DC PS3 lottery question regarding ranking- and impact on waitlist

[Anonymous]

My apologies if this is a duplicate question, but I can't seem to find the answer and have been getting conflicting reports from other parents.

I am interested in applying for PS3 in 2013-2104.

Hypothetically, I would like to be rank in this order:

1- My inbounds with proximity school (Tyler Spanish Immersion)
2- My inbounds school (Brent)
3- Additional schools, yet to be determined

By ranking my inbounds school second, am I then theoretically putting myself at the back of the waistlist behind other parents who ranked our inbounds school as #1?

My understanding of the lottery system is that the following steps occur:

1- All applicants assigned a randomly assigned lottery number
2- Slots are filled in order of random number first with inbounds students with siblings, then inbounds, then, out of bounds with siblings.

At what point does the ranking of the six schools begin to apply? If I am not accepted at my #1 ranked school, am I still grouped with the other inbounds family in order of preference? Or pushed behind all the families that chose our inbound school as #1, but higher than #3,4,5 or 6?

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

This year you will not be added to the wait list at all of any schools ranked lower than one you are accepted to. So, if you are accepted to Tyler SI, you will not even be on the wait list for Brent. Of course once your child hits K you are guaranteed admission there. If you are wait listed at Tyler then you will either ge admitted or ait listed at Brent, and so on down the list.

[Anonymous]

OP here- my question centered on the fact I did not get into my #1 choice.

Does my ranking #2 of my inbounds school bump me to the back of the list behind inbounds parents who ranked it #1? Or am I considered "equal" with all things dependent on the actual lottery number assigned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My apologies if this is a duplicate question, but I can't seem to find the answer and have been getting conflicting reports from other parents.

I am interested in applying for PS3 in 2013-2104.

Hypothetically, I would like to be rank in this order:

1- My inbounds with proximity school (Tyler Spanish Immersion)
2- My inbounds school (Brent)
3- Additional schools, yet to be determined

By ranking my inbounds school second, am I then theoretically putting myself at the back of the waistlist behind other parents who ranked our inbounds school as #1?

My understanding of the lottery system is that the following steps occur:

1- All applicants assigned a randomly assigned lottery number
2- Slots are filled in order of random number first with inbounds students with siblings, then inbounds, then, out of bounds with siblings.

At what point does the ranking of the six schools begin to apply? If I am not accepted at my #1 ranked school, am I still grouped with the other inbounds family in order of preference? Or pushed behind all the families that chose our inbound school as #1, but higher than #3,4,5 or 6?

Thank you,

You have a pretty solid understanding. One minor correction -- proximity preference comes after out of bounds with siblings AND closing school preference (which I believe cover specifically designated schools, but you may want to confirm with the DCPS critical response hotline)

Your IB status would not be impacted by not ranking your IB 1st. If you gain space in your top choice you'll be dropped from all lower choices (IB or not). Howerver, if you get a spot at your IB (or lower) you can remain waitlisted at all schools ranked higher. If a non-IB school is really your top preference it shouldn't matter if you get shut out of a lower choice. It's important not to place a safer choice higher than your preferred choice

[Anonymous]

Sorry, so no, you will have the same initial odds (preferences included) at each school no matter where you rank them. So ranking Tyler 1st will not put you further back for Brent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- my question centered on the fact I did not get into my #1 choice.

Does my ranking #2 of my inbounds school bump me to the back of the list behind inbounds parents who ranked it #1? Or am I considered "equal" with all things dependent on the actual lottery number assigned?

You should contact the critical response team at DCPS -- I believe it is considered equal with all other candidates with the same preference.

[Anonymous]

OP again- Thanks! I did send an email to the critical response team at DCPS. Whenever I receive a response, I will share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- my question centered on the fact I did not get into my #1 choice.
Does my ranking #2 of my inbounds school bump me to the back of the list behind inbounds parents who ranked it #1? Or am I considered "equal" with all things dependent on the actual lottery number assigned?

