Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS

[Anonymous]

I have a kid who is happy at Maret. I forgot about the DEI entrance stuff (i think it was a question on the application?) and in any case I bite my tongue. I do enjoy the range of kids and parents and I think the HS curriculum is well rounded. The campus is tiny and a little shabby but it is also charming. Also the school at least seems to try to keep tuition a little lower than the others -- though who knows how long that will last.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

GDS is definitely the win for joy.

New to GDS and the emphasis on joy is evident. We are pleasantly surprised by it as we didn't expect it to be emphasized as much as it is. It is intentional and cultivated.

This is the difference between an individual finding joy at their particular HS and an overall HS environment that is joyful by design. The difference shows.

[Anonymous]

I have joy when tuition is significantly lower than GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have joy when tuition is significantly lower than GDS.

That's ok. Everyone has different priorities, needs, goals. (and that's meant to be genuine - not snarky)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

This is so kid dependent. My child loves NCS and has had a ton of joy there. She’s not super intense. It really really depends on your kid.

I agree. My kid loved NCS and had so much joy there. The skills she learned there and confidence in being able to navigate college and problem solving will serve her so well in life. And her friendships from there remain strong a few years out. NCS gets a bad rap here, but it’s a special and amazing place for so many.

Nah, the administrators like to break the girls into complete submission. However, most of the faculty is strong, at least in the Upper School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have joy when tuition is significantly lower than GDS.

That's ok. Everyone has different priorities, needs, goals. (and that's meant to be genuine - not snarky)

My joy is genuine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

This is so kid dependent. My child loves NCS and has had a ton of joy there. She’s not super intense. It really really depends on your kid.

I agree. My kid loved NCS and had so much joy there. The skills she learned there and confidence in being able to navigate college and problem solving will serve her so well in life. And her friendships from there remain strong a few years out. NCS gets a bad rap here, but it’s a special and amazing place for so many.

Nah, the administrators like to break the girls into complete submission. However, most of the faculty is strong, at least in the Upper School.

Parent of lifer at NCS:
US HOS is terrific (some will disagree but our exp has been stellar) and other admin has been supportive, if a little detached.
Teachers are overall very good, some are great. I actually think the teachers try to break the girls, not the admin. Some teachers seem to thrive on making their classes as hard as possible.
College counselors are just ok.
Athletics can be amazing, depending on sport. Some sports are more celebrated than others.
Lots of opportunities to join, have leadership roles, etc. if you are willing to seek them out.
Having excellent time management, ability to self advocate and a good amount of confidence will make life easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have joy when tuition is significantly lower than GDS.

That's ok. Everyone has different priorities, needs, goals. (and that's meant to be genuine - not snarky)

My joy is genuine.

no doubt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

This is so kid dependent. My child loves NCS and has had a ton of joy there. She’s not super intense. It really really depends on your kid.

I agree. My kid loved NCS and had so much joy there. The skills she learned there and confidence in being able to navigate college and problem solving will serve her so well in life. And her friendships from there remain strong a few years out. NCS gets a bad rap here, but it’s a special and amazing place for so many.

Nah, the administrators like to break the girls into complete submission. However, most of the faculty is strong, at least in the Upper School.

Parent of lifer at NCS:
US HOS is terrific (some will disagree but our exp has been stellar) and other admin has been supportive, if a little detached.
Teachers are overall very good, some are great. I actually think the teachers try to break the girls, not the admin. Some teachers seem to thrive on making their classes as hard as possible.
College counselors are just ok.
Athletics can be amazing, depending on sport. Some sports are more celebrated than others.
Lots of opportunities to join, have leadership roles, etc. if you are willing to seek them out.
Having excellent time management, ability to self advocate and a good amount of confidence will make life easier.

These are true at Sidwell in spades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

GDS is definitely the win for joy.

New to GDS and the emphasis on joy is evident. We are pleasantly surprised by it as we didn't expect it to be emphasized as much as it is. It is intentional and cultivated.

This is off-topic, I apologize! But do you have any advice on how to get into GDS? We love the school but have found it incredibly difficult to get in. The application process (into middle school) has felt pretty impersonal at times--lots of emphasis on "this is who we are," but not as much focus perhaps on getting to know us or our child. It's been hard to convey why we believe we’d be a great fit for the school. We don’t have any "hooks" that might give us an edge, and we’ve sort of resigned ourselves to the fact that it might just come down to that? Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

You need to accept that admission to highly selective schools is often based on factors completely beyond your control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

GDS is definitely the win for joy.

New to GDS and the emphasis on joy is evident. We are pleasantly surprised by it as we didn't expect it to be emphasized as much as it is. It is intentional and cultivated.

This is off-topic, I apologize! But do you have any advice on how to get into GDS? We love the school but have found it incredibly difficult to get in. The application process (into middle school) has felt pretty impersonal at times--lots of emphasis on "this is who we are," but not as much focus perhaps on getting to know us or our child. It's been hard to convey why we believe we’d be a great fit for the school. We don’t have any "hooks" that might give us an edge, and we’ve sort of resigned ourselves to the fact that it might just come down to that? Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated!

For high school: Good grades, good recommendations, and good SSAT scores combined with full pay would probably go a long way towards admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: First and foremost consider how your kid will hold up in varying degrees of intensity and stress. Ncs seems to usually poll the highest and that’s certainly the experience of our friends who have kids at all of these schools. I’d personally take a hard pass. Maret is known for a bit less homework and seems to have college outcomes pretty much the same. For some kids that’s way way more impt than whether they have a bit too much DEI. Gds is definitely a lot of work but at least they try to put joy into the process and take the stress down a notch. Sidwell maybe somewhere in between gds and ncs. The most impt thing is where your kid will thrive - not things like cool buildings and who overcooks the dei.

That's super helpful, we are also looking for joy! How would Holton Arms comapre to NCS in terms of intensity and stress?

GDS is definitely the win for joy.

New to GDS and the emphasis on joy is evident. We are pleasantly surprised by it as we didn't expect it to be emphasized as much as it is. It is intentional and cultivated.

This is off-topic, I apologize! But do you have any advice on how to get into GDS? We love the school but have found it incredibly difficult to get in. The application process (into middle school) has felt pretty impersonal at times--lots of emphasis on "this is who we are," but not as much focus perhaps on getting to know us or our child. It's been hard to convey why we believe we’d be a great fit for the school. We don’t have any "hooks" that might give us an edge, and we’ve sort of resigned ourselves to the fact that it might just come down to that? Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated!

For high school: Good grades, good recommendations, and good SSAT scores combined with full pay would probably go a long way towards admissions.

They are also looking for kids interested in playing sports and joining clubs as none of this is mandatory. In recent years, it seems that they are wanting to enhance their athletic program.

[Anonymous]

These are merely table stakes.

[Anonymous]

Agree - it's the same as asking what the secret sauce is to get into Harvard or Stanford. Regardless of anything academic or once you get into the school, the reality is that the most competitive schools in DC are every bit as hard to get into as a Top 25 college (GDS, SFS, STC, NCS, Maret).