Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 20:26     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:Parents from all - UMC and well educated

Ummm, what HHI is “UMC” in your book?
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:48     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Maret and sidwell are progressive and NCS conservative. I think this matters because in an era of polarization if you don’t agree with others you are a jerk.


NCS is not conservative. It's actually super liberal and most of the parents are as well. STA is more conservative and parents there are 50-50 liberal/conservative.


NCS is far far from conservative. This is laughable. It’s a very progressive school. STA, maybe a bit, yes.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 18:11     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:Very different. My daughter did not like NCS because it felt joyless and was single sex. Everyone was very nice but it felt like everyone was tired. Sidwell was opposite. Sort of intense happiness and coed. Had all the high school stuff we wanted except formal AP classes. Ruled out Maret immediately because it had a quirkier bunch of kids, felt a small (literally smaller grades), limited campus and sort of felt heavy with DEI —even more than Sidwell. And for my kid, she was tapped out on some of that. As she says “no hate but can we talk about something else for a change.” So OP you really need to visit and pursue and I think also cast a wider net. NCS and Sidwell are very hard to get into. Maret not nearly as competitive but it’s not a shoe in at all.


Your daughter is quite perceptive. Your child would get a fantastic education at NCS, but she may have all the joy squeezed out of her by the end of the journey.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 15:46     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Unsure of what entry year we’re talking about but if HS don’t forget that Sidwells new HS campus is scheduled to open and looks to be top-notch, exceeding the current ones. Not a small point to consider.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 14:54     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
I have kids at two of the schools. They are very different. They're all great schools but we let our kids choose between the three because our kids are very different. I suspect that my kids would say that NCS is the most intense, Sidwell has more of a work hard/play hard atmosphere, and Maret is much more progressive (akin to GDS) but also very warm. I'd agree that Maret may have more quirky kids than NCS but my kids is about as far from "quirky" as possible and easily found a friend group like them.

Also, all three are very tough admits. Maret may not have the reputation for being as academically rigorous but it is so small that it has very few slots for new kids which makes it as selective as NCS and Sidwell.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 14:45     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Visited all three:

Maret - small, run down, DEI overkill, good sports and fun drama program

Sidwell - student ambassadors were uninspiring, seemed bored and complained about HW, facilitates are top notch, everyone took themselves too seriously, overall most "traditional" in terms of high school experience like

NCS - small, all girls, buttoned-up, seemed cliquey and fake nice, top notch athletic center, and lots of opportunities to get involved in school from sports, drama, and art

Parents from all - UMC and well educated



Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 14:39     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:Maret and sidwell are progressive and NCS conservative. I think this matters because in an era of polarization if you don’t agree with others you are a jerk.


NCS is not conservative. It's actually super liberal and most of the parents are as well. STA is more conservative and parents there are 50-50 liberal/conservative.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 13:55     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:Very different. My daughter did not like NCS because it felt joyless and was single sex. Everyone was very nice but it felt like everyone was tired. Sidwell was opposite. Sort of intense happiness and coed. Had all the high school stuff we wanted except formal AP classes. Ruled out Maret immediately because it had a quirkier bunch of kids, felt a small (literally smaller grades), limited campus and sort of felt heavy with DEI —even more than Sidwell. And for my kid, she was tapped out on some of that. As she says “no hate but can we talk about something else for a change.” So OP you really need to visit and pursue and I think also cast a wider net. NCS and Sidwell are very hard to get into. Maret not nearly as competitive but it’s not a shoe in at all.


This is helpful about Maret and part of the reason we ruled out GDS. While we are progressive, given where we live I don't think kids here suffer from a lack of education about DEI.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 13:47     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Maret and sidwell are progressive and NCS conservative. I think this matters because in an era of polarization if you don’t agree with others you are a jerk.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 13:45     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The HOS of Maret used to work in a failed school.

It’s been two years. Get over it.


Just stating the difference with sidwell and NCS.


OP, this meanness? It’s very Sidwell (I say this as a Sidwell grad)


No, parent of a kid in the failed school. And I just stating a fact without judgement.


So you aren’t even a part of this conversation. Get over it. Whittle failed. Move on and make a better choice next time.


Ok, the HOS from Sidwell and NCS do not come from a failed school.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 12:29     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Visit. They are all three VERY different. You'll get a feeling if the school is a fit for your family right from the get go.


They are not VERY different, aside from the fact that NCS is single sex.

People don't want to admit this, but private schools are more alike than they are different. We all love the idea that there is one school that is a "perfect fit" for each student and family, but that is almost never the case. There are pros and cons, good and bad to all schools. Maret is a smaller Sidwell. Sidwell and NCS may have a reputation as being more rigorous academically, but rigor can be found at Maret if you seek it out. All good at some sports, less so in others. All charge a lot in tuition, have active parent communities and expect contributions to the annual fund. They are all in NW DC and the kids hang out together.

There is no "feeling" that the school is a fit for each family, except in rare cases. You're lucky to get in any of them and most people take what they get.


