DC Lottery Results

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. But her current school isn’t very academically rigorous and I feel she does need more structure. Unsure if Truth is the answer either. That’s IF we get in. And if don’t then moving might be only option left.

Why not try BASIS for 5th and lottery again for 6th if you're still not sure? Based on comments here seems like 5th is a more "gentle" year at BASIS - a lot of teaching the kids organization and study skills and no comps.

I feel like people underestimate how stressful switching schools is. I have an extroverted, generally pretty easy kid, and he still talks about how stressful it was switching in second grade.

The difference here is that, no matter what you decide, there will be multiple transitions. It's just the nature of 5th and 6th grade in DC.

If they stay at current elementary school for 5th, it's still a "transition" since many 4th grade classmates will move on to charters or better middle school feeders. And they will still have to transition to a new school in 6th. If they don't lottery into something they like for 6th, they're not just looking at moving schools but moving out of DC entirely, which is obviously a much bigger transition.

If instead they go to BASIS for 5th, yeah it's a transition. But if they end up liking it, they're set. If they don't, they're in the same position lotterying for 6th as they would be anyway. But maybe it buys them a little extra time to make a game plan if they're willing to stick with BASIS for 6th.

Coming from the suburbs (living in DC for 15+ years now tho..). this still blows my mind. as a Florida burbs kid, we went to the same cluster, all of our friends. Elementary Middle HS.

I assume it is like this around here in MD and VA of course. But DC.. I get it. Your kids have these elementary friends they grow up with and BAM. 5th grade they are in a brand new school (like a BASIS or a Latin). Start all over with faces they have never seen.

I am aware that there are thousands of kids in DC that go to the same Elem, middle, and HS as their cluster and they stay public the entire time. I get that, too. I am merely commenting on the this comment above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:here we go...
We live in Mt. Pleasant. Besides the list below, we also have the option of an immersion charter in a language we care about (though not a high-demand like Spanish or Chinese), which involves either a commute in the opposite direction from our jobs or a parent-organized bus. We know parents there, but there's no good feeder option.

All the options on this list involve a bus or commute, but at least they'd be in the direction of our (federal worker) jobs, and tbh in neighborhoods we'd be happy to move to someday, assuming our incomes and future interest rates agree (for now, we're golden handcuffed to MtP via a prepandemic rate). fwiw, looking at the lottery history, a few - Hyde-Addison, Murch, etc - accepted more from the wait list last year than our current wait list number. Not sure we currently know any parents at any of them. But some of them feed to Deal (forgive my ignorance, does that apply to lottery kids too?)

The closest/easiest option for us in terms of commute...also not on this list...is actually a private school which has offered very generous financial aid, where we know several parents - but of course, the annual tuition would still exceed five figures, once you add in aftercare. And this is just kid 1 of 2.

Honest questions, if anyone has thoughts:
What is the likelihood that any of the schools on this list might come through - and if they do, are they worth the commitment over the relatively known quantities (to us) of an immersion charter that comes with a few asterisks, or a private that comes with a non-zero price tag?

And while I guess it's sort of a pointless exercise to ask "what would you do?" - since everyone has different calculations and different weights they give various factors, and also we're not including some pertinent (to us) details here - I am curious anyway!

--


1 Ross Elementary School Waitlisted - #22

2 Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (Oyster) - English Dominant Waitlisted - #47

3 Hearst Elementary School Waitlisted - #27

4 Murch Elementary School Waitlisted - #16

5 Stoddert Elementary School Waitlisted - #33

6 Hyde-Addison Elementary School Waitlisted - #23

7 Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) PCS Waitlisted - #22

8 Key Elementary School Match (enrollment pending)

Just accept at Sela - the bus is literally outside your house. They will have a MS feeder in the next two years. You will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. But her current school isn’t very academically rigorous and I feel she does need more structure. Unsure if Truth is the answer either. That’s IF we get in. And if don’t then moving might be only option left.

Why not try BASIS for 5th and lottery again for 6th if you're still not sure? Based on comments here seems like 5th is a more "gentle" year at BASIS - a lot of teaching the kids organization and study skills and no comps.

I feel like people underestimate how stressful switching schools is. I have an extroverted, generally pretty easy kid, and he still talks about how stressful it was switching in second grade.

The difference here is that, no matter what you decide, there will be multiple transitions. It's just the nature of 5th and 6th grade in DC.

