I have never heard the bad kids thing?! We had the opposite experience. Being the new kid makes you interesting. The opposite side of kids that have been together for years and having friend groups is that they are also a bit bored of each other and a bit too intertwined. The new kids are kind of exciting and don’t come with the baggage of having known you since you were 5.

Anonymous wrote:The “bad kids” trope sounds absolutely ridiculous. My child entered a highly esteemed Big 3 at 6th grade from public school and has ingratiated themselves very well socially and academically. In fact, I believe they’re on par or above some of those who came in earlier grades. My kid entered as a straight A student, tested well and an athlete.

Agree.

It depends on the school. At the more selective schools the new kids are the “smarter kids”. At catholic schools or less selective privates they are the “bad kids”. So, again, not all private schools are created equal. Just like not all public schools are created equal. The generalizations an biases here are astoundingly inaccurate.

I have never heard of anyone calling the new kids "bad kids." If anything, the reputation is that they are academically strong admits. This is at a selective school.

Lifers are snobby and cliquish at ncs, both historically and now

Why would I pay for the privilege of having my child labeled a "bad kid" by some spoiled brats?

The “bad kids” trope sounds absolutely ridiculous. My child entered a highly esteemed Big 3 at 6th grade from public school and has ingratiated themselves very well socially and academically. In fact, I believe they’re on par or above some of those who came in earlier grades. My kid entered as a straight A student, tested well and an athlete.

They are labeled the bad kids. The actual bad kids are the ones doing the labeling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're starting in K at a K-12. It seems more common for kids to move from public to private today, but I know when I was in school the kids who moved in middle school to our K-8 from public were immediately dubbed the "bad kids." I've also heard some bad experiences about kids who move to private in 9th. I guess it really depends.

At our k-8, the kids who enter in 6th are reliably dubbed the “bad” kids. OP, the upside is you’re in the core of the community when you start in k. The downside is you can outgrow the community, especially if it’s small and doesn’t change much.

In what way were they bad?

The top schools get more selective academically as the kids get older.

Of course not universal, no stereotype is, but these are often the years where parents will seek to re-set a DC that might be getting "off the rails" in public.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're starting in K at a K-12. It seems more common for kids to move from public to private today, but I know when I was in school the kids who moved in middle school to our K-8 from public were immediately dubbed the "bad kids." I've also heard some bad experiences about kids who move to private in 9th. I guess it really depends.

At our k-8, the kids who enter in 6th are reliably dubbed the “bad” kids. OP, the upside is you’re in the core of the community when you start in k. The downside is you can outgrow the community, especially if it’s small and doesn’t change much.

In what way were they bad?

The top schools get more selective academically as the kids get older.

Anonymous wrote:We're starting in K at a K-12. It seems more common for kids to move from public to private today, but I know when I was in school the kids who moved in middle school to our K-8 from public were immediately dubbed the "bad kids." I've also heard some bad experiences about kids who move to private in 9th. I guess it really depends.

At our k-8, the kids who enter in 6th are reliably dubbed the “bad” kids. OP, the upside is you’re in the core of the community when you start in k. The downside is you can outgrow the community, especially if it’s small and doesn’t change much.

The lifers seem more comfortable and have more established friend groups. My DD who came in this year for 9th grade from public school found the academic transition much easier than the social transition. I even made a post earlier in the year asking if things would get better over time because she was feeling lonely and awkward. Luckily, the situation is improving. She has slowly expanded her social circle through activities and is getting more comfortable. She even ran for a student govt position for next year and got elected. Things are looking up!

We're starting in K at a K-12. It seems more common for kids to move from public to private today, but I know when I was in school the kids who moved in middle school to our K-8 from public were immediately dubbed the "bad kids." I've also heard some bad experiences about kids who move to private in 9th. I guess it really depends.

you pay a premium to guarantee your kid gets into the Upper School (if its a k-12 program).

The earlier you apply, the more times you can re-apply if you are rejected.

Are there significant differences between a lifer versus starts in the typical entry years like 6th and 9th? Trying to convince myself it's worth the $$$