Pre-K 4 vs Kindergarten odds

[Anonymous]

DC could apply for Pre-4 or kindergarten for the 26/27 school year due to a late birthday. Current preschool recommended not redshirting, but we are indifferent. No sibling preference.

Which grade entry (Pre-K or K) likely has the better odds of acceptance at the following schools? I would rather not do this whole thing multiple times.

Sidwell
Concord Hill
Beauvoir
Norwood

[Anonymous]

Late summer birthday?

[Anonymous]

Yup late late summer

[Anonymous]

Most will insist you hold back for their needs, not your child. Have your child go on time.

[Anonymous]

Tell the schools you're open to either, based on their assessment after the playdate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell the schools you're open to either, based on their assessment after the playdate.

Schools like that.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Great suggestion thanks

[Anonymous]

Sidwell - better chance in K. Admits 20 in pre-K, 28 in K.

Beauvoir - better chance in pre-K. Admits 63 in pre-K, 21 in K. Sibling preference applied only in pre-K.

[Anonymous]

Just tell the admissions people you’re open to either and see what they say.

Although be ready that you have to go with what they say.

[Anonymous]

That list is weird if you « don’t want to do this again. » Only Sidwell goes through 12.

To answer your question, the school is going to prefer that you hold back a late summer birthday but you can tell them you are open to either grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That list is weird if you « don’t want to do this again. » Only Sidwell goes through 12.

To answer your question, the school is going to prefer that you hold back a late summer birthday but you can tell them you are open to either grade.

There’s a difference it not wanting to do something again in a year or two vs several years down the road.

[Anonymous]

You’re a year out and your kid is 3? How can current preschool possibly recommend whether you redshirt or not?

[Anonymous]

We applied for PreK at Norwood last admissions season and my kid was outright rejected (not waitlisted). The PreK class is half the size of the K classes, so that means they can largely fill the PreK class with siblings of existing students. If your kid is not in the right category to fill out whatever spaces they have left, it makes it hard to get in. If you're open to your kid going to either PreK or K depending on the school's preference, that probably helps them fill their classes they way they want to. (That said, don't ignore your gut if you feel your child is not ready for K.) We did not apply to the other schools on your list (too far from us).

[Anonymous]

I had the same dilemma last year and decided not to redshirt. Honestly, I think the odds are about the same at this age. They don’t fill their classrooms to full capacity. There is always space. In the end, they either like your family and your child for their specific reasons or they don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We applied for PreK at Norwood last admissions season and my kid was outright rejected (not waitlisted). The PreK class is half the size of the K classes, so that means they can largely fill the PreK class with siblings of existing students. If your kid is not in the right category to fill out whatever spaces they have left, it makes it hard to get in. If you're open to your kid going to either PreK or K depending on the school's preference, that probably helps them fill their classes they way they want to. (That said, don't ignore your gut if you feel your child is not ready for K.) We did not apply to the other schools on your list (too far from us).

+1 on Norwood filling the preK class with siblings. My younger kids did preK there and there were only like 2-3 slots where the child did not have an existing relationship with the school. A few more siblings joined in K, but most of the class was “new families” in K.