More info on common lottery algorithm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't reveal my identity or the identity of the person I just spoke with but I assure you we have been intimately involved with this planning since day one.

The way we just discussed and confirmed it is that there is not just one lottery which would doom you to poor chances at 1-12 of your choices.

Rather there is effectively a lottery at each school/grade level.

just because you were last for your #1 doesnt mean you will be for your #2, you could be first.

Ranking your schools in order is the best way

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

The schools only release to the lottery the seats they have available after re-enrollment and preferences.

This is our understanding.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it's an anonymous board, but I trust you, and appreciate this post tremendously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't reveal my identity or the identity of the person I just spoke with but I assure you we have been intimately involved with this planning since day one.

The way we just discussed and confirmed it is that there is not just one lottery which would doom you to poor chances at 1-12 of your choices.

Rather there is effectively a lottery at each school/grade level.

just because you were last for your #1 doesnt mean you will be for your #2, you could be first.

Ranking your schools in order is the best way

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

The schools only release to the lottery the seats they have available after re-enrollment and preferences.

This is our understanding.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it's an anonymous board, but I trust you, and appreciate this post tremendously.

You are welcome.

This other person and I have a lot invested in this process and speak with the person leading it regularly.

I find it fascinating and we have spent a lot of time working on this and how it will work for everyone.

There is no way to game the system.

Ranking schools in order by your actual preference is the best way to go.

[Anonymous]

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

Odd statement for someone who purports to know the system. This only applies to those with a right to attend, namely IB students K+, surely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

Odd statement for someone who purports to know the system. This only applies to those with a right to attend, namely IB students K+, surely.

Yes indeed. After I posted it I wished there was an edit feature. I had spent an hour reading all the various posts where people had asked about IB applications and what not and wanted to try and clear that up but I failed.

There is also some misperception around "losing" your spot at your IB school if you get "Accepted" elsewhere - which is not true either. You are only ever de-enrolled from the IB school if you actively de-enroll fully.

Nevertheless, the lottery info re: the algorithm is accurate!

[Anonymous]

If you have a sibling at the school, you still need to put in an application. The PP who says siblings need not apply is WRONG. And no one has filled out an intent form in any school at this point, I'd imagine. I call BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have a sibling at the school, you still need to put in an application. The PP who says siblings need not apply is WRONG. And no one has filled out an intent form in any school at this point, I'd imagine. I call BS.

Speak for yourself. Sibling intent forms were due more than a month ago at our charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't reveal my identity or the identity of the person I just spoke with but I assure you we have been intimately involved with this planning since day one.

The way we just discussed and confirmed it is that there is not just one lottery which would doom you to poor chances at 1-12 of your choices.

Rather there is effectively a lottery at each school/grade level.

just because you were last for your #1 doesnt mean you will be for your #2, you could be first.

Ranking your schools in order is the best way

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

The schools only release to the lottery the seats they have available after re-enrollment and preferences.

This is our understanding.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it's an anonymous board, but I trust you, and appreciate this post tremendously.

You are welcome.

This other person and I have a lot invested in this process and speak with the person leading it regularly.

I find it fascinating and we have spent a lot of time working on this and how it will work for everyone.

There is no way to game the system.

Ranking schools in order by your actual preference is the best way to go.

Hello,
Thanks for the info. I have a question regarding the specialized high school process and other high schools using the lottery. My child is applying to several specialized high schools and also, sort of as a back up, to several charter high schools. I have been assured that no matter where you rank the high schools, if you choose, say, School Without Walls, you will get a chance to go thru their process. Same with Ellington. If you go through the process and are accepted, you will get letters from the schools with an offer to attend. So a child might get into Banneker, SWW and Ellington, say, and then could choose one to attend.

My question is this - what if the family ranks SWW #1 and Ellington #2 -- the child could still choose Ellington? And also, is there any reason to put the two charter high schools anywhere but #1 and #2 on the preference list? Because you still have the option to attend #3, #4, #5 (Banneker, SWW and Ellington) if your child is accepted.

Because if your child bombs all three specialized HS processes, he/she would need the "back up" of the charter school and the only way to get in it is to put it as your #1 choice.

Please tell me if my thinking about this is wrong. I have called myschooldc but I just couldn't quite get a clear answer. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't reveal my identity or the identity of the person I just spoke with but I assure you we have been intimately involved with this planning since day one.

The way we just discussed and confirmed it is that there is not just one lottery which would doom you to poor chances at 1-12 of your choices.

Rather there is effectively a lottery at each school/grade level.

just because you were last for your #1 doesnt mean you will be for your #2, you could be first.

Ranking your schools in order is the best way

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

The schools only release to the lottery the seats they have available after re-enrollment and preferences.

This is our understanding.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it's an anonymous board, but I trust you, and appreciate this post tremendously.

You are welcome.

This other person and I have a lot invested in this process and speak with the person leading it regularly.

I find it fascinating and we have spent a lot of time working on this and how it will work for everyone.

There is no way to game the system.

Ranking schools in order by your actual preference is the best way to go.

Hello,
Thanks for the info. I have a question regarding the specialized high school process and other high schools using the lottery. My child is applying to several specialized high schools and also, sort of as a back up, to several charter high schools. I have been assured that no matter where you rank the high schools, if you choose, say, School Without Walls, you will get a chance to go thru their process. Same with Ellington. If you go through the process and are accepted, you will get letters from the schools with an offer to attend. So a child might get into Banneker, SWW and Ellington, say, and then could choose one to attend.

My question is this - what if the family ranks SWW #1 and Ellington #2 -- the child could still choose Ellington? And also, is there any reason to put the two charter high schools anywhere but #1 and #2 on the preference list? Because you still have the option to attend #3, #4, #5 (Banneker, SWW and Ellington) if your child is accepted.

