Why do people on DCUM think Beauvoir is the only school worthy of discussion on these posts?

[Anonymous]

I posted the very long reply earlier. Having read the replies.... I think this post belongs on the Pre-K thread because it is something families should take into consideration when applying to NCRC not to Beauvoir. Beauvoir's extra special relationship with NCRC should be taken into account when families apply to NCRC. It sounds like NCRC have an almost unofficial "feeder" status, which is great for a family who wants their child to go to Beauvoir because the NCRC's strong relationship can truly be a significant difference maker. However, I could see how schools like Sidwell might not accept a child from NCRC because of Beauvoir's cozy relationship with the NCRC. I would be interested to hear where else other than Beauvoir NCRC sends their top youngsters. Without a doubt families enrolling their children at NCRC should be aware of the relationship and not send their child there if they know they are positive they do not want to send their child to Beauvoir.

To the vast majority of applicants (i.e. non-siblings & non-NCRC students) it is extremely hard to get into Beauvoir. The NCRC kids who were admitted to Beauvoir but not to the families first choice fall under a special footnote. This is a unique situation that only pertains to kids at that school.

[Anonymous]

NP writing. My experience at NCRC has been that kids get into all the top schools. But as others have pointed out, Beauvoir simply has many many more open spots for PreK than the other top schools. New families need not worry at all about a NCRC/Beauvoir special connection that will keep them out of Sidwell or GDS or Maret. All these schools love NCRC children. Beauvoir can take many more of them since its quite a bit bigger.

[Anonymous]

Yes. No need to fan any flames here and suggest to families that they should reject NCRC and Little Folks just because one can fairly easily get into Beauvoir from there! Going to NCRC for preschool is a huge positive for any child for getting into any top school in the DC area. Period. It also means you can literally walk into many of the schools. Not just Beauvoir, but also Sheridan, Norwood, etc. But one never walks into a Sidwell and GDS and Maret at the young grades! But its still an very big bonus to come from NCRC or Little Folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. No need to fan any flames here and suggest to families that they should reject NCRC and Little Folks just because one can fairly easily get into Beauvoir from there! Going to NCRC for preschool is a huge positive for any child for getting into any top school in the DC area. Period. It also means you can literally walk into many of the schools. Not just Beauvoir, but also Sheridan, Norwood, etc. But one never walks into a Sidwell and GDS and Maret at the young grades! But its still an very big bonus to come from NCRC or Little Folks.

Many do get into Beauvoir but these kids had that something special that got them into NCRC to begin with. NCRC is very difficult to get into so in a way they have already made the cute and set the criteria rather high. Also, I know many families at NCRC that applied to Beauvoir as their first choice and did not get in so I wouldn't be so sure that it is a shoe in. For many elite types in DC in a certain crowd, Beauvoir is the only Big 3 school they will even look at so they are set on Beauvoir which will hopefully lead them to St. Albans and NCS. Part of the reason that so many from NCRC get into Beauvoir and go there is because for many families they sent their children to NCRC with hopes of someday getting into Beauvoir. That doesn't mean that they don't get into other schools as well. If Sidwell or Maret are your first choice then just be sure they know that when applying. Attending NCRC would never be a negative.

[Anonymous]

Nothing special about the NCRC kids. They're assessed when they are 2 or 3, when most of them can barely formulate coherent sentence! The parents typically are very well connected or represent a form of diversity that is attractive to the school. So yes the kids make the cut in that they have well-to-do connected parents or diverse parents (also usually well-to-do and connected).

[Anonymous]

Nothing special about the NCRC kids. They're assessed when they are 2 or 3, when most of them can barely formulate coherent sentence! The parents typically are very well connected or represent a form of diversity that is attractive to the school. So yes the kids make the cut in that they have well-to-do connected parents or diverse parents (also usually well-to-do and connected).

Thank you! (sung in a sing-song voice). np here. Anyone who has lived in the DC area for a bit knows this cold. However this board is scanned by newcomers and out-of-towners who may move here, so it's worth flagging this point. (a) Cleveland Park residents (b) rich and/or famous (poorish + WaPost byline is fine) (momentarily poorish + Administration is better). (c) visibly diverse [can also be + a) or + b), obviously] and (d) carefully selected special needs.

Anyone who knows the student body at NCRC and is being truthful will know this to be accurate. Differentiating among 23-month old toddlers is a fool's errand -- you look at the parents and what they bring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Differentiating among 23-month old toddlers is a fool's errand

I don't really agree with this claim. I can pretty easily differentiate between various kids I know (my own kids, neighbor kids, friends' kids) on general brightness, curiosity, and ability to follow directions. I assume people who work in schools see hundreds of kids, know what markers to look for, and can differentiate even more effectively.

