Unified Lottery- Algorithm Question

[Anonymous]

I will be enrolling my child in PS3 and would like to get into my in-boundary school, although it will definitely have more applicants than spots and a percentage of spots will got to siblings. I can think of 3-4 schools I can pick as back-ups, but am not excited about them and would likely just do private if I don't get into my in-boundary school. In terms of strategy, do I have a better chance of getting into my #1 if that is my only pick, or does it make no difference if I list many schools? Although not thrilled about them, I suppose it would be good to have a (free) option or two to consider if I don't get into my 1st choice, but am not sure if it's worth putting down if it will affect my chances for #1.

[Anonymous]

I'd like you know the answer to this -- and have someone generally help explain how you should list if you have a competitive IB school you like, but it's not your top choice...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd like you know the answer to this -- and have someone generally help explain how you should list if you have a competitive IB school you like, but it's not your top choice...

The lottery is set up so that the only logical thing to do is list as many schools as allowed, in the order of your preference. You will not be accepted/waitlisted to any schools on your list that are lower than the highest choice you got into, and you will be waitlisted on all of the schools that are higher than the highest choice you got into. So you will still have opportunities at your higher ranked schools even if you didn't get in in the first round, but if you try and play around and mix up the order to game it in some way, you could get into a school that you liked less, and get totally locked out of other schools because you put as your number 1 spot.

So it's pretty simple- list the schools in the order of your actual preference, no messing around with trying to increase odds, etc. It will only hurt you.

[Anonymous]

Listing multiple schools won't impact your odds of getting into your first choice school.

[Anonymous]

I had a conversation about this. One of the #1 criteria for setting up a system was making it so that people couldn't game it, and they've set it up in a way that keeps that in place. I think it is based on the algorithm in Denver, in case you want to look up more info.

[Anonymous]

This is so confusing. How would you rank schools when you are applying for two children? One is already attending a charter at which the younger would have sibling preference. For the older child would I need to rank the school he is already attending? If I rank the "dream" school number 1 for the younger child and she gets in does it automatically mean she will not be able to exercise her sibling preference at the older child's school, should the older child not get into the "dream" school.

[Anonymous]

I have not heard how they are doing siblings at charters. We have a similar situation.

I think the unified lottery is a bad solution for parents with more than 1 child.

For example - if you have twins and you are ranking schools A, B, C, D, E

Let's pretend twin #1 gets into school A
and twin #2 gets into school C

I assume - twin #1 does not get a waitlist # at school C

But lets also assume that twin #2 does not get a spot at school A - that there was only 1 spot and twin #1 got it.

Where does it leave this family?

[Anonymous]

Poster 21:03 here. Yes this is a huge problem, especially since the new system will likely result in less wait list movement. I am thinking there must be a rule that twins are admitted together. Thank goodness there are some schools that are not participating.

[Anonymous]

Under the current rules if one child gets into a school, any siblings who don't also get in go to the top of the waitlist for their grade at that school. I see no indication that rule is going to change.

Under the unified lottery, every child is assigned to a school. So if you have two children in the lottery the same year, one of two things can happen: either both get into the same school, or they get into two different schools, and each is number one on the waitlist at the other's school.

Under the unified lottery there is going to be less waitlist shuffling, but there's going to be some, because people with multiple kids at multiple schools are going to pick one school or the other, and when that happens a waitlist spot opens up. So number one on the waitlist at any school is almost guaranteed to get in. So having multiple kids in the lottery is like having multiple picks, and then being able to use the best pick for all your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Under the current rules if one child gets into a school, any siblings who don't also get in go to the top of the waitlist for their grade at that school. I see no indication that rule is going to change.

Under the unified lottery, every child is assigned to a school. So if you have two children in the lottery the same year, one of two things can happen: either both get into the same school, or they get into two different schools, and each is number one on the waitlist at the other's school.
Under the unified lottery there is going to be less waitlist shuffling, but there's going to be some, because people with multiple kids at multiple schools are going to pick one school or the other, and when that happens a waitlist spot opens up. So number one on the waitlist at any school is almost guaranteed to get in. So having multiple kids in the lottery is like having multiple picks, and then being able to use the best pick for all your kids.

So if child #1 is accepted at 1st choice school, and child #2 is accepted at 3rd choice school, child #1 will be put on waitlist at 3rd choice school b/c of the sibling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Under the current rules if one child gets into a school, any siblings who don't also get in go to the top of the waitlist for their grade at that school. I see no indication that rule is going to change.

Under the unified lottery, every child is assigned to a school. So if you have two children in the lottery the same year, one of two things can happen: either both get into the same school, or they get into two different schools, and each is number one on the waitlist at the other's school.

Under the unified lottery there is going to be less waitlist shuffling, but there's going to be some, because people with multiple kids at multiple schools are going to pick one school or the other, and when that happens a waitlist spot opens up. So number one on the waitlist at any school is almost guaranteed to get in. So having multiple kids in the lottery is like having multiple picks, and then being able to use the best pick for all your kids.

Exactly. As with everything else lottery-related, having more than one kid really helps.

[Anonymous]

There is a story in the Post today about the algorithm, but it doesn't answer this question. I would email the people at my school dc and ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Under the current rules if one child gets into a school, any siblings who don't also get in go to the top of the waitlist for their grade at that school. I see no indication that rule is going to change.

Under the unified lottery, every child is assigned to a school. So if you have two children in the lottery the same year, one of two things can happen: either both get into the same school, or they get into two different schools, and each is number one on the waitlist at the other's school.
Under the unified lottery there is going to be less waitlist shuffling, but there's going to be some, because people with multiple kids at multiple schools are going to pick one school or the other, and when that happens a waitlist spot opens up. So number one on the waitlist at any school is almost guaranteed to get in. So having multiple kids in the lottery is like having multiple picks, and then being able to use the best pick for all your kids.

So if child #1 is accepted at 1st choice school, and child #2 is accepted at 3rd choice school, child #1 will be put on waitlist at 3rd choice school b/c of the sibling?

Correct, but child #1 won't be taken off the list at school #1. So #1 will have a spot at school 1 and a waitlist spot at school 3. Child #2 will have a spot at school 3 and waitlist spots at schools 1 and 2. Because of child 1 waitlist spot 1 will improve for child 2.

[Anonymous]

How can this be when it is stated that you will not be on the waitlist for any schools that you rank lower that your first choice. Does the sibling preference list operate separately than the lottery? Also if one child is already in a school do you need to lottery for entrance for the second child?

[Anonymous]

If you have sibling preference at a school, you should probably ask that school how they handle sibling admissions (whether you have to lottery or not). As for the stranded twin issue, DCPS ran their lottery just like this this past year. Does anyone know of any twins who never got into the same school?