waitlist - how early is too early?

[Anonymous]

I am a total novice at this private school thing so I apologize if I come across like a big dummy. Having said that, what is a good "timeframe" for getting on a waitlist for private school kindergarten? I recognize this varies by the school. I've got a 2 year old now. When should I start looking into this for him? Is now ridiculously early? Maybe when he's 3? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

You don't ask to be put on a wait list. If the school has an application process, you apply and they decide to either admit, wait list or reject you for kindergarten. This might be different for preschools, many of which are not competitive admissions. There may be some kindergartens that don't have a screening process. Others can weigh in on that. Even pre-k has an application process at the selective schools.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing you're in Virginia and are thinking of the first-come first-serve preschool process that is common in NoVa. Admissions for private schools work differently. You can only begin to apply the fall before your child would be attending the program. Admission is based on a number of criteria and it doesn't matter when you submit your application as long as it's in the application timeframe (usually October-January).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing you're in Virginia and are thinking of the first-come first-serve preschool process that is common in NoVa. Admissions for private schools work differently. You can only begin to apply the fall before your child would be attending the program. Admission is based on a number of criteria and it doesn't matter when you submit your application as long as it's in the application timeframe (usually October-January).

Exactly. Thank you. This answers my questions perfectly!