If they stay at current elementary school for 5th, it's still a "transition" since many 4th grade classmates will move on to charters or better middle school feeders. And they will still have to transition to a new school in 6th. If they don't lottery into something they like for 6th, they're not just looking at moving schools but moving out of DC entirely, which is obviously a much bigger transition.

If instead they go to BASIS for 5th, yeah it's a transition. But if they end up liking it, they're set. If they don't, they're in the same position lotterying for 6th as they would be anyway. But maybe it buys them a little extra time to make a game plan if they're willing to stick with BASIS for 6th.

No you’re right - especially in this instance. I just see moving schools/relotterying thrown out a lot on here, and I’m always a bit surprised. We’re now facing another possible move at 5th and I haven’t even told my kid they got in yet.

My feeling is most people who recommend this are trying to optimize middle and/or high school feeds and see a middle or high school transition as more harmful than an elementary transition (or two).

But some are definitely of the "grass is always greener" mentality and that feels harmful. Have acquaintances whose 2nd grader is struggling a bit both academically and socially, and I wonder how much of it is that she's never been in any childcare setting or school for more than a year before being moved again for something "better."

+1
In the end of the day, parents try to do what is best for their kids, but they also try to justify their decisions, even if it does result in a 'rose colored glasses' way of looking at things. As a former educator, I saw the impacts of kids who have to start and re-start at schools, both academically and socially. Also I see that at my children's school. Yes, we chose to keep our kids at their DCPS elementary and then middle, so I could be doing the same thing and justifying my choices, but I see the difference/impact between their peers who have moved around multiple schools, both in and out of their schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. But her current school isn’t very academically rigorous and I feel she does need more structure. Unsure if Truth is the answer either. That’s IF we get in. And if don’t then moving might be only option left.

Why not try BASIS for 5th and lottery again for 6th if you're still not sure? Based on comments here seems like 5th is a more "gentle" year at BASIS - a lot of teaching the kids organization and study skills and no comps.

I feel like people underestimate how stressful switching schools is. I have an extroverted, generally pretty easy kid, and he still talks about how stressful it was switching in second grade.

The difference here is that, no matter what you decide, there will be multiple transitions. It's just the nature of 5th and 6th grade in DC.

If they stay at current elementary school for 5th, it's still a "transition" since many 4th grade classmates will move on to charters or better middle school feeders. And they will still have to transition to a new school in 6th. If they don't lottery into something they like for 6th, they're not just looking at moving schools but moving out of DC entirely, which is obviously a much bigger transition.

If instead they go to BASIS for 5th, yeah it's a transition. But if they end up liking it, they're set. If they don't, they're in the same position lotterying for 6th as they would be anyway. But maybe it buys them a little extra time to make a game plan if they're willing to stick with BASIS for 6th.

No you’re right - especially in this instance. I just see moving schools/relotterying thrown out a lot on here, and I’m always a bit surprised. We’re now facing another possible move at 5th and I haven’t even told my kid they got in yet.

My feeling is most people who recommend this are trying to optimize middle and/or high school feeds and see a middle or high school transition as more harmful than an elementary transition (or two).

But some are definitely of the "grass is always greener" mentality and that feels harmful. Have acquaintances whose 2nd grader is struggling a bit both academically and socially, and I wonder how much of it is that she's never been in any childcare setting or school for more than a year before being moved again for something "better."

I think people especially on DCUM drastically underestimate the importance of stability versus other factors. Friends and faces that know you (for the most part, there are rare exceptions) are really important especially in early years. Teachers and staff who see a kid and family can spot changes and when kids are more secure they learn better. Plus kids pick up on the idea that where they were was "wrong" and "bad" much more than adults realize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here we go...
We live in Mt. Pleasant. Besides the list below, we also have the option of an immersion charter in a language we care about (though not a high-demand like Spanish or Chinese), which involves either a commute in the opposite direction from our jobs or a parent-organized bus. We know parents there, but there's no good feeder option.

All the options on this list involve a bus or commute, but at least they'd be in the direction of our (federal worker) jobs, and tbh in neighborhoods we'd be happy to move to someday, assuming our incomes and future interest rates agree (for now, we're golden handcuffed to MtP via a prepandemic rate). fwiw, looking at the lottery history, a few - Hyde-Addison, Murch, etc - accepted more from the wait list last year than our current wait list number. Not sure we currently know any parents at any of them. But some of them feed to Deal (forgive my ignorance, does that apply to lottery kids too?)

