Help with pk3 ranking please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the same situation as the OP, entering PK3 in the fall and in bounds for Garrison. We honestly think it's our #1, so our lottery list is more about backup plans if we get a terrible number and don't get in. We own our place and value neighborhood school/walkability/sane commute so will likely be Garrison for K. Our strategy is Garrison, then a bunch of total flyers just in case it turns out the pandemic has totally upended past lottery trends, then the charters where we're actually likely to end up if the lottery is normal but we get a bad number. Interested in feedback, particularly around what I'm missing or other possibilities to round out the list.

1. Garrison
2. Marie Reed English dominant (not happening, but you miss the shots you don't take)
3. Seaton
4. Thomson
5. Appletree Columbia Heights (realistically where we end up if we whiff on Garrison)
6. Meridian PCS
7. KIPP Grow
8. Tubman

This seems both completely reasonably and also appears that you understand what you're doing. The only thing you might consider is whether to switch 1 and 2 (putting MR first and Garrison second). I'm reading between the lines here, and (obviously) could be wrong but it seems like MR is your #1 shoot for the moon option and Garrison is your down-to-earth #1 option. If that's true, I would switch them. But if I'm reading it wrong, then I can't figure out what else I would add/what I would change. Appletree CH tends to clear their waitlist, and I have several friends who have been very happy there so I think it's a solid backup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the same situation as the OP, entering PK3 in the fall and in bounds for Garrison. We honestly think it's our #1, so our lottery list is more about backup plans if we get a terrible number and don't get in. We own our place and value neighborhood school/walkability/sane commute so will likely be Garrison for K. Our strategy is Garrison, then a bunch of total flyers just in case it turns out the pandemic has totally upended past lottery trends, then the charters where we're actually likely to end up if the lottery is normal but we get a bad number. Interested in feedback, particularly around what I'm missing or other possibilities to round out the list.

1. Garrison
2. Marie Reed English dominant (not happening, but you miss the shots you don't take)
3. Seaton
4. Thomson
5. Appletree Columbia Heights (realistically where we end up if we whiff on Garrison)
6. Meridian PCS
7. KIPP Grow
8. Tubman

This seems both completely reasonably and also appears that you understand what you're doing. The only thing you might consider is whether to switch 1 and 2 (putting MR first and Garrison second). I'm reading between the lines here, and (obviously) could be wrong but it seems like MR is your #1 shoot for the moon option and Garrison is your down-to-earth #1 option. If that's true, I would switch them. But if I'm reading it wrong, then I can't figure out what else I would add/what I would change. Appletree CH tends to clear their waitlist, and I have several friends who have been very happy there so I think it's a solid backup.

I agree with this- unless Garrison is your true number 1 you might as well put MR #1. Super unlikely but you are right with the pandemic, who knows- maybe tons of people moved out of bounds from condos, etc and there willl be less interest.

[Anonymous]

If you're in for the long haul Seaton may be a better bet for upper elementary and is close to Garrison. Or Thomson as it has a better middle school feed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the same situation as the OP, entering PK3 in the fall and in bounds for Garrison. We honestly think it's our #1, so our lottery list is more about backup plans if we get a terrible number and don't get in. We own our place and value neighborhood school/walkability/sane commute so will likely be Garrison for K. Our strategy is Garrison, then a bunch of total flyers just in case it turns out the pandemic has totally upended past lottery trends, then the charters where we're actually likely to end up if the lottery is normal but we get a bad number. Interested in feedback, particularly around what I'm missing or other possibilities to round out the list.

1. Garrison
2. Marie Reed English dominant (not happening, but you miss the shots you don't take)
3. Seaton
4. Thomson
5. Appletree Columbia Heights (realistically where we end up if we whiff on Garrison)
6. Meridian PCS
7. KIPP Grow
8. Tubman

This seems both completely reasonably and also appears that you understand what you're doing. The only thing you might consider is whether to switch 1 and 2 (putting MR first and Garrison second). I'm reading between the lines here, and (obviously) could be wrong but it seems like MR is your #1 shoot for the moon option and Garrison is your down-to-earth #1 option. If that's true, I would switch them. But if I'm reading it wrong, then I can't figure out what else I would add/what I would change. Appletree CH tends to clear their waitlist, and I have several friends who have been very happy there so I think it's a solid backup.

I agree with this- unless Garrison is your true number 1 you might as well put MR #1. Super unlikely but you are right with the pandemic, who knows- maybe tons of people moved out of bounds from condos, etc and there willl be less interest.

