Am I the only parent applying to just 1 preschool?

[Anonymous]

I'm just curious to know if there's anyone out there like myself, who is applying to just 1 preschool for their child. I've heard so many stories about moms who have applied to 4-6 different preschools, citing the long waitlists, etc. but why so many? I think I found one that looks great, close to our home, affiliated with a reputable school (parochial) and had a tour this morning which went well. Our son should get in within the next 9-10 months. Do I really need to apply anywhere else? I feel like I'm missing something because I'm not more aggressive or thorough with my search....

[Anonymous]

if you think you found one that your son will likely get into in your timeframe, then no worries. i think alot of us apply to several because spaces are limited, especially in nw dc. i applied to 5 for my son last year and he got a spot at 1.

[Anonymous]

I only applied - and got accepted- to one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only applied - and got accepted- to one.

It all depends on where you are applying and how competitive that particular school is. When DS was 3 I applied to several and only got into 1. T

[Anonymous]

Echoing other responders, I don't think anyone applies to a zillion pre-schools because they want to. It's about oversubscription -- most programs don't have enough spaces, so you need to apply to a bunch (unless you're applying to a school affiliated with a house of worship and you're a member, for example -- this is what we did).

[Anonymous]

I'm in the suburbs, applied to three and got in to all three. Two were reportedly hard to get in so I had a another easier-to-get-in school as a back-up.

[Anonymous]

It's all about location and demand. Some preschools further out don't have waitlists. I'd want to have 2 applications in, just in case. So I don't think you're unusual for only applying to one. But if you only visited one, then yes, I think that's unusual.

[Anonymous]

We live in Alexandria. We applied to 6 and were accepted at only one -- all based on lotteries. There were an unexpected increase in priority candidates at almost all of the schools (siblings, church members at the church schools, etc.) and very few slots, fewer than even the schools had anticipated. I think it all depends on the community, the number of spots available, and how much you want your child to go to preschool next year rather than potentially waiting another year if your school of choice doesn't work out. The good news is that the one school our son was accepted at was our favorite so it turns out that it would have worked out (against many odds) if we had only applied there. Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

We applied to one, we just asked if there was room before applying.

[Anonymous]

Last year, I visited two schools, felt that we had a really good chance of getting into our "first choice" school, and so applied only there. My son got in. The director told us that they usually manage to get in about everyone who wants to get in, that parents didn't have to camp out over night in line (which I've heard that some people do at certain schools - not a bash at those who do this, just not something I was willing to do), etc. I did send my husband there relatively early in the morning (6:30 for a 9:00 registration) and he was 4th in line. So I think it just depends on the vibe you get about your chances for getting in. Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

Last year we applied to 1 school and my daughter was accepted at the school. We did have a moment of panic when we thought we should have had a backup.

[Anonymous]

I originally intended to only apply to one (that I thought we would get a spot at because we have a low level of priority) but my daughter didn't get a spot. She's high on the wait list and will likely get in, but now I've decided to apply to another just to have another ball in play.