you get a wide variety of kids and so everyone eventually finds their "group" (large or small). NCS is very small, 70-75 girls in each class in HS. If you are very quiet or a child who is perhaps not yet socially comfortable, then this could be a lonely place. If your child is more outgoing or at least socially inclined than it could be a great experience. It is the same with academics, don't try to put your child in a HIGHLY academic environment if they are not that way inclined. You may wish your child to be an academic superstar, but don't kid yourself if they are not. The workload is hard is there is no getting around the fact that the demands and workload are high.
I think this is why the opinions on NCS are so varied, many families including ours love the school and their daughters have thrived there, but it is not for everyone. On the plus side your daughter will be pushed to achieve a level of academic success that will likely surprise you, but they will have to work for it. If you child is a B/C student, then this process could be demoralizing and I don't think anyone would ideally want that for their child no matter what the "brand" of the school. Our daughters have made incredible friends that I think they are likely to keep forever, but there are other kids who may have felt socially isolated. So I think the key is to be honest with yourself about what kind of environment your child will thrive in. Even if your child is an academic rockstar, NCS may still not be the right place for them because there is mandatory sports for example (why the girls games never have many spectators in case your are wondering - the girls are all at their own sports). Plus the social side can be tough. If you are not included in a group for invited to parties etc it can be isolating as the school is small.
I would say that NCS is perfect for a girl who is at least academically minded and able to cope with homework every night, plus a girl who has at least able to make a small group of friends at previous schools. If your child has struggled academically or is struggling in the middle school at NCS and is a bit socially reserved or has historically been socially isolated, then I would not chose NCS.

I think this is the case at ALL schools. Quiet reserved kids do often struggle but your daughter is going to find a more diverse group of kids at NCS (diverse in all ways not just racially but in interests too) at NCS than at some other schools that are currently having major mean girl issues where there is no place for girls that do not fit a certain mold. NCS is quite diverse and has become even more diverse in the past 5 years and that allows for a lot of different types to find their people there. As said if your child struggled before she came then she may struggle there too but maybe not. Also I want to correct the above poster who I think may be a bit dated. Classes are not 70-75 and have not been in years if ever. Classes are somewhere between 80-90 students.

I am the poster of the long (apologies) comments and I read this persons response, and yes I actually do agree that the girls who attend are quite diverse in many respects. Some super sporty, some musical, some have other quirky interests and many are very talented, so yes it is diverse in that way (and also racially if that matters to you), so perhaps the other poster is more correct and NCS could appeal to a broader range of girls. I stand by my comments about the grades though. Your daughter does not have to be an academic stand-out, but she does need to be somewhat capable to be able to achieve to a level that she is feeling good about herself. I would add that the parent community is also very diverse and families come to the school from all manner of different places and backgrounds. Again, we really like the school and think it is special, but I just think people should be realistic and try to set their daughters up to be happy and successful in the broadest definition.

[Anonymous]

Are we talking about the low grading in english/history/social sciences? It is hard to deal with. You need to be academically inclined to get the most out of NCS but at the same time make peace with the frustratingly low grading in some of these classes (which seems to vary by teacher) and of course it's the academic girls who care the most about their grades. I would never say this should be a barrier though, if you care more about the quality of the education and are willing to graduate with a lower GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is true. Teachers are excellent. Administration and College Counseling need some work.

It's not college counseling's fault that the girls can't get into competitive colleges!!
It's the school. if you are giving an average GPA of 3.5 that isn't going to fly in 2024.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is true. Teachers are excellent. Administration and College Counseling need some work.

It's not college counseling's fault that the girls can't get into competitive colleges!!
It's the school. if you are giving an average GPA of 3.5 that isn't going to fly in 2024.

College counseling is responsible for the advice and guidance they give; their level of knowledge; commmunication etc. Not blaming them for the gpa's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is true. Teachers are excellent. Administration and College Counseling need some work.

It's not college counseling's fault that the girls can't get into competitive colleges!!
It's the school. if you are giving an average GPA of 3.5 that isn't going to fly in 2024.

