Spence vs Nightingale Bamford

[Anonymous]

I went to NBS then transferred to Trinity for HS. I wish I had stayed at NBS b/c of the big fish in little pond scenario.
When I left, i was thrilled to leave NBS as I found it very stifling but then I found Trinity to be insanely cutthroat and miserable.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone done the opposite - transferred to a smaller pond while doing well at the tougher, cutthroat place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi NBS parent
Can you speak more about rising to the top at a school like NBS versus B/S? It seems like it’s better to be the big fish in a small pond to get to the next step…

I worry more about the social aspect, if the school isn't about academics rather wealthy families networking. It might be easier academically, but socially awkward fit.

[Anonymous]

NBS parent again — the social climbing aspect is much more evident in lower school, when every wealthy parent wants kids in private and many other upper middle class people will send to local public. By upper school, you have many public school families moving kids into private (with college in mind) plus the most obnoxious wealthy families (in my opinion) leave for boarding schools or HM/Trinity etc. Plus Step for Step kids, more scholarship kids come in. Yes it’s still mostly wealthy families, but a lot more balanced.

[Anonymous]

I think you mean Prep for Prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you mean Prep for Prep.

Thank you, yes. I meant to come back on here to correct.

[Anonymous]

Jumping in on this thread to ask NBS or Convent of the Sacred Heart? The two always seemed to be ranked together?

[Anonymous]

I think Nightingale and SH are pretty comparable - bit if a coin toss depending on whether you’re interested in the religious component or not. SH is definitely more conservative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Nightingale and SH are pretty comparable - bit if a coin toss depending on whether you’re interested in the religious component or not. SH is definitely more conservative.

This. Very comparable academics. SH maybe slightlyyy higher, but not by much at all. They are both on the more conservative side when it comes to single-sex schools - for example, knee socks for NBS girls and the infamous morning curtsey for SH girls but of course, not as much as back in the day.

[Anonymous]

Agreed but would actually put Nightingale slightly higher academically based on exmissions - but that just goes to show what a coin toss it is, overall their academics are the same but one is religious and one is not. Sacred Heart may have recently moved more to the right in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone compare Brearley and Chapin? Wondering about non-academics and the personalities of the schools as well. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Sacred Heart doesn’t do morning curtsies but a handshake which a lot of private schools have in their routines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone compare Brearley and Chapin? Wondering about non-academics and the personalities of the schools as well. Thanks.

Don't have a kid at either. Brearley has a reputation for being the most rigorous, but have heard Chapin has been upping its stem program with engineering, robotics.

[Anonymous]

By way of comparison, I think mottos say it all:

Spence - Not for school, but for life we learn.

Nightingale - Strength is meaningless if not matched in kindness.

Chapin - Bravely and Rightly

Brearley - By Truth and Toil

[Anonymous]

So kids at Chapin develop more courage and Brearley kids do more work?