That is bs. I have been through the look with two kids and they are at different schools. It sounds like to me like you weren’t interested in fit or preferences or you moved to private during Covid when everything was done via zoom. There is a different. Coed schools often have more traditional high school type activities. Madiera has the unique mod system and opportunity to board part of the week. Some have religious elements and classes. Some are too small for major sports. Some choose to have AP classes and Honors classes and others don’t. What matters to each family will differ but what you are saying is ridiculous. It’s like “there is no difference between Mt Holyoke and MIT. Private is private.” Really?


Not sure why you're bringing in Mt Holyoke and MIT when OP is talking about high schools in NW Washington, DC, or a school in NOVA that OP didn't even mention, but... OK. That's your point of view.

I agree with the PP. These schools are much more alike than they are different.


There you go OP. Two different perspectives. I think they felt different and offer different experiences and another poster disagrees. Your family should visit. Where the other poster and I agree is that they are not easy admits. It will always depend on the grade you are trying to enter but I would suggest adding some other schools to your list.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 12:24     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Visit. They are all three VERY different. You'll get a feeling if the school is a fit for your family right from the get go.


They are not VERY different, aside from the fact that NCS is single sex.

People don't want to admit this, but private schools are more alike than they are different. We all love the idea that there is one school that is a "perfect fit" for each student and family, but that is almost never the case. There are pros and cons, good and bad to all schools. Maret is a smaller Sidwell. Sidwell and NCS may have a reputation as being more rigorous academically, but rigor can be found at Maret if you seek it out. All good at some sports, less so in others. All charge a lot in tuition, have active parent communities and expect contributions to the annual fund. They are all in NW DC and the kids hang out together.

There is no "feeling" that the school is a fit for each family, except in rare cases. You're lucky to get in any of them and most people take what they get.


That is bs. I have been through the look with two kids and they are at different schools. It sounds like to me like you weren’t interested in fit or preferences or you moved to private during Covid when everything was done via zoom. There is a different. Coed schools often have more traditional high school type activities. Madiera has the unique mod system and opportunity to board part of the week. Some have religious elements and classes. Some are too small for major sports. Some choose to have AP classes and Honors classes and others don’t. What matters to each family will differ but what you are saying is ridiculous. It’s like “there is no difference between Mt Holyoke and MIT. Private is private.” Really?


Not sure why you're bringing in Mt Holyoke and MIT when OP is talking about high schools in NW Washington, DC, or a school in NOVA that OP didn't even mention, but... OK. That's your point of view.

I agree with the PP. These schools are much more alike than they are different.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 12:22     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Visit. They are all three VERY different. You'll get a feeling if the school is a fit for your family right from the get go.


They are not VERY different, aside from the fact that NCS is single sex.

People don't want to admit this, but private schools are more alike than they are different. We all love the idea that there is one school that is a "perfect fit" for each student and family, but that is almost never the case. There are pros and cons, good and bad to all schools. Maret is a smaller Sidwell. Sidwell and NCS may have a reputation as being more rigorous academically, but rigor can be found at Maret if you seek it out. All good at some sports, less so in others. All charge a lot in tuition, have active parent communities and expect contributions to the annual fund. They are all in NW DC and the kids hang out together.

There is no "feeling" that the school is a fit for each family, except in rare cases. You're lucky to get in any of them and most people take what they get.


That is bs. I have been through the look with two kids and they are at different schools. It sounds like to me like you weren’t interested in fit or preferences or you moved to private during Covid when everything was done via zoom. There is a different. Coed schools often have more traditional high school type activities. Madiera has the unique mod system and opportunity to board part of the week. Some have religious elements and classes. Some are too small for major sports. Some choose to have AP classes and Honors classes and others don’t. What matters to each family will differ but what you are saying is ridiculous. It’s like “there is no difference between Mt Holyoke and MIT. Private is private.” Really?
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 11:41     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
Anonymous wrote:Visit. They are all three VERY different. You'll get a feeling if the school is a fit for your family right from the get go.


They are not VERY different, aside from the fact that NCS is single sex.

People don't want to admit this, but private schools are more alike than they are different. We all love the idea that there is one school that is a "perfect fit" for each student and family, but that is almost never the case. There are pros and cons, good and bad to all schools. Maret is a smaller Sidwell. Sidwell and NCS may have a reputation as being more rigorous academically, but rigor can be found at Maret if you seek it out. All good at some sports, less so in others. All charge a lot in tuition, have active parent communities and expect contributions to the annual fund. They are all in NW DC and the kids hang out together.

There is no "feeling" that the school is a fit for each family, except in rare cases. You're lucky to get in any of them and most people take what they get.
Anonymous
Post 10/02/2025 11:35     Subject: Sidwell Vs Maret vs NCS
All 3 have a very competitive flavor. Parents are all focused on their kidding winning. I know a lot of these people and they are nice and hardworking and if their interests and yours align, they are a good teammate. But in high school, every other kid is competition for those top colleges and it is part of the culture of all 3 of these schools. For some that is a positive. For others it won’t be. But it’s true for all 3.