The closest/easiest option for us in terms of commute...also not on this list...is actually a private school which has offered very generous financial aid, where we know several parents - but of course, the annual tuition would still exceed five figures, once you add in aftercare. And this is just kid 1 of 2.

Honest questions, if anyone has thoughts:
What is the likelihood that any of the schools on this list might come through - and if they do, are they worth the commitment over the relatively known quantities (to us) of an immersion charter that comes with a few asterisks, or a private that comes with a non-zero price tag?

And while I guess it's sort of a pointless exercise to ask "what would you do?" - since everyone has different calculations and different weights they give various factors, and also we're not including some pertinent (to us) details here - I am curious anyway!

--


1 Ross Elementary School Waitlisted - #22

2 Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (Oyster) - English Dominant Waitlisted - #47

3 Hearst Elementary School Waitlisted - #27

4 Murch Elementary School Waitlisted - #16

5 Stoddert Elementary School Waitlisted - #33

6 Hyde-Addison Elementary School Waitlisted - #23

7 Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) PCS Waitlisted - #22

8 Key Elementary School Match (enrollment pending)

Just accept at Sela - the bus is literally outside your house. They will have a MS feeder in the next two years. You will be fine.

I also assumed the unnamed was Sela but what is the supposed feeder for them coming in two years?

[Anonymous]

My twins are on the waitlist #4 and #8 for EW Stokes Brookland French immersion program 1st grade. Any view on the chances of having both of them in? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here we go...
We live in Mt. Pleasant. Besides the list below, we also have the option of an immersion charter in a language we care about (though not a high-demand like Spanish or Chinese), which involves either a commute in the opposite direction from our jobs or a parent-organized bus. We know parents there, but there's no good feeder option.

All the options on this list involve a bus or commute, but at least they'd be in the direction of our (federal worker) jobs, and tbh in neighborhoods we'd be happy to move to someday, assuming our incomes and future interest rates agree (for now, we're golden handcuffed to MtP via a prepandemic rate). fwiw, looking at the lottery history, a few - Hyde-Addison, Murch, etc - accepted more from the wait list last year than our current wait list number. Not sure we currently know any parents at any of them. But some of them feed to Deal (forgive my ignorance, does that apply to lottery kids too?)

The closest/easiest option for us in terms of commute...also not on this list...is actually a private school which has offered very generous financial aid, where we know several parents - but of course, the annual tuition would still exceed five figures, once you add in aftercare. And this is just kid 1 of 2.

Honest questions, if anyone has thoughts:
What is the likelihood that any of the schools on this list might come through - and if they do, are they worth the commitment over the relatively known quantities (to us) of an immersion charter that comes with a few asterisks, or a private that comes with a non-zero price tag?

And while I guess it's sort of a pointless exercise to ask "what would you do?" - since everyone has different calculations and different weights they give various factors, and also we're not including some pertinent (to us) details here - I am curious anyway!

--


1 Ross Elementary School Waitlisted - #22

2 Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (Oyster) - English Dominant Waitlisted - #47

3 Hearst Elementary School Waitlisted - #27

4 Murch Elementary School Waitlisted - #16

5 Stoddert Elementary School Waitlisted - #33

6 Hyde-Addison Elementary School Waitlisted - #23

7 Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) PCS Waitlisted - #22

8 Key Elementary School Match (enrollment pending)

Just accept at Sela - the bus is literally outside your house. They will have a MS feeder in the next two years. You will be fine.

I also assumed the unnamed was Sela but what is the supposed feeder for them coming in two years?

I think the long running rumor is they would build their own middle school.

The idea of Sela (which we know families very happy there) is feeding into DCI is a pipe dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twins are on the waitlist #4 and #8 for EW Stokes Brookland French immersion program 1st grade. Any view on the chances of having both of them in? Thank you!

Chances are good IMO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. But her current school isn’t very academically rigorous and I feel she does need more structure. Unsure if Truth is the answer either. That’s IF we get in. And if don’t then moving might be only option left.

Why not try BASIS for 5th and lottery again for 6th if you're still not sure? Based on comments here seems like 5th is a more "gentle" year at BASIS - a lot of teaching the kids organization and study skills and no comps.

I feel like people underestimate how stressful switching schools is. I have an extroverted, generally pretty easy kid, and he still talks about how stressful it was switching in second grade.

