Lottery Q regarding August waitlist offers

[Anonymous]

We are very likely based on historical waitlist data to get an offer for a school we really like in August. This will be for middle elementary so we want to give our kid as much time to acclimate as possible and as many chances to meet people before school starts as we can. The school basically only makes offers in August -- almost no offers by June and almost none in September or October.

If you have experience in this: do you think the offer (assuming we get one which is very likely based on our number and what they did the last two years) is likely to come early August or closer to the first day of school?

And related question: if it comes later in August would it be appropriate to attend any of the August social events for new families or teacher meet and greets? I don't want to be presumptuous or invade an event where we aren't welcome but I think it would be very helpful for our kid to get a chance to meet some peers and teachers before the first day if we can. Is this weird? Would it be weird for me to reach out to the school in early August to ask if we can attend this stuff (or would this help let them know we are very interested and will accept a spot if offered)?

[Anonymous]

It's not weird, you can reach out if you like. But it might be confusing or disappointing to your kid if the offer never comes.

In late summer and fall, it's hard to predict because it really depends on what the people ahead of you on the list do. My experience is not much motion in early August, but when the staff returns to the school building, they will be looking at their enrollment in all grades and making decisions and the registrar will get back from vacation.

If this is a DCPS neighborhood school, it's likely they'll play it safe until the first week of school and see how many IB kids they have. On the other hand if they're expecting to have room they may want to fill it ASAP. It's a complicated process with a formula based on past years' experience and goes in tandem with the budget and teacher hiring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not weird, you can reach out if you like. But it might be confusing or disappointing to your kid if the offer never comes.

In late summer and fall, it's hard to predict because it really depends on what the people ahead of you on the list do. My experience is not much motion in early August, but when the staff returns to the school building, they will be looking at their enrollment in all grades and making decisions and the registrar will get back from vacation.

If this is a DCPS neighborhood school, it's likely they'll play it safe until the first week of school and see how many IB kids they have. On the other hand if they're expecting to have room they may want to fill it ASAP. It's a complicated process with a formula based on past years' experience and goes in tandem with the budget and teacher hiring.

Thanks. Can I give you our specific situation to get your feedback? The school generally ended there clears it's wait-list or nearly clears it for middle and upper elementary grades in August. The wait-list has less than 10 kids in it and we are number 3. This feels very promising but I don't want to assume it's a sure thing.

Our kid knows they might change schools (and I think will be enthusiastic about that as they have not had the best experience at their current school) but they don't know the details of the situation or that we are this close with this particular school. I don't want to spring the school switch on them last minute but I also don't want to get their hopes up and then have it not happen.

It's very stressful. I am praying we hear early August so we have time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not weird, you can reach out if you like. But it might be confusing or disappointing to your kid if the offer never comes.

In late summer and fall, it's hard to predict because it really depends on what the people ahead of you on the list do. My experience is not much motion in early August, but when the staff returns to the school building, they will be looking at their enrollment in all grades and making decisions and the registrar will get back from vacation.

If this is a DCPS neighborhood school, it's likely they'll play it safe until the first week of school and see how many IB kids they have. On the other hand if they're expecting to have room they may want to fill it ASAP. It's a complicated process with a formula based on past years' experience and goes in tandem with the budget and teacher hiring.

Thanks. Can I give you our specific situation to get your feedback? The school generally ended there clears it's wait-list or nearly clears it for middle and upper elementary grades in August. The wait-list has less than 10 kids in it and we are number 3. This feels very promising but I don't want to assume it's a sure thing.

Our kid knows they might change schools (and I think will be enthusiastic about that as they have not had the best experience at their current school) but they don't know the details of the situation or that we are this close with this particular school. I don't want to spring the school switch on them last minute but I also don't want to get their hopes up and then have it not happen.

It's very stressful. I am praying we hear early August so we have time.

I think it seems very likely, but one thing that could prevent you getting an offer is if the school decides to offer one less classroom for the grade, due to low enrollment. Another thing that might happen is siblings jumping you on the list.

If your kid already knows, it won't feel like a last-minute surprise. Most of the time this is more stressful for the parents than the kids. Tell your kid "We might not have much advance notice, but your parents are prepared to handle it. No matter what happens, we are doing our very best to make sure eyour have a good year at school."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not weird, you can reach out if you like. But it might be confusing or disappointing to your kid if the offer never comes.