Because if your child bombs all three specialized HS processes, he/she would need the "back up" of the charter school and the only way to get in it is to put it as your #1 choice.

Please tell me if my thinking about this is wrong. I have called myschooldc but I just couldn't quite get a clear answer. Thanks.

This is the PP you quoted. I am sorry but I honestly have no answer. My perspective is one that doesn't involve the speciality high schools and so I haven't delved too deeply into matters affecting those schools. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't reveal my identity or the identity of the person I just spoke with but I assure you we have been intimately involved with this planning since day one.

The way we just discussed and confirmed it is that there is not just one lottery which would doom you to poor chances at 1-12 of your choices.

Rather there is effectively a lottery at each school/grade level.

just because you were last for your #1 doesnt mean you will be for your #2, you could be first.

Ranking your schools in order is the best way

And we see no need to rank your IB school if you already attend there or have sib preference and your older sib is enrolled. You have a slot already if you did an intent form.

The schools only release to the lottery the seats they have available after re-enrollment and preferences.

This is our understanding.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know it's an anonymous board, but I trust you, and appreciate this post tremendously.

You are welcome.

This other person and I have a lot invested in this process and speak with the person leading it regularly.

I find it fascinating and we have spent a lot of time working on this and how it will work for everyone.

There is no way to game the system.

Ranking schools in order by your actual preference is the best way to go.

Hello,
Thanks for the info. I have a question regarding the specialized high school process and other high schools using the lottery. My child is applying to several specialized high schools and also, sort of as a back up, to several charter high schools. I have been assured that no matter where you rank the high schools, if you choose, say, School Without Walls, you will get a chance to go thru their process. Same with Ellington. If you go through the process and are accepted, you will get letters from the schools with an offer to attend. So a child might get into Banneker, SWW and Ellington, say, and then could choose one to attend.

My question is this - what if the family ranks SWW #1 and Ellington #2 -- the child could still choose Ellington? And also, is there any reason to put the two charter high schools anywhere but #1 and #2 on the preference list? Because you still have the option to attend #3, #4, #5 (Banneker, SWW and Ellington) if your child is accepted.

Because if your child bombs all three specialized HS processes, he/she would need the "back up" of the charter school and the only way to get in it is to put it as your #1 choice.

Please tell me if my thinking about this is wrong. I have called myschooldc but I just couldn't quite get a clear answer. Thanks.

Specialty high schools aren't really part of the lottery -- their seats are allocated by acceptance, not by lottery. They're just there because it puts all the schools in the same place. The order you rank them in makes no difference to your lottery results.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like the FAQ is misleading, either in referring to a deferre acceptance algorithm or in repeatedly referring to a single "lottery number." If someone invoved in the process is reading this can they please change the FAQ so it is accurate and clear? Unlike some of the pps I do not "trust" an explanation posted anonymously on a message board by someone claiming to have insider knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like the FAQ is misleading, either in referring to a deferre acceptance algorithm or in repeatedly referring to a single "lottery number." If someone invoved in the process is reading this can they please change the FAQ so it is accurate and clear? Unlike some of the pps I do not "trust" an explanation posted anonymously on a message board by someone claiming to have insider knowledge.

Different poster, that's fine that you don't trust the other person, but you do understand that either way, nothing changes about what you should do in applying, right? That's the thing - we are all having a very nice conversation about how the algorithm works, but the most important issue is whether it working one way or another changes what we as parents do in the best interest of our kids. It doesn't change. Rank the schools in the order in which you most hope to attend.

So for that reason, sure, request they update the website, but really it won't change anything one way or another, so not sure I understand the big deal beyond us "algorithm nerds" who want to know every.single.detail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like the FAQ is misleading, either in referring to a deferre acceptance algorithm or in repeatedly referring to a single "lottery number." If someone invoved in the process is reading this can they please change the FAQ so it is accurate and clear? Unlike some of the pps I do not "trust" an explanation posted anonymously on a message board by someone claiming to have insider knowledge.

I called the Deputy Mayor for Education's office and spoke with someone involved in the development of the lottery. They said they are use the Gale-Shapley deferred acceptance algorithm, without the trades in the New Orleans link above. PP is correct--the "lottery #" would better be called a "tracking number" as in last year's lottery. I would call the My School DC hotline or the DME office to confirm (and make sure they are telling everyone the same thing!).

[Anonymous]

If you post a link directly to the part of the website that is misleading and quote the exact passage - if it is in fact incorrect - I will get it changed.

[Anonymous]

"lottery number" is the same as "ID number"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like the FAQ is misleading, either in referring to a deferre acceptance algorithm or in repeatedly referring to a single "lottery number." If someone invoved in the process is reading this can they please change the FAQ so it is accurate and clear? Unlike some of the pps I do not "trust" an explanation posted anonymously on a message board by someone claiming to have insider knowledge.

Different poster, that's fine that you don't trust the other person, but you do understand that either way, nothing changes about what you should do in applying, right? That's the thing - we are all having a very nice conversation about how the algorithm works, but the most important issue is whether it working one way or another changes what we as parents do in the best interest of our kids. It doesn't change. Rank the schools in the order in which you most hope to attend.

So for that reason, sure, request they update the website, but really it won't change anything one way or another, so not sure I understand the big deal beyond us "algorithm nerds" who want to know every.single.detail.

+1. Nobody's getting extra credit for understanding the algorithm. It would be nice if all the official language that was distributed was a little clearer, and if some myschooldc people didn't give out bad information in the beginning, but the instructions for general users have always been crystal clear.