Do some people just "jump" the wait list?

[Anonymous]

Hello, of course this happens!! At ALL top private schools. I know a number of top Administration officials who moved here and got their kids in at private schools at the last minute. Also non-Admin families relocating whose kids were coming from good privates. Happens all the time. You didn't think there was an actual list with people moving up in order did you?

[Anonymous]

Right, that's called the daycare list. Naive people are confusing the two.



We are a family that came from the West Coast mid-year and got 3 spots in competitive NWDC preschools (not the same, I know). I think it's because DH was intriguing or exotic to the preschool ADs. There's certainly nothing hot about our 3 yr old son, believe me.

[Anonymous]

Probably need a pole vault pole if you want to jump the list for King's:
In order to secure a place at King’s we suggest that parents start the process about three years in advance. The first stage is to visit, with or without children, and have a guided tour of the school and a meeting with a senior member of staff. Most parents book such a visit following discussions with their Prep School Head. Visits can be organised at a time to suit parents, and Saturday mornings are always very popular. Most will register with the school at this stage. Clearly there are advantages in registering early since lists do become full for some years ahead. The next visit would be to choose a Boarding or Day house and we would suggest that this is done at least two years before entry. We also run a number of Open Days which give parents and prospective pupils a very similar opportunity to see the school in action.
http://www.kings-school.co.uk/

OK-not local, but it's always nice to get another perspective.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we did.

[Anonymous]

Yes, we did.

That's awesome. Good for you! I like it and wish we could do the same.

[Anonymous]

We are soon to move to another city; the need for the move was unexpected. I called 4 of the top private schools in the area and informed them of our circumstances. At each, I was told that the class was full but that if DC were "very qualified," a place would be found. We started with our top choice, DC admitted very quickly. I informed the other ADs that we were inclined to go with this school, and I then began fielding phone calls from these ADs recruiting my DC. Our family offers nothing exciting or exotic, and we hardly present as potential big donors (and we're not), though we don't need FA. My DC is "very qualified," though I do wonder how the application would have fared had we had to go through the normal process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The wait list is not a line. It is a group of students who the schools are potentially interested in (or, for some schools, a group of students who applied and didn't get accepted, including some the schools are potentially interested in). The schools make no commitment that they will choose from the wait list in some order, or at all - it's not like the charter school lotteries.

I agree.

But just to be clear, isn't OP really talking about families who skip the normal admissions cycle entirely? So they were never on the wait list to begin with. Some people seem to be answering the question this way, others don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are soon to move to another city; the need for the move was unexpected. I called 4 of the top private schools in the area and informed them of our circumstances. At each, I was told that the class was full but that if DC were "very qualified," a place would be found. We started with our top choice, DC admitted very quickly. I informed the other ADs that we were inclined to go with this school, and I then began fielding phone calls from these ADs recruiting my DC. Our family offers nothing exciting or exotic, and we hardly present as potential big donors (and we're not), though we don't need FA. My DC is "very qualified," though I do wonder how the application would have fared had we had to go through the normal process.

Where are you moving? Cleveland?

[Anonymous]

Yes, it happens, even at very competitive schools, if a potential major donor comes in with a late applicant who is even minimally qualified, the doors will open. I used to believe this would never happen, but I've now seen it, though I don't know how common it is.

[Anonymous]

I think it happens *especially* at the famous, very top schools, which are more likely than the less-known schools to have big names applying late because of moves, expulsions, whatever.

[Anonymous]

PP said: "Right, that's called the daycare list. Naive people are confusing the two."

Actually, I would say that "naive people" think that daycare waiting lists aren't political. I know of instances where non-priority applicants "jumped" priority applicants at very "in-demand" daycare centers because they worked the Administration.

[Anonymous]

"Where are you moving? Cleveland? "

Geez. I was just trying to be helpful by posting our experience, which I myself found surprising And no we are not moving to Cleveland and my DC is in fact going to a school that is on the Forbes "top 25 schools outside of NY," for whatever that is worth - I suspect that you are someone who is impressed by that kind of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Where are you moving? Cleveland? "

Geez. I was just trying to be helpful by posting our experience, which I myself found surprising And no we are not moving to Cleveland and my DC is in fact going to a school that is on the Forbes "top 25 schools outside of NY," for whatever that is worth - I suspect that you are someone who is impressed by that kind of thing.

Ignore that poster. I found your situation interesting. Thanks for telling us about it. Private school admissions can be mystifying and frustrating. It's always nice to have a little light shed on the situation.