The difference here is that, no matter what you decide, there will be multiple transitions. It's just the nature of 5th and 6th grade in DC.

If they stay at current elementary school for 5th, it's still a "transition" since many 4th grade classmates will move on to charters or better middle school feeders. And they will still have to transition to a new school in 6th. If they don't lottery into something they like for 6th, they're not just looking at moving schools but moving out of DC entirely, which is obviously a much bigger transition.

If instead they go to BASIS for 5th, yeah it's a transition. But if they end up liking it, they're set. If they don't, they're in the same position lotterying for 6th as they would be anyway. But maybe it buys them a little extra time to make a game plan if they're willing to stick with BASIS for 6th.

No you’re right - especially in this instance. I just see moving schools/relotterying thrown out a lot on here, and I’m always a bit surprised. We’re now facing another possible move at 5th and I haven’t even told my kid they got in yet.

My feeling is most people who recommend this are trying to optimize middle and/or high school feeds and see a middle or high school transition as more harmful than an elementary transition (or two).

But some are definitely of the "grass is always greener" mentality and that feels harmful. Have acquaintances whose 2nd grader is struggling a bit both academically and socially, and I wonder how much of it is that she's never been in any childcare setting or school for more than a year before being moved again for something "better."

There is absolutely a cost to moving that needs to be part of the equation for parents... Constantly seeking the "best" option is going to be a mindf*** for the kids and parents. Every time something bad happens, you'll wonder if you made the right choice to move.

That said, I did move my kids -- one to BASIS for 5th, and another mid elementary to a better school. The BASIS move was a complete non-issue. All the kids are new, they are coming from literally every Ward in the city, the school has camps and orientations that help the kids bond, the parents are all on a WhatsApp and organize their own events, the kids are grouped together in various ways and get to know each other, and there is just very little bullying at the school. It's not cliquey, for whatever reason. And almost everyone is coming with a handful of friendly faces from their old school.

The mid-elementary move, was definitely trickier. there were various elements of the new school that were objectively better, and of the old school that were pushing us away. The new school was also very conscientious about incorporating my kid, setting him up with a "buddy" and giving him a lot of extra attention to make sure he was OK. We have no regrets about it, and maybe I'm just trying to justify the decision, but it feels like one of the best decisions I've made for him. He actually is learning a lot more, in a more peaceful environment. He is being more pushed to meet his potential.

School choice is a very tricky thing to manage. It can make you feel like you need to optimize, and chasing the "best" option never ends. But sometimes, moving schools does work out.

[Anonymous]

We're waitlisted at #5 for Walls for 10th grade. Any idea what our chances might be?

Wondering if all incoming sophomores are waitlisted until after May 1st, when students make their enrollment decisions...

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain how for prek3 I got matched with a school as my #2 pick but others who put it as their #1 pick got waitlisted?

[Anonymous]

I have an incredibly stupid question, but I can't figure it out. DC is WL #7 at Powell English dominant. I'm looking at the historical data- the total offers made by June, August, and then October.

Do these numbers include each other? For example, if the number is "4" for August and "4" for October, does that mean "8" between the two months? Or does the 4 carry over?

for some schools these numbers are the same, and for others they are very different and now I'm confused. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an incredibly stupid question, but I can't figure it out. DC is WL #7 at Powell English dominant. I'm looking at the historical data- the total offers made by June, August, and then October.

Do these numbers include each other? For example, if the number is "4" for August and "4" for October, does that mean "8" between the two months? Or does the 4 carry over?

for some schools these numbers are the same, and for others they are very different and now I'm confused. Thank you!

I didn't even think of this - that is a good question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how for prek3 I got matched with a school as my #2 pick but others who put it as their #1 pick got waitlisted?

Because it doesn't matter to a school where you listed them, schools do not see your order. Only your lotter number determines your spot, so you got a better number than your friends. You need to watch MyschoolDC youtube videos to get a better understanding of how the lottery works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an incredibly stupid question, but I can't figure it out. DC is WL #7 at Powell English dominant. I'm looking at the historical data- the total offers made by June, August, and then October.

Do these numbers include each other? For example, if the number is "4" for August and "4" for October, does that mean "8" between the two months? Or does the 4 carry over?

for some schools these numbers are the same, and for others they are very different and now I'm confused. Thank you!

I didn't even think of this - that is a good question.

It is cumulative. That is why you never see a lower number in a later month.