I think you have one thing fundamentally confused - and don't fret over it, a lot of advanced stats students don't get this either - the lotteries/drawings are INDEPENDENT and rankings therefore don't influence what's happening to your little power ball jiggling in the jug. When the ranking starts to kick in is when the balls have dropped. If and when you get a spot at Tyler SI in your case, you will be TAKEN OFF the lists for ALL YOUR OTHER options. (In the past you'd have been bumped back on those lists but no longer. Off you go.)
If you get a spot at Brent in your case, then you'll be taken off the lists of all but the first choice because the system will assume that you'd still like that more and would want to wait to get it over the summer.

But you don't need to study statistics and probabilities to get this all. The bottom line is that you should make up your mind as to what you'd like best and then put that at the top, next things next etc. There really is no other way to think about it and behave accordingly.

[Anonymous]

The lottery works on a "stable matching" system. You have your ranking of the schools (1 through 6) and the schools ranking of you and everyone else that has applied to them (in-bounds, sibling, proximity, etc). The lottery will then add a random number to their rankings of students as a form of a tie breaker. They then add students to the schools based on the schools rankings and correct it based on your rankings. Once those temporary assignments are fixed they finalize the lists and publish it. You will be only given 1 seat in the lottery, and any ranking ABOVE your accepted seat will be added to a waitlist.

It's all based on a system designed by Nobel Prize winning economist Alvin Roth - http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2012/popular-economicsciences2012.pdf

[Anonymous]

There is no such thing as "inbounds with proximity". If you are inbounds, you are inbounds. You can be out-of-bounds with proximity. That puts you at an advantage over other OOB students.

[Anonymous]

Also, while this may not be directly relevant to your question, for Tyler SI- OOB with Sibling is given higher preference than Proximity preference. This is unique to Tyler SI and is established to support families who have made the comitment to immersion education.

Also, for what it is worth (unless you are my husband posting!) we are in the exact same situation and preffing in the same order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again- Thanks! I did send an email to the critical response team at DCPS. Whenever I receive a response, I will share.

I'd recommend calling them -- they're actually pretty responsive and willing to take the time to fully answer questions. I've had good experiences using this resource.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also, for what it is worth (unless you are my husband posting!) we are in the exact same situation and preffing in the same order.

30 Rock reference anyone? Just don't threaten to beat him up at the playground

[Anonymous]

I'm still a little confused. Let's say I'm undecided or want to keep my options open - If the lotteries run independently, and I'm in-bounds at school A, wouldn't it behoove me to rank school A 6th? Thus, leaving it a possibility to wait lists at 1-5 if I get into A? Say I want Brent or SWS, but in bounds Peanody. I could do:

1. SWS
2. Brent
3. Peabody

Hopefully lock in Peabody but stay on other schools wait lists hoping for mid-year movement? Peabody wouldn't pick a child over mine who had ranked it #1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm still a little confused. Let's say I'm undecided or want to keep my options open - If the lotteries run independently, and I'm in-bounds at school A, wouldn't it behoove me to rank school A 6th? Thus, leaving it a possibility to wait lists at 1-5 if I get into A? Say I want Brent or SWS, but in bounds Peanody. I could do:

1. SWS
2. Brent
3. Peabody

Hopefully lock in Peabody but stay on other schools wait lists hoping for mid-year movement? Peabody wouldn't pick a child over mine who had ranked it #1?

Each lottery runs independently, so your rankings don't affect your numbers. In your situation, you will always have a better number at Peabody than an out-of-bounds kid trying for Peabody. But if you got into SWS, you would be dropped from the Brent and Peabody pools altogether, and the out of bounds kid would move up one more slot at Peabody.

Just rank the schools in the order in which you would like to go. If your IB school is your top choice, put it top. If it's your last resort, i.e. you would rather go to any of your other 5 picks, then put it last.