NCS Parents - "I wish I had known x" type advice.

[Anonymous]

That's wild pp. My DH is also very good looking but I didn't take him to NCS unfortunately. Yes, that woman at NCS was quite rude.

[Anonymous]

No one has actually said there is bullying at NCS just that the girls who were bullies and drama queens in lower school have been accepted by NCS. Who knows how they act when they get there.

[Anonymous]

There is bullying. Former NCS parent here.

[Anonymous]

This thread has turned incredibly toxic. I know, I know, it is an anonymous forum, but at the very least, I wish people could refrain from singling out students (ie, mean girl going there from xxx school in ninth in the fall) or staff (ie, long description of admissions officer). When there are a relatively small number in the universe you are talking about it becomes just the sort of meanness that all the people in this post are supposedly so horrified by. I work at another school in NW DC and have met all the women who work in admissions at NCS, and they are not deserving of being torn down unfairly. They are really very nice people. The woman referred to by several PPs hasn't been there in at least 6 or 7 years and it really isn't fair to keep referring to your experience with her so many years ago. The fact is that each parent and student needs to visit and see for themselves. No school is right for every child, and relying on stereotypes and anonymous accusations isn't a healthy way to go about looking for a school. Perpetuating the culture of meanness in the DC private school world by cutting others down helps no one.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the PPs who said that our grade's bully was going to NCS (I did not reveal our school, or the grades it covers).

I will jump in in defense of the current admissions head, who seemed nice and open and friendly and warm.

It is the responsibility of the administration at the school, not the admissions office, to help girls learn treat each other with kindness and respect. This was the part that made us nervous.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about NCS, but the posters on this thread sure seem mean as hell. Trashing the college destinations of children of a former NCS employee? For real?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has turned incredibly toxic. I know, I know, it is an anonymous forum, but at the very least, I wish people could refrain from singling out students (ie, mean girl going there from xxx school in ninth in the fall) or staff (ie, long description of admissions officer). When there are a relatively small number in the universe you are talking about it becomes just the sort of meanness that all the people in this post are supposedly so horrified by. I work at another school in NW DC and have met all the women who work in admissions at NCS, and they are not deserving of being torn down unfairly. They are really very nice people. The woman referred to by several PPs hasn't been there in at least 6 or 7 years and it really isn't fair to keep referring to your experience with her so many years ago. The fact is that each parent and student needs to visit and see for themselves. No school is right for every child, and relying on stereotypes and anonymous accusations isn't a healthy way to go about looking for a school. Perpetuating the culture of meanness in the DC private school world by cutting others down helps no one.

Why is it unfair to refer to experiences with the former admissions head? I haven't posted about her but I could. Look, there are 24 pages to this thread. NCS either has a problem or it doesn't. Many posters think it has a problem. Many posters have said they would not do it again. That is not mean, it is a fact. You are a private school administrator trying to silence the discussion. There are many wonderful things about private schools in DC. However, they are absurdly expensive and for many they require sacrifice. We hope that our sacrifice leads to a positive experience for our child and not a negative one. The cold, hard truth is that if one has a good public option and a high achieving child there is no good reason to send your child to a $40,000.00 a year school. It is a luxury item.

[Anonymous]

I'm a new poster with absolutely no connection to NCS.

PP, the first part of your post makes some sense. People can express their opinions, and sometimes those opinions are negative. I personally think it's a little bit silly to spend time bashing a school over rudeness of some AD who left several years ago, and even sillier for someone now to give that any weight in deciding where to send a child to school. but that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

Why is it unfair to refer to experiences with the former admissions head? I haven't posted about her but I could. Look, there are 24 pages to this thread. NCS either has a problem or it doesn't. Many posters think it has a problem. Many posters have said they would not do it again. That is not mean, it is a fact.

But for the second part, you're posting nothing but speculation and opinion. You've got no evidence the other PP is a school admin, so your unfounded accusation is toxic and obnoxious. And your "no good reason" claim is nothing more than your personal opinion -- clearly not shared by a lot of people -- so you should quit expressing it as uncontroverted fact.

You are a private school administrator trying to silence the discussion. There are many wonderful things about private schools in DC. However, they are absurdly expensive and for many they require sacrifice. We hope that our sacrifice leads to a positive experience for our child and not a negative one. The cold, hard truth is that if one has a good public option and a high achieving child there is no good reason to send your child to a $40,000.00 a year school. It is a luxury item.

