Raise your hand if you gave deposits to multiple schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in DC and your kid is applying to DCPS selective schools, you won't know if they get into those until March 31 (the misalignment in these admissions timelines is maddening!). And, some folks might be seeing if financial aid offers change after the enrollment deadline, or seeing how the different schools assess and place their kids for the upcoming year as an indicator of how good a fit it really is in terms of process, learning content, or more. It's not something we would do but I can see that there are still some factors up in the air at this point.

Even if you're waiting on the DC lottery there's no reason to put down multiple deposits. Put down a deposit at your first choice private and then if you get in somewhere in the lottery you can pull out.

well, I mean there are the other two reasons I noted, but obviously YMMV

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in DC and your kid is applying to DCPS selective schools, you won't know if they get into those until March 31 (the misalignment in these admissions timelines is maddening!). And, some folks might be seeing if financial aid offers change after the enrollment deadline, or seeing how the different schools assess and place their kids for the upcoming year as an indicator of how good a fit it really is in terms of process, learning content, or more. It's not something we would do but I can see that there are still some factors up in the air at this point.

Even if you're waiting on the DC lottery there's no reason to put down multiple deposits. Put down a deposit at your first choice private and then if you get in somewhere in the lottery you can pull out.

well, I mean there are the other two reasons I noted, but obviously YMMV

If you're accepted to all of your top choices then you needed to place a deposit on the 17th. The deposits aren't for waitlisters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in DC and your kid is applying to DCPS selective schools, you won't know if they get into those until March 31 (the misalignment in these admissions timelines is maddening!). And, some folks might be seeing if financial aid offers change after the enrollment deadline, or seeing how the different schools assess and place their kids for the upcoming year as an indicator of how good a fit it really is in terms of process, learning content, or more. It's not something we would do but I can see that there are still some factors up in the air at this point.

Even if you're waiting on the DC lottery there's no reason to put down multiple deposits. Put down a deposit at your first choice private and then if you get in somewhere in the lottery you can pull out.

Do you mean waitlisters pay deposits to stay on the waitlists??

[Anonymous]

if you put down a deposit didnt you sign a contract?

how do people get out of their private school contracts without a big financial hit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you put down a deposit didnt you sign a contract?

how do people get out of their private school contracts without a big financial hit?

Generally, one can still drop the school before June 1st, but they still lose the deposit. Starting June 1st, the contract usually makes the family liable to pay full tuition - even if they do not attend or leave before the end of the year. There is some variation on this topic from school to school, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you put down a deposit didnt you sign a contract?

how do people get out of their private school contracts without a big financial hit?

You can pull out of the contracts before May 31 and your only losses are the deposits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you put down a deposit didnt you sign a contract?

how do people get out of their private school contracts without a big financial hit?

If you put down the deposit, you just have to withdraw before May 31st or you will be on the hook for all that money. I think the only thing that makes sense to me is if someone put down a deposit and eventually got off the waitlist and then had to pay another deposit. Just not being able to decide by May 31st doesn't make sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Is this a common thing to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a common thing to do?

No and it's incredibly dumb. Contract language can and sometimes does label this a breach of contract and a reason to rescind the offer.

I think that is being massively unfair to your child.

[Anonymous]

We didn't do two deposits, but in a prior year we enrolled at a public and paid our deposit at a private. It happens.

[Anonymous]

Dont the schools find out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dont the schools find out?

Doubt that they care. Lots of demand out there at least right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in DC and your kid is applying to DCPS selective schools, you won't know if they get into those until March 31 (the misalignment in these admissions timelines is maddening!). And, some folks might be seeing if financial aid offers change after the enrollment deadline, or seeing how the different schools assess and place their kids for the upcoming year as an indicator of how good a fit it really is in terms of process, learning content, or more. It's not something we would do but I can see that there are still some factors up in the air at this point.

Even if you're waiting on the DC lottery there's no reason to put down multiple deposits. Put down a deposit at your first choice private and then if you get in somewhere in the lottery you can pull out.

Do you mean waitlisters pay deposits to stay on the waitlists??

No of course not. Folks who were waiting on news that wouldn’t come before the 17th (including DCPS and MCPS lotteries, TJ decision, or boarding school decisions) would have to put down a deposit for the top choice school that accepted their child while waiting to hear from other schools on different timelines. OR while staying on a WL for a preferred school. Unless the preferred alternative is the in-bound public school, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We didn't do two deposits, but in a prior year we enrolled at a public and paid our deposit at a private. It happens.

Same. We have 2 deposits plus 1 public. Accepted to the public on Friday and will be making our decision over the next week or so after visits. Some schools don’t let you shadow visit so why would we accept until we do that? I’m very happy to pay my money if my kid can get a real chance to see the school. That’s what a shadow visit is for. Then they will decide. And one of you will be very lucky!

[Anonymous]

Also concur. We have to deposit and will decide as soon as we do the shadow visits. Not trying to rile anyone up but if we are going to commit to a school we need to make sure my kid is 100%!