Things have changed a lot drastically for the average smart, full pay white applicant in the past 5 years, even more so in the past 10 years. There is also a new director of college counseling at NCS as of 2020, terrible timing with covid etc. this is true for all students, especially girls. What I have learns passively observing this is my kid needs to be a recruited athlete or just really adjust expectations of college placement in my mind and hers starting in like 6th grade.

Anonymous wrote:The problem with private school and top college admissions is that colleges are going to take the top academic kids from each school. So if you are middle of the pack at private you are behind the top public school kids in the pecking order. And by the time admissions goes through the top public school kids all of the seats are allocated. So the bottom 70% of private school kids are at a disadvantage. I think that is the issue in a nutshell.

No, did the read the OP? Audi missed the point entirely
The issue is that the top academic kids at NCS (this year) year are not getting spots in top 30 or top 40 schools, The top spots are going entirely (or 95%) to athletes, legacy and URM. There is of course some overlap of course (athletes, legacies or URN with top academics) but if you're not one of these categories, you're not getting in to a top college from NCS--even if you are a TOP academic student. OP was asking where the top 20 academic kids can apply because the top colleges are off the table if you don't have a hook

The problem with private school and top college admissions is that colleges are going to take the top academic kids from each school. So if you are middle of the pack at private you are behind the top public school kids in the pecking order. And by the time admissions goes through the top public school kids all of the seats are allocated. So the bottom 70% of private school kids are at a disadvantage. I think that is the issue in a nutshell.

If you have a hard-working, academically-minded kid and you prioritized sending her to NCS for the quality of education, wouldn't it follow that you want to send her to a similar place for college? And, that you may be disappointed if her hard work makes her a worse candidate, despite being better prepared?

This board seems to agree that the quality of education at NCS provides a superior preparatory education -- couldn't we then argue that the quality of education at elite colleges may be similarly superior, and we would therefore want that for our kids?

Not arguing anyone is owed a top college admit or kids can't thrive at a regional university, but it hardly feels "neurotic" or (whatever else was used to describe OP) to want what we consider best for our kids.

Anonymous wrote:What does URM stand for

Under-represented minority: a member of a minority group whose presence in a micro-population (e.g., a college) is statistically lower than that minority group's statistical presence in the relevant population. At law, this is one factor suggesting potential adverse impact discrimination, thus requiring an examination of systemic practices that may be contributing to the unintentional underrepresentation, and remedial efforts to increase that minority presence in the relevant applicant pool.

Anonymous wrote:What does URM stand for

Under-represented minority

What does URM stand for

The OP may or may not be right about NCS college admissions, she/he seems pretty neurotic either way, but what I will say is that the education at NCS is outstanding. It is a college prep school, they put academics first and they don't shy away from that. That may or may not suit your daughter, but I don't think there is any dispute that these girls can write extremely well by the time they leave. The structure, grammar etc is learned by extreme focus and repetition.
I consider this a gift and one that will benefit my daughter through the years no matter what college they go to. Going to a rigorous private school does not guarantee you anything in college admissions, but it means you are well prepared when you get there. I think OP may need to readjust her thinking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This is especially true in the humanities and social sciences where students must produce written work that is on a PHD level to earn an A.

This is either crazy hyperbole or you are grossly underestimating what it takes to do PHD level work.

OP may not entirely accurate in comparing the writing standards with PhDs, but not that far either. An A requires extremely high quality work where papers are being judged by teacher who, for most part, appear to have lost track of the fact that they are evaluating high school students.

I have daughters at NCS and I routinely say that the writing standards in high school are beyond what was expected at my university. I went to a top 30 college FWIW.

Three cheers for overkill. Unf doing it in the sports field has better results than for junior year literature and writing class.

True. When top schools prioritize sports over academic skills...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is especially true in the humanities and social sciences where students must produce written work that is on a PHD level to earn an A.

This is either crazy hyperbole or you are grossly underestimating what it takes to do PHD level work.

OP may not entirely accurate in comparing the writing standards with PhDs, but not that far either. An A requires extremely high quality work where papers are being judged by teacher who, for most part, appear to have lost track of the fact that they are evaluating high school students.

I have daughters at NCS and I routinely say that the writing standards in high school are beyond what was expected at my university. I went to a top 30 college FWIW.

Three cheers for overkill. Unf doing it in the sports field has better results than for junior year literature and writing class.

Gotta jump in and defend Tulane, where I went approx 300 years ago. I recently had a meeting with their alumni/admissions team and their acceptance rate this past year was 9%. Not HYP but not somewhere to dismiss as a crappy school either!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is especially true in the humanities and social sciences where students must produce written work that is on a PHD level to earn an A.

This is either crazy hyperbole or you are grossly underestimating what it takes to do PHD level work.

OP may not entirely accurate in comparing the writing standards with PhDs, but not that far either. An A requires extremely high quality work where papers are being judged by teacher who, for most part, appear to have lost track of the fact that they are evaluating high school students.

I have daughters at NCS and I routinely say that the writing standards in high school are beyond what was expected at my university. I went to a top 30 college FWIW.

You do know that there are several levels of academic difficulty between high school and PhD level work, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is especially true in the humanities and social sciences where students must produce written work that is on a PHD level to earn an A.

This is either crazy hyperbole or you are grossly underestimating what it takes to do PHD level work.

OP may not entirely accurate in comparing the writing standards with PhDs, but not that far either. An A requires extremely high quality work where papers are being judged by teacher who, for most part, appear to have lost track of the fact that they are evaluating high school students.

Anonymous wrote:Strongly doubt PP is part of NCS community

Because?