I agree. I did not write that! I like the admin and CC. I agree they need to change the GPA system. Other schools have changed theirs in recent years so it CAN be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is true. Teachers are excellent. Administration and College Counseling need some work.

It's not college counseling's fault that the girls can't get into competitive colleges!!
It's the school. if you are giving an average GPA of 3.5 that isn't going to fly in 2024.

I agree. I did not write that! I like the admin and CC. I agree they need to change the GPA system. Other schools have changed theirs in recent years so it CAN be done.

Look at the Field school thread - 10 percent of their kids went to Ivies last year and had 4.3-4.0 GPA's. Difficult to compete with that.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. We have been very happy with college counseling. They can't perform miracles. There are going to be a lot of girls attending colleges ranked above 50 this year but that isn't college counseling's fault. the college environment has changed markedly in the past 5 years and NCS has not adapted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. We have been very happy with college counseling. They can't perform miracles. There are going to be a lot of girls attending colleges ranked above 50 this year but that isn't college counseling's fault. the college environment has changed markedly in the past 5 years and NCS has not adapted.

Agree but one would think college counseling would be advocating for the change though instead of doubling down and defending it since they are at the forefront of what is happening and what they are seeing?

[Anonymous]

They (along with STA) recently changed the school year schedule to start a week earlier so they can have exams before winter break, not immediately after. So change is possible. What exactly would an overhaul of the grading be? Calculation of GPAs or what?

[Anonymous]

The debates about the harsh grading at NCS have been raging for years, but what I can tell you with certainty is that your daughter will thrive in college. Most NCS girls will say that high school was harder academically than college (at least in the first year), so your daughter will really have a smooth academic adjustment to college. Many college kids are stressed from the academic work, but that is one area where your daughter with thrive. The management of her time, and her academics (at least in the first year) will be second nature. This is worth a lot in my opinion. Regardless of all other factors, the education at NCS is second to none. It is outstanding. Sometimes you/your daughter won't recognize that until your daughter has other people to compare herself to. Then she will really appreciate the education she has been given. That is a gift for life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. We have been very happy with college counseling. They can't perform miracles. There are going to be a lot of girls attending colleges ranked above 50 this year but that isn't college counseling's fault. the college environment has changed markedly in the past 5 years and NCS has not adapted.

Agree but one would think college counseling would be advocating for the change though instead of doubling down and defending it since they are at the forefront of what is happening and what they are seeing?

College counseling has no power. They are simply there to do a job.
The people who could change things are the HOS but she has doubled down in recent talks about NCS' identity as a rigorous school. The head of the upper school is worthless. Less than worthless really. She is disliked by everyone no one can actually figure out what she does since she is rarely seen in public by the girls or parents.

The whole "3.5 is the average GPA" thing worked 5 years ago and girls could get into colleges ranked 30 or so with that GPA. Not anymore. It's really rough out there.
Plus private school college counselors no longer have any ability to call colleges on behalf of kids. They did 5 years ago. Without this ability they are hoping that colleges will just pick NCS girls based on the schools' reputation.

Things are not going to change until NCS has a really, really bad college admissions year and people start withdrawing their kids or not accepting spots. Then maybe the HOS will listen and change course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. We have been very happy with college counseling. They can't perform miracles. There are going to be a lot of girls attending colleges ranked above 50 this year but that isn't college counseling's fault. the college environment has changed markedly in the past 5 years and NCS has not adapted.

Agree but one would think college counseling would be advocating for the change though instead of doubling down and defending it since they are at the forefront of what is happening and what they are seeing?

College counseling has no power. They are simply there to do a job.
The people who could change things are the HOS but she has doubled down in recent talks about NCS' identity as a rigorous school. The head of the upper school is worthless. Less than worthless really. She is disliked by everyone no one can actually figure out what she does since she is rarely seen in public by the girls or parents.

The whole "3.5 is the average GPA" thing worked 5 years ago and girls could get into colleges ranked 30 or so with that GPA. Not anymore. It's really rough out there.
Plus private school college counselors no longer have any ability to call colleges on behalf of kids. They did 5 years ago. Without this ability they are hoping that colleges will just pick NCS girls based on the schools' reputation.

