I have my issues with NCS, but I think the 3.2 parent is either trolling or there was something else wrong with her DD's package. We do not know what the "South Carolina like" school is where her DD did not get in is, but I looked up USC on Naviance and a 3.2 GPA would be in range for acceptance for sure and with much lower test scores than PP was describing.

Also, FYI, according to Naviance, the average accepted GPA at UMCP for NCS girls is 3.29 (average ACT of 32). So actually a 3.2 or so is in range for UMCP. NCS's college guidance may not be perfect, but they do get kids into schools with much lower nominal GPAs than the public schools in this area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All she's saying is that NCS Bs didn't do anything for getting her daughter - who had scores above the Ivy averages - into a competitive school. Wait listed at South Carolina? She probably thought these Bs were valuable after freshman year and didn't realize how screwed her daughter was. I think she said it was her fault.

A kid, from any school, with 3.2 and high scores is not going to go to a top level college. NCS or any other school can not fix this

Sure no Harvard or UVA, but wait listed at South Carolina?

A 3.2 gpa has little chance at UMD, or the top VA publics, even in state. No matter what HS they come from. Also, we do not know what college placement advice was given to the parents. The family may have had unrealistic expectations. I have had kids at two different "Big 3" schools and our experience has been that sometimes parents think that because they pay a lot of money to go excellent schools, that the school's reputation will cover over their child's underachievement. In my experience, it does not. Good grades, good scores, execellent ECs, etc all matter. However IME, a 3.2 from a top private, all else being equal, will have better placement in college than a kid from an excellent public school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All she's saying is that NCS Bs didn't do anything for getting her daughter - who had scores above the Ivy averages - into a competitive school. Wait listed at South Carolina? She probably thought these Bs were valuable after freshman year and didn't realize how screwed her daughter was. I think she said it was her fault.

A kid, from any school, with 3.2 and high scores is not going to go to a top level college. NCS or any other school can not fix this

Sure no Harvard or UVA, but wait listed at South Carolina?

Anonymous wrote:All she's saying is that NCS Bs didn't do anything for getting her daughter - who had scores above the Ivy averages - into a competitive school. Wait listed at South Carolina? She probably thought these Bs were valuable after freshman year and didn't realize how screwed her daughter was. I think she said it was her fault.

A kid, from any school, with 3.2 and high scores is not going to go to a top level college. NCS or any other school can not fix this

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you work hard, study and complete the material, A's are obtainable at NCS also (they don't give A+'s). That said, there are not many,if any, who graduate with a 4.0, because it is hard to be that dedicated to every subject, all the time. Same is true for any rigorous school. I have never heard stories of teachers refusing to give anyone in the class an A, but they do expect you to work for it.

They should give A+ grades - why not? STA does and they are equally rigorous.

A lot of top schools do not give A plus, including Sidwell, MCPS, etc. I think the question should be why does STA has that policy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you work hard, study and complete the material, A's are obtainable at NCS also (they don't give A+'s). That said, there are not many,if any, who graduate with a 4.0, because it is hard to be that dedicated to every subject, all the time. Same is true for any rigorous school. I have never heard stories of teachers refusing to give anyone in the class an A, but they do expect you to work for it.

They should give A+ grades - why not? STA does and they are equally rigorous.

It is a school policy, not up to the discretion of individual teachers. I don't know why -- maybe they figure the kids would compete too much to convert As to A pluses? It wouldn't be my policy but I don't know their past experiences. There's periodic talk of harmonizing the grading scales of NCS and STA because the students cross-register in many courses, but I guess both schools like their current approaches and they are still fully separate schools in terms of administration.

Anonymous wrote:If you work hard, study and complete the material, A's are obtainable at NCS also (they don't give A+'s). That said, there are not many,if any, who graduate with a 4.0, because it is hard to be that dedicated to every subject, all the time. Same is true for any rigorous school. I have never heard stories of teachers refusing to give anyone in the class an A, but they do expect you to work for it.

They should give A+ grades - why not? STA does and they are equally rigorous.

Hardly whining.

All she's saying is that NCS Bs didn't do anything for getting her daughter - who had scores above the Ivy averages - into a competitive school. Wait listed at South Carolina? She probably thought these Bs were valuable after freshman year and didn't realize how screwed her daughter was. I think she said it was her fault.

Anonymous wrote:Geez, NCS just can't win with some people. Of course there are girls who get A's (they are not all stressed out on medication, either) and some who don't (doomed to the worst colleges out there). You have a bit of everything. My DD had nothing but inflated straight A's all through her public school experience and really didn't learn much. I'd take the "rigorous" private high school experience over the public school "everyone earns an A" model any day. My DD works hard, does earn A's, has never had a teacher say he/she refuses to give A's...never. If NCS isn't for you then move on. PP, if you weren't happy after Freshman year then not sure why you stayed.

Well stated. To me, a lot of silly whining. IME, NCS girls are well educated, most but not all are happy, and most have excellent college placement. A student with lower grades (regardless of scores) will not do as well as someone with better grades. I have yet to see a school where this is not true.

Geez, NCS just can't win with some people. Of course there are girls who get A's (they are not all stressed out on medication, either) and some who don't (doomed to the worst colleges out there). You have a bit of everything. My DD had nothing but inflated straight A's all through her public school experience and really didn't learn much. I'd take the "rigorous" private high school experience over the public school "everyone earns an A" model any day. My DD works hard, does earn A's, has never had a teacher say he/she refuses to give A's...never. If NCS isn't for you then move on. PP, if you weren't happy after Freshman year then not sure why you stayed.

If you work hard, study and complete the material, A's are obtainable at NCS also (they don't give A+'s). That said, there are not many,if any, who graduate with a 4.0, because it is hard to be that dedicated to every subject, all the time. Same is true for any rigorous school. I have never heard stories of teachers refusing to give anyone in the class an A, but they do expect you to work for it.

+1

And that pp was my point. I remember so well the JOY we all felt at her acceptance before 9th grade. It would have been so nice to have felt it again four years later. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:I am the 3.2 Syracuse poster - I am proud of my daughter for going to Syracuse. She was just below a 3.2. This reflects mostly Bs and a few C-pluses and A-minuses in upper school. She did not take the most rigorous classes - lowest level math classes, AP only in language junior year and only AP stat her senior year. She was challenged and had an excellent experience throughout. Loved the arts program, especially chorale and participating in the musical.

That is wonderful and congratulations to her and you. I don't mind my daughter receiving B's and C's but I am concerned that from what I am hearing about NCS - they grade harder and I think it is not fair that some girls would be A students at other rigorous schools in the area for the same amount of work and effort. STA does not do that. If you work hard, complete the material, study, then A+ grades are obtainable. I think that message sends a good vibe to the students that they can get all A's if they work hard and earn them. I don't like hearing stories of teachers at NCS saying they will not get an A in their class. This may work for some students, but I think this would discourage my daughter.