[Anonymous]

Even if you think that one can distinguish between 2 year olds, the fact remains that admissions at NCRC is not an even playing field. So if one takes a very bright and well-behaved 2 year old, but one with "ordinary" caucasian parents without distinguished careers or family wealth, that child doesn't have a hope of getting in. And thereafter will find it much harder to get into Beauvoir but also to the other top schools. Sometimes the "ordinary" white families can enter NCRC for the Sunshine or Rainbow year (second year). But entry years are impossible. If one does enter the second year, no matter what the child is actually like and no matter what the needs of the family are, the head of school will tell you to stay for the Treetop/Explorer year. The lady continues to be obsessed with keeping NCRC children at NCRC for as long as possible regardless of the fact that several schools have preK starting points. She needs to find a balance between her commitment to filling NCRC's older classes and the need for good placement. Discouraging people from applying to PreK is not smart from a placement standpoint. Not to mention it pisses off families as it does not put their interests first. But this is getting into another thread all together. Sorry to go off-topic, just venting.

[Anonymous]

Differentiating among 23-month old toddlers is a fool's errand

I don't really agree with this claim. I can pretty easily differentiate between various kids I know (my own kids, neighbor kids, friends' kids) on general brightness, curiosity, and ability to follow directions. I assume people who work in schools see hundreds of kids, know what markers to look for, and can differentiate even more effectively.

OK, point taken. I actually agree there are some baseline filters that pros and laypeople can apply even to 23 month olds.

That said, there are more bright, cheery, calm, 23 month olds who will apply to NCRC than there is room available. (It's a pre-cursor to the K sweepstakes, when there are more 90th%+, well-behaved, attractive and confident 4 year olds than there are spots in many schools).

So you're back to the whittling criteria: Cleveland Park residence, $$-and-bold-name-recognition, diversity, narrowly-defined special needs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Independent of the other factors you mentioned, I don't think living in CP helps all that much, especially in a year with a lot of sibs.

[Anonymous]

Unless it's changed under the new head of school, there actually is a stated neighborhood preference at NCRC. I'm sure it comes after other preferences like sibs and diversity, and I do know some CP residents who were wait-listed (but got in eventually). There is not such a preference at Beauvoir, Maret, Sidwell, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless it's changed under the new head of school, there actually is a stated neighborhood preference at NCRC. I'm sure it comes after other preferences like sibs and diversity, and I do know some CP residents who were wait-listed (but got in eventually). There is not such a preference at Beauvoir, Maret, Sidwell, etc.

Yes, folks are trying to limit the number of cars toiling through the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]Even if you think that one can distinguish between 2 year olds, the fact remains that admissions at NCRC is not an even playing field. So if one takes a very bright and well-behaved 2 year old, but one with "ordinary" caucasian parents without distinguished careers or family wealth, that child doesn't have a hope of getting in. And thereafter will find it much harder to get into Beauvoir but also to the other top schools. Sometimes the "ordinary" white families can enter NCRC for the Sunshine or Rainbow year (second year). But entry years are impossible. If one does enter the second year, no matter what the child is actually like and no matter what the needs of the family are, the head of school will tell you to stay for the Treetop/Explorer year. The lady continues to be obsessed with keeping NCRC children at NCRC for as long as possible regardless of the fact that several schools have preK starting points. She needs to find a balance between her commitment to filling NCRC's older classes and the need for good placement. Discouraging people from applying to PreK is not smart from a placement standpoint. Not to mention it pisses off families as it does not put their interests first. But this is getting into another thread all together. Sorry to go off-topic, just venting.

I would like to reply to this: " if one takes a bright and well behaved caucasian child without parents having distinguished careers or family wealth...that child doesn't stand a chance of getting in".This is simply untrue. I am not a legacy or a minority by race or sexual orientation. I am not a political pundit , do not work for a think tank , the World bank or the IMF. I am not wealthy, nor am I poor. I do not speak a language other than English at home. I did not send my child to a "feeder school" or to any pre- pre -pre school for that matter, LOL . I refused. I felt that the best place for my 18 mos.- 2 year old child to learn love , patience and kindness to others was at home. Perhaps you can imagine how a child who never had to fight for a toy and never in his/her life ever heard the words : stupid, shut up,fat or" I hate you" might have behaved on the "play date" portion of the application. Perhaps you can imagine how a child who learned about the world one on one from a patient college educated adult who reveled in their every discovery might do on their WIPPSI. More importantly, perhaps you might imagine: private school acceptance aside,how happy , well loved and self-confident that child would feel . As it turns out my child attends one of these three: Sidwell, Beauvoir or Maret, but that doesn't "make" his or her future.










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[Anonymous]

I guess I'm completely missing the point of the last post. Bully for her (and she obviously thinks she's pretty terrific, too). But if she "refused" to send her kid to NCRC or any other feeder school, what does that have to do with the discussion, or the price of beans?

If I could change the subject, and take on the subject of this thread: I've never noticed that people talk only about Beauvoir. In fact, there seems to be as much, or more, talk about that "S" school. And GDS, Maret, St. Pats and WIS all get a lot of air time, too.

[Anonymous]

Why did you revive this old thread? To brag about your child? Yay for you and your college education and the fact that you saved your child from the mean streets of preschool. But actually none of us are wondering how he did on the WIPPSI.