Things are not going to change until NCS has a really, really bad college admissions year and people start withdrawing their kids or not accepting spots. Then maybe the HOS will listen and change course.

That is not true, the HOS is highly regarded by most parents and she is at ALL the events. I literally see her all the time. The college results for this year so far are outstanding so I think there is a lot of mis-representation here. I am very familiar with that class and the girls have excelled in their college placements so far. I think the post above is a little hysterical for no reason as far as I can tell.
For any parents looking to send their daughter to NCS, try to find a broad range of parents from the school. Some will be happy and some will not, the same as for any other school. NCS has a rigorous academic program, they do not shy away from that. It is well advertised and well known. It is probably the schools main characteristic. As others have said, go into the school with your eyes open. No one is trying to pretend otherwise. Don't send your daughter there if you think the academics will be a challenge, but do send them there if you think they are capable of rising to the challenge. My daughters came out a lot smarter than when they went in!! It was a great experience and continues to be, for our family at least, but as others have noted, it is all about the fit for your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed. We have been very happy with college counseling. They can't perform miracles. There are going to be a lot of girls attending colleges ranked above 50 this year but that isn't college counseling's fault. the college environment has changed markedly in the past 5 years and NCS has not adapted.

Agree but one would think college counseling would be advocating for the change though instead of doubling down and defending it since they are at the forefront of what is happening and what they are seeing?

College counseling has no power. They are simply there to do a job.
The people who could change things are the HOS but she has doubled down in recent talks about NCS' identity as a rigorous school. The head of the upper school is worthless. Less than worthless really. She is disliked by everyone no one can actually figure out what she does since she is rarely seen in public by the girls or parents.

The whole "3.5 is the average GPA" thing worked 5 years ago and girls could get into colleges ranked 30 or so with that GPA. Not anymore. It's really rough out there.
Plus private school college counselors no longer have any ability to call colleges on behalf of kids. They did 5 years ago. Without this ability they are hoping that colleges will just pick NCS girls based on the schools' reputation.

Things are not going to change until NCS has a really, really bad college admissions year and people start withdrawing their kids or not accepting spots. Then maybe the HOS will listen and change course.

That is not true, the HOS is highly regarded by most parents and she is at ALL the events. I literally see her all the time. The college results for this year so far are outstanding so I think there is a lot of mis-representation here. I am very familiar with that class and the girls have excelled in their college placements so far. I think the post above is a little hysterical for no reason as far as I can tell.
For any parents looking to send their daughter to NCS, try to find a broad range of parents from the school. Some will be happy and some will not, the same as for any other school. NCS has a rigorous academic program, they do not shy away from that. It is well advertised and well known. It is probably the schools main characteristic. As others have said, go into the school with your eyes open. No one is trying to pretend otherwise. Don't send your daughter there if you think the academics will be a challenge, but do send them there if you think they are capable of rising to the challenge. My daughters came out a lot smarter than when they went in!! It was a great experience and continues to be, for our family at least, but as others have noted, it is all about the fit for your child.

You misread. It's the Head of the Upper School who is MIA. (re-read the post you are responding to)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The debates about the harsh grading at NCS have been raging for years, but what I can tell you with certainty is that your daughter will thrive in college. Most NCS girls will say that high school was harder academically than college (at least in the first year), so your daughter will really have a smooth academic adjustment to college. Many college kids are stressed from the academic work, but that is one area where your daughter with thrive. The management of her time, and her academics (at least in the first year) will be second nature. This is worth a lot in my opinion. Regardless of all other factors, the education at NCS is second to none. It is outstanding. Sometimes you/your daughter won't recognize that until your daughter has other people to compare herself to. Then she will really appreciate the education she has been given. That is a gift for life.

well that is great. But are you really okay with your daughter going to a university ranked 75 or 100?
NCS is sending kids en masse to places like Syracuse and Drexel. These are SMART girls who worked really, really hard in high school.
They are great schools but you're telling me you're not going to be a tiny bit underwhelmed by this outcome?

+1 at a minimum NCS can adopt what STA does for GPA. They still have a reputation for rigor.