I'm sure you're a reasonable person, and you probably just got a little wound up when posting, so you went a bit overboard with the second part. I hope this helps pull you back to your normal even-keeled self.

[Anonymous]

9:14 again. BTW, I recognize the other PP said she works at another school, but that's a far cry from school administration, and it certainly doesn't mean she's "trying to silence the discussion."

I also agree with her underlying point that publicly bashing some individual because of a long-ago perceived slight (and the school she worked for several years ago) is exactly the sort of mean behavior people here hate about private schools. So why perpetuate it?

[Anonymous]

I'm another person who criticized the former AD, but I had no idea she left because DC chose not to go there. So I assumed this was an ongoing problem the school could fix if they knew about it. I'm not a Holton parent, if that's what you're wondering. I certainly wasn't the poster who mentioned the AD's kids' college placement, nor did I mention the school or grade NCS took our class bully from. I don't think anybody associated a school with a bully, so that criticism is overblown.

In fact, I've posted several times to criticize the more trollish posts about NCS, which I still think is a great school in many respects.

I do truly think NCS has a problem in this one area of admissions. I posted our own experience, not hearsay or speculation. To reiterate, I assumed the AD issue was an ongoing problem the school could fix if they knew about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm another person who criticized the former AD, but I had no idea she left because DC chose not to go there. So I assumed this was an ongoing problem the school could fix if they knew about it. I'm not a Holton parent, if that's what you're wondering. I certainly wasn't the poster who mentioned the AD's kids' college placement, nor did I mention the school or grade NCS took our class bully from. I don't think anybody associated a school with a bully, so that criticism is overblown.

In fact, I've posted several times to criticize the more trollish posts about NCS, which I still think is a great school in many respects.

I do truly think NCS has a problem in this one area of admissions. I posted our own experience, not hearsay or speculation. To reiterate, I assumed the AD issue was an ongoing problem the school could fix if they knew about it.

Your post is very reasonable, but do you see how you did not have the current information because your daughter did not go there?

And for the poster who seems to be defending the attacks on the prior employee (which included swipes at her children), let me just say I find the lack of self-awareness there surprising, and leave it at that. Lastly, the post by the person who works in schools was spot on in every degree, I thought, and the fact that the poster identifies as working in a school doesn't make me assume her posts are worthless.

[Anonymous]

This thread has turned incredibly toxic. I know, I know, it is an anonymous forum, but at the very least, I wish people could refrain from singling out students (ie, mean girl going there from xxx school in ninth in the fall) or staff (ie, long description of admissions officer). When there are a relatively small number in the universe you are talking about it becomes just the sort of meanness that all the people in this post are supposedly so horrified by. I work at another school in NW DC and have met all the women who work in admissions at NCS, and they are not deserving of being torn down unfairly. They are really very nice people. The woman referred to by several PPs hasn't been there in at least 6 or 7 years and it really isn't fair to keep referring to your experience with her so many years ago. The fact is that each parent and student needs to visit and see for themselves. No school is right for every child, and relying on stereotypes and anonymous accusations isn't a healthy way to go about looking for a school. Perpetuating the culture of meanness in the DC private school world by cutting others down helps no one.

ITA with this poster.

FWIW- applied for different children twice in the past - both times received a follow-up evaluation from the school to rate admissions process. NCS appears to take the feedback seriously. Current AD is quite personable and professional. There is another school with a notoriously rude AD who has been there for many years. I find it curious that NCS is being thrashed about on the AD topic.

