When to apply to preschools

[Anonymous]

After going through the harrowing process of trying to get off waitlists for infant daycare, I was curious whether there were similarly lengthy waitlists for preschools as well. Someone mentioned to me that the preschools also have lengthy waiting lists as well-is this true? If true, typically how long are the waitlists?

[Anonymous]

I would not really consider myself on expert on preschool admissions but based on my experience -- we're looking at mostly Montessori and just one other type -- there are processes of which you have to be aware. I have in mind, for example, open houses, that include submitting applications at the conclusion of the open house. One preschool to which we applied had a "phone-in day" which determined your ranking for the tour, which determined the ranking for your application. So, it doesn't involve so much long waitlists but rather processes with various requirements and time-frames. You can usually find this information on the preschool webpage. As a general rule, this process begins about a year from the time when your your child would be entering. We began submitting applications in September 07 for Fall 08 start times but we know of a few places that are still doing open houses and taking applications. (We toured one Montessori school today and I know of one that is having an open house tomorrow). Hope this helps.