If you don't get into Garrison it will be because your number is utterly craptastic and you won't get into anything else that is okay like Seaton or Thomson. The pandemic is not going to invert things so much that that changes. And if you do get Garrison you won't be waitlisted for anything you rank lower. You won't be on the list at all.

The #1 spot is for the school you want the most. It isn't for what you think is the most likely option. It sounds like you actually might want Marie Reed. Put it above Garrison if you want to preserve the option at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are new to the lottery application (pk3) and feel quite overwhelmed, I would appreciate any positive criticism to our current list:

1. Marie Reed dual language (English dominant)
2. Garrison (our in boundary school)
3. Bancroft
4. Mundo verde Cook
5. Mundo verde Calle Ocho
6. Lamb Kingsbury
7. Lamb South Dakota
8. EW Stokes (French)
9. HD Cooke
10. Cleveland dual language (English dominant)
11. Mary McLeod Bethune
12. Thomson

We are in boundary for Garrison, but we are renting and will probably move in the next 1-2 years. We would love to do dual language, especially at Marie reed, I understand this is almost impossible but we still want to try.

Thanks for your help!

I might add a few safeties instead of some of the charters that are very unlikely if your number is not good enough for your IB. I think Kipp Grow and Friendship Armstrong are close if you are around Garrison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're planning to move don't put garrison so high on your list. If you get in and you are in bound and you move out of bounds you may not be able to stay. Put a school you may want to stay at higher on your list. Also if you are in charter or out of bounds school, and you move, you have more freedom to live in a place irrespective of schools.

Also all the virtual open houses we went to were meh or terrible. Based off of friends who attend those schools, we are rating them higher than the virtual open house would suggest. MV was particularly terrible at the virtual open house but I don't think that is reflective of the school being terrible (though there are other reasons you may not like it).

There is zero chance Garrison would put them out for moving OOB. The upper grades have tons of OOB kids.

Unlikey perhaps but not impossible. Upper grades have oob now but may not have as many in the future. And what if OP moved at K or 1?

[Anonymous]

OP here - Thanks so much everyone for all the input! I truly appreciate the help.
I will remove some schools from our list to add some more safeties.
Any thoughts on Meridian? A friend had a bad experience two years ago (pk3) and I'm wondering if anything might have changed/improved in the last couple of years. Thank you

[Anonymous]

Poster who piggybacked on the OP here. Would also be interested in thoughts on Meridian.

[Anonymous]

I would go with whichever school will actually let your kid attend school five days per week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're planning to move don't put garrison so high on your list. If you get in and you are in bound and you move out of bounds you may not be able to stay. Put a school you may want to stay at higher on your list. Also if you are in charter or out of bounds school, and you move, you have more freedom to live in a place irrespective of schools.

Also all the virtual open houses we went to were meh or terrible. Based off of friends who attend those schools, we are rating them higher than the virtual open house would suggest. MV was particularly terrible at the virtual open house but I don't think that is reflective of the school being terrible (though there are other reasons you may not like it).

There is zero chance Garrison would put them out for moving OOB. The upper grades have tons of OOB kids.

Unlikey perhaps but not impossible. Upper grades have oob now but may not have as many in the future. And what if OP moved at K or 1?

It takes longer than that for a school to fill up with IB. Even if they stop taking a lot of new OOB, they are not going to put out their existing OOB students without a strong reason. The issue with Garrison is that people leave because of lack of a middle school, so it is easier to get in for upper grades than for preschool. I know Garrison has the buzz right now but without a good middle school, that only takes you so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're planning to move don't put garrison so high on your list. If you get in and you are in bound and you move out of bounds you may not be able to stay. Put a school you may want to stay at higher on your list. Also if you are in charter or out of bounds school, and you move, you have more freedom to live in a place irrespective of schools.

Also all the virtual open houses we went to were meh or terrible. Based off of friends who attend those schools, we are rating them higher than the virtual open house would suggest. MV was particularly terrible at the virtual open house but I don't think that is reflective of the school being terrible (though there are other reasons you may not like it).

There is zero chance Garrison would put them out for moving OOB. The upper grades have tons of OOB kids.

Unlikey perhaps but not impossible. Upper grades have oob now but may not have as many in the future. And what if OP moved at K or 1?

It takes longer than that for a school to fill up with IB. Even if they stop taking a lot of new OOB, they are not going to put out their existing OOB students without a strong reason. The issue with Garrison is that people leave because of lack of a middle school, so it is easier to get in for upper grades than for preschool. I know Garrison has the buzz right now but without a good middle school, that only takes you so far.

That's why op, who may not stay in the neighborhood anyway, would be better off trying to get into charters with a better path, especially given the interest in dual language.