In late summer and fall, it's hard to predict because it really depends on what the people ahead of you on the list do. My experience is not much motion in early August, but when the staff returns to the school building, they will be looking at their enrollment in all grades and making decisions and the registrar will get back from vacation.

If this is a DCPS neighborhood school, it's likely they'll play it safe until the first week of school and see how many IB kids they have. On the other hand if they're expecting to have room they may want to fill it ASAP. It's a complicated process with a formula based on past years' experience and goes in tandem with the budget and teacher hiring.

Thanks. Can I give you our specific situation to get your feedback? The school generally ended there clears it's wait-list or nearly clears it for middle and upper elementary grades in August. The wait-list has less than 10 kids in it and we are number 3. This feels very promising but I don't want to assume it's a sure thing.

Our kid knows they might change schools (and I think will be enthusiastic about that as they have not had the best experience at their current school) but they don't know the details of the situation or that we are this close with this particular school. I don't want to spring the school switch on them last minute but I also don't want to get their hopes up and then have it not happen.

It's very stressful. I am praying we hear early August so we have time.

I think it seems very likely, but one thing that could prevent you getting an offer is if the school decides to offer one less classroom for the grade, due to low enrollment. Another thing that might happen is siblings jumping you on the list.

If your kid already knows, it won't feel like a last-minute surprise. Most of the time this is more stressful for the parents than the kids. Tell your kid "We might not have much advance notice, but your parents are prepared to handle it. No matter what happens, we are doing our very best to make sure eyour have a good year at school."

Thanks, that is helpful. The school is growing so I think they are unlikely to drop a classroom but I guess there is a chance that they could be at max enrollment for current classrooms and just have no room.

[Anonymous]

Don't just drop in on the open house/ play dates until you have an offer. Just don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't just drop in on the open house/ play dates until you have an offer. Just don't.

I think open houses are fine in the abstract (but check with the PTO or school or whoever runs them), but play dates would be really weird.

[Anonymous]

I am a PTO leader and would be delighted to have you at any event. It's really no big deal. Everyone knows waitlists move quite a bit for upper elementary. Some schools even reach out proactively to include top waitlisters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't just drop in on the open house/ play dates until you have an offer. Just don't.

I think open houses are fine in the abstract (but check with the PTO or school or whoever runs them), but play dates would be really weird.

I actually think a playdate would be less weird than like a teacher meet and greet. A playdate is generally very amorphous and kids play and sometimes adults chat and if the school or PTO organize it they might offer snacks or a merch table but there are no formal activities. It's possible that you could accidentally attend one of these playdates by just going to the school playground on the Saturday or Thursday evening or whatever that they designate as a back to school playdate. So you could also just do this accidentally on purpose.

Whereas a teacher meet and greet or BTO principal talk that some schools do is a more formal event and really just intended for current families and I'd definitely check before attending and probably wouldn't take a waitlisted kid to a teacher meet and greet at all because you have no idea whether that will be their teacher anyway (it would just be awkward).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't just drop in on the open house/ play dates until you have an offer. Just don't.

I think open houses are fine in the abstract (but check with the PTO or school or whoever runs them), but play dates would be really weird.

I actually think a playdate would be less weird than like a teacher meet and greet. A playdate is generally very amorphous and kids play and sometimes adults chat and if the school or PTO organize it they might offer snacks or a merch table but there are no formal activities. It's possible that you could accidentally attend one of these playdates by just going to the school playground on the Saturday or Thursday evening or whatever that they designate as a back to school playdate. So you could also just do this accidentally on purpose.

Whereas a teacher meet and greet or BTO principal talk that some schools do is a more formal event and really just intended for current families and I'd definitely check before attending and probably wouldn't take a waitlisted kid to a teacher meet and greet at all because you have no idea whether that will be their teacher anyway (it would just be awkward).

This. So many playgrounds are open to the public anyway, so there will be all kinds of non-enrolled kids there. It's fine.

Back when I was a PTO leader, I would have been thrilled to meet a waitlister and would definitely hope that these events make a waitlister more likely to accept an offer. It's really not a big deal at all, just run around and have some crackers and chat.