Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It depends on the year pp. Several people writing here no nothing about NCS. Call the school directly to get the correct information.
Yes, OP, call NCS and pose the question, "Is NCS going downhill?" I'm sure admin will provide you with the appropriate response.
Yes it can depend on the year somewhat. The girls who are admitted undergo a rigorous process (iq scores, grades, recs, ECs, etc.), and additionally are receiving a first-rate education. Using the "it depends upon the year" comeback as an excuse is really beginning to get a little old. At $40k per year, the school really needs to be held accountable if there are noticeable admin and/or academic concerns that should be addressed.
I'm not sure what more you want. Their college results are strong compared to other independents. It is not the 1980s, when perhaps this poster went to high school, when NCS/St. Albans/Sidwell sent huge numbers to Ivies, as did the famous boarding schools. The college admissions game has changed, and it has changed big time. As posters have noted, you can see a very broad range of colleges if you look at the matriculations of schools such as Exeter and Hotchkiss, not to mention the local schools (you'll see places like "Elon University" multiple times, for example). If you don't value the education for itself, you will most likely be very disappointed by spending the money. Fair enough, there are other paths.
For those interested in hard data, if you look in the FAQ section SAM2 has put together some spreadsheets of things like National Merit scholarships, college admissions, etc., and you'll see that NCS is up at the top.
In the meantime, perhaps brush up on your reading comprehension skills -- the poster who recommended calling NCS was referencing a question on how many girls enter in 9th grade, not the "downhill" query that draws all the eyeballs (including yours).