Nightingale-Bamford School
Encyclopedia
The Nightingale-Bamford School is an independent
all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan
on the Upper East Side
, NBS is one of the top ranked private schools in New York City
and among one of the country’s leading independent schools for girls. Nightingale-Bamford is a member of the New York Interschool
.
5-8, and Upper School includes grades 9-12. Nightingale holds a small size of 560 students, approximately 45 pupils per grade level. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1 and the average class size is that of 12 students for academic and up to 22 for P.E. and the like. The school is popular with elite families in New York.
. She has announced that she will step down at the end of the 2011-12 school year, which will be the end of her 20th year at the school.
75% of the NBS faculty hold masters and/or doctoral degrees .
In October 2008, the NBS Middle School literary magazine Out of Uniform was awarded the Gold Medalist Certificate from The Columbia Scholastic Press Association
of Columbia University
. In late September 2008, three NBS students were named semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognizes outstanding black high school students.
Nightingale hosts the Manhattan College Fair for New York City Independent School juniors and their parents.
The Nightingale-Bamford School gives advance consideration to Sibling and Legacy applicants who apply under the Early Notification plan.
Nightingale-Bamford is also the sister school to St. Bernard's School
.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
, NBS is one of the top ranked private schools in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and among one of the country’s leading independent schools for girls. Nightingale-Bamford is a member of the New York Interschool
New York Interschool
The New York Interschool Association, Inc., is a consortium of eight independent schools in Manhattan that serves students, teachers, and administration.-Overview:...
.
Overview
Lower School Nightingale students include girls from grades K-4. Middle School includes grades5-8, and Upper School includes grades 9-12. Nightingale holds a small size of 560 students, approximately 45 pupils per grade level. The student-faculty ratio is 7:1 and the average class size is that of 12 students for academic and up to 22 for P.E. and the like. The school is popular with elite families in New York.
History
Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford founded the School in 1920. NBS was originally named Miss Nightingale's School; officially becoming "The Nightingale-Bamford School" in 1929. Since 1920, NBS has graduated nearly 3,000 alumnae. As of 2008, the School endowment is at $74.9 million.Faculty
Dorothy Hutcheson has been head of Nightingale since 1992. She is currently the longest serving head of school of any girls’ school in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She has announced that she will step down at the end of the 2011-12 school year, which will be the end of her 20th year at the school.
75% of the NBS faculty hold masters and/or doctoral degrees .
Academic background
The median SAT scores are 680 critical reading and 650 mathematics.In October 2008, the NBS Middle School literary magazine Out of Uniform was awarded the Gold Medalist Certificate from The Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques and award programs...
of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In late September 2008, three NBS students were named semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, which recognizes outstanding black high school students.
Advising
Joyce Slayton Mitchell, the Nightingale college advisor, serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the College Board Review and on the school committee of U.S. News & World Report’s special college issue. She is the author of Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean (Ten Speed Press, 2001, 2005).Nightingale hosts the Manhattan College Fair for New York City Independent School juniors and their parents.
Admissions
Nightingale's admissions process has received some media attention in the past few years. The school has a 31% acceptance rate.The Nightingale-Bamford School gives advance consideration to Sibling and Legacy applicants who apply under the Early Notification plan.
Financial aid
As of the 2008-2009 school year, 32% of the NBS student body is receiving some form of financial assistance with $2.8 million in grants being awarded.Rankings
In a Worth magazine study, Nightingale placed 77th out of 31,700 private and public high schools in the U.S. in placing its graduates in Harvard, Princeton and Yale.Diversity
Nightingale-Bamford has a fairly diverse community for an independent school with 26% of the student body are students of color. The school has a widely known program called Cultural Awareness for Everyone, or informally C.A.F.E. C.A.F.E. touches on the basis of not only race, but also class, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and age.Partner schools
Nightingale-Bamford closely works with the Buckley School, a private boys' school. The school also works with The Allen-Stevenson School, also a private boys' school.Nightingale-Bamford is also the sister school to St. Bernard's School
St. Bernard's School
St. Bernard's School, founded in 1904 by Francis Tabor and John Jenkins, is a private all-male elementary school on Manhattan's Upper East Side. St. Bernard's offers motivated young boys of diverse backgrounds an exceptionally thorough, rigorous, and enjoyable introduction to learning and...
.
Notable alumnae
- Millicent FenwickMillicent FenwickMillicent Hammond Fenwick was an American fashion editor, politician and diplomat. A four-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey, she entered politics late in life and was renowned for her energy and colorful enthusiasm...
, fashion editor and politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making... - Mandy GrunwaldMandy GrunwaldMandy Grunwald is an American professional political consultant and media advisor for the Democratic Party.She is the daughter of the late Henry Grunwald, former editor-in-chief of Time magazine and the sister of the author Lisa Grunwald. She grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and on...
, professional political consultant and media advisor - Shoshanna Lonstein GrussShoshanna Lonstein GrussShoshanna Lonstein Gruss is an American fashion designer and socialite.- Early life:Gruss was born in Manhattan, New York. She attended The Nightingale-Bamford School for girls in New York City on the Upper East Side, graduating in 1993. She began college at The George Washington University in...
, fashion designer - Charlotte RonsonCharlotte RonsonCharlotte Julia Ronson is an English fashion designer who currently resides in New York, NY.-C. Ronson:Ronson always had an interest in fashion, however, she began designing after friends asked her to create pieces for them...
, fashion designer - Sarah Thompson, actress
- Cecily von ZiegesarCecily von ZiegesarCecily von Ziegesar is an American author best known for the young adult Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... - Olivia PalermoOlivia PalermoOlivia Palermo is an American socialite, model and actress. She was a cast member of the reality television show The City.-Career:...
, http://nymag.com/news/people/31555/index2.html
NBS in pop culture
- Nightingale-Bamford received mention in the Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
film, "Everyone Says I Love YouEveryone Says I Love YouEveryone Says I Love You is a 1996 American musical film that was written and directed by Woody Allen. The film features many stars, including Julia Roberts, Alan Alda, Edward Norton, Drew Barrymore, Gaby Hoffmann, Tim Roth, Goldie Hawn, and Natalie Portman.Set in New York, Venice, and Paris, the...
".
- In the bestselling Gossip Girl book series by NBS alumna Cecily von ZiegesarCecily von ZiegesarCecily von Ziegesar is an American author best known for the young adult Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
'88, the character's elite all-girls school Constance Billard School for Girls, is based upon Nightingale-Bamford and the lives of the girls who attend the School. "[Constance Billard] is completely based on Nightingale," von Ziegesar told ABC News. "But I exaggerated to make it more entertaining."