Lottery process and selective high schools

[Anonymous]

New DC transplant here. Please help me understand how the lottery process works with selective high schools. When I called My School DC they told me something different than what I understood from their web materials.

DD applied to 4 selective high schools. Let's say that school #1 waitlists her, school #2 does not accept her, but school #3 matches/accepts her.

Which of these is correct?

- She is MATCHED at #3 and will STAY on #1's waitlist. If #1 has a seat open up, she can go there.
- She is ONLY in at #3 and will be REMOVED from #1's waitlist and now has zero chance of going there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New DC transplant here. Please help me understand how the lottery process works with selective high schools. When I called My School DC they told me something different than what I understood from their web materials.

DD applied to 4 selective high schools. Let's say that school #1 waitlists her, school #2 does not accept her, but school #3 matches/accepts her.

Which of these is correct?

- She is MATCHED at #3 and will STAY on #1's waitlist. If #1 has a seat open up, she can go there.
- She is ONLY in at #3 and will be REMOVED from #1's waitlist and now has zero chance of going there.

The first scenario. Student stays on waitlist of any school ranked higher than the school they matched with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New DC transplant here. Please help me understand how the lottery process works with selective high schools. When I called My School DC they told me something different than what I understood from their web materials.

DD applied to 4 selective high schools. Let's say that school #1 waitlists her, school #2 does not accept her, but school #3 matches/accepts her.

Which of these is correct?

- She is MATCHED at #3 and will STAY on #1's waitlist. If #1 has a seat open up, she can go there.
- She is ONLY in at #3 and will be REMOVED from #1's waitlist and now has zero chance of going there.

The first scenario. Student stays on waitlist of any school ranked higher than the school they matched with.

Yes. If those numbers are the ranking order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New DC transplant here. Please help me understand how the lottery process works with selective high schools. When I called My School DC they told me something different than what I understood from their web materials.

DD applied to 4 selective high schools. Let's say that school #1 waitlists her, school #2 does not accept her, but school #3 matches/accepts her.

Which of these is correct?

- She is MATCHED at #3 and will STAY on #1's waitlist. If #1 has a seat open up, she can go there.
- She is ONLY in at #3 and will be REMOVED from #1's waitlist and now has zero chance of going there.

This one is correct--and even though it stings to not get in right off the bat, the nice thing is that if she does get into #1 later, she can CHOOSE between #1 and #3. It's really the only way you get to choose between schools after the lottery/selective HS process. My DD had this happen. Otherwise, you just get the seat at your highest ranked school.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks to the PPs for helping me understand all of this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New DC transplant here. Please help me understand how the lottery process works with selective high schools. When I called My School DC they told me something different than what I understood from their web materials.

DD applied to 4 selective high schools. Let's say that school #1 waitlists her, school #2 does not accept her, but school #3 matches/accepts her.

Which of these is correct?

- She is MATCHED at #3 and will STAY on #1's waitlist. If #1 has a seat open up, she can go there.
- She is ONLY in at #3 and will be REMOVED from #1's waitlist and now has zero chance of going there.

Not a matter of first impression or nuanced answer. It is this.