As for mean girls - they exist in every school (and every anonymous forum!). I keep waiting for this to become an issue for my DDs at NCS but it hasn't. I know they are there -I know who some of them are in each of my DDS class, but more importantly the teachers seem to know who they are. The mean girls haven't been able to secure a big envough following to beocme an issue. So far, the teachers have been able to create an environemtn where my girls have learned to navigate issues with their peers - an invaluable life lesson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This thread has turned incredibly toxic. I know, I know, it is an anonymous forum, but at the very least, I wish people could refrain from singling out students (ie, mean girl going there from xxx school in ninth in the fall) or staff (ie, long description of admissions officer). When there are a relatively small number in the universe you are talking about it becomes just the sort of meanness that all the people in this post are supposedly so horrified by. I work at another school in NW DC and have met all the women who work in admissions at NCS, and they are not deserving of being torn down unfairly. They are really very nice people. The woman referred to by several PPs hasn't been there in at least 6 or 7 years and it really isn't fair to keep referring to your experience with her so many years ago. The fact is that each parent and student needs to visit and see for themselves. No school is right for every child, and relying on stereotypes and anonymous accusations isn't a healthy way to go about looking for a school. Perpetuating the culture of meanness in the DC private school world by cutting others down helps no one.

ITA with this poster.

FWIW- applied for different children twice in the past - both times received a follow-up evaluation from the school to rate admissions process. NCS appears to take the feedback seriously. Current AD is quite personable and professional. There is another school with a notoriously rude AD who has been there for many years. I find it curious that NCS is being thrashed about on the AD topic.

As for mean girls - they exist in every school (and every anonymous forum!). I keep waiting for this to become an issue for my DDs at NCS but it hasn't. I know they are there -I know who some of them are in each of my DDS class, but more importantly the teachers seem to know who they are. The mean girls haven't been able to secure a big envough following to beocme an issue. So far, the teachers have been able to create an environemtn where my girls have learned to navigate issues with their peers - an invaluable life lesson.

The problem is 10th, 11th and 12th grade, with 11th possibly being the worst. They will tell you that its the most challenging year academically, which is fine and true everywhere. What they won't tell you is the corrosive effect this has on the girls. Whatever social fault lines existed before become bigger, girls become more stressed out and irresponsible behaviors increase. Everyone is unhappy. Its each girl for herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This thread has turned incredibly toxic. I know, I know, it is an anonymous forum, but at the very least, I wish people could refrain from singling out students (ie, mean girl going there from xxx school in ninth in the fall) or staff (ie, long description of admissions officer). When there are a relatively small number in the universe you are talking about it becomes just the sort of meanness that all the people in this post are supposedly so horrified by. I work at another school in NW DC and have met all the women who work in admissions at NCS, and they are not deserving of being torn down unfairly. They are really very nice people. The woman referred to by several PPs hasn't been there in at least 6 or 7 years and it really isn't fair to keep referring to your experience with her so many years ago. The fact is that each parent and student needs to visit and see for themselves. No school is right for every child, and relying on stereotypes and anonymous accusations isn't a healthy way to go about looking for a school. Perpetuating the culture of meanness in the DC private school world by cutting others down helps no one.

ITA with this poster.

FWIW- applied for different children twice in the past - both times received a follow-up evaluation from the school to rate admissions process. NCS appears to take the feedback seriously. Current AD is quite personable and professional. There is another school with a notoriously rude AD who has been there for many years. I find it curious that NCS is being thrashed about on the AD topic.

As for mean girls - they exist in every school (and every anonymous forum!). I keep waiting for this to become an issue for my DDs at NCS but it hasn't. I know they are there -I know who some of them are in each of my DDS class, but more importantly the teachers seem to know who they are. The mean girls haven't been able to secure a big envough following to beocme an issue. So far, the teachers have been able to create an environemtn where my girls have learned to navigate issues with their peers - an invaluable life lesson.

The problem is 10th, 11th and 12th grade, with 11th possibly being the worst. They will tell you that its the most challenging year academically, which is fine and true everywhere. What they won't tell you is the corrosive effect this has on the girls. Whatever social fault lines existed before become bigger, girls become more stressed out and irresponsible behaviors increase. Everyone is unhappy. Its each girl for herself.

I totally agree with you. My DD graduated within the last five years. Academically she excelled, the social/emotional environment during 2nd semester 10th grade through March of 12th grade...absolutely horrible. Yes, it was every girl for herself during this period. Sports and the emotional support of her best friend really helped her through. NCS during this period was the essence of an institution at its very worst. The bright light at the end of this hell hole couldn't have blinked quick enough. In hindsight, we should have applied out after sixth grade/middle school, latest. I'll admit, I was a stupid parent who was hoodwinked into to the prestige trap.

College adcoms truly could care a fig about NCS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
College adcoms truly could care a fig about NCS.

What does this mean?