How long to decide on WL offer??

[Anonymous]

I called to check on the waiting list at Cap City, and was told they offered a number of spots last week for which folks still have yet to respond (apparently folks have two weeks to decide). I totally get needing time to make the right decision for your family, but if you're sitting on a spot, please think of others who are ready to jump at the chance!

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised that the school gave them two weeks to decide. Most schools seem to be giving less than a week.

[Anonymous]

Depends on school. Last year I was given 2 days.

[Anonymous]

I think it also depends on the time of year. At this point, schools may be willing to give families longer to make their decisions. Last year, we were given 48 hours maximum to decide. The year before that, I got 2 "pre calls" from schools saying that they were approaching our number and wanted to know if we would be willing to give them an answer immediately.

I do not understand needing 2 weeks to make the decision. People should have considered these things when making their lottery lists. If you get a call from a school at the top of your list (or even top 5), I do not understand why you would not be prepared to answer when you got the call.

[Anonymous]

We have a low wl number for an upper grade at CMI. Since I didn't think we had a shot at getting in, I never toured it.

When I saw our wl number, I called and asked if I could tour. They told me no, only families that got in could tour. If we do get in, I will want a tour.

[Anonymous]

Two weeks is a long time. We had about a week - offered spot on a Tuesday and had to respond by the following Monday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a low wl number for an upper grade at CMI. Since I didn't think we had a shot at getting in, I never toured it.

When I saw our wl number, I called and asked if I could tour. They told me no, only families that got in could tour. If we do get in, I will want a tour.

I ask this out of actual curiosity about your mental process.

Why did you list a school that you had never seen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a low wl number for an upper grade at CMI. Since I didn't think we had a shot at getting in, I never toured it.

When I saw our wl number, I called and asked if I could tour. They told me no, only families that got in could tour. If we do get in, I will want a tour.

I ask this out of actual curiosity about your mental process.

Why did you list a school that you had never seen?

I did 12 schools and had only been in 2. What's the big deal? I would attend any of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a low wl number for an upper grade at CMI. Since I didn't think we had a shot at getting in, I never toured it.

When I saw our wl number, I called and asked if I could tour. They told me no, only families that got in could tour. If we do get in, I will want a tour.

I ask this out of actual curiosity about your mental process.

Why did you list a school that you had never seen?

I didn't visit any of the schools. I wasn't about to waste my time visiting schools that I have a very small chance of getting into (including my IB school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a low wl number for an upper grade at CMI. Since I didn't think we had a shot at getting in, I never toured it.

When I saw our wl number, I called and asked if I could tour. They told me no, only families that got in could tour. If we do get in, I will want a tour.

I am in the same boat. I did go to the open house, but its really impossible to get a feel for the school when the students aren't there. I am worried that I will get a call over the summer and then have no clue what to do. I get that everyone can't just have an extra tour, but I would also like to see some consideration given here.

[Anonymous]

I thought there was guidelines from My School DC regarding how long you had to accept a waitlist offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was guidelines from My School DC regarding how long you had to accept a waitlist offer.

From the My School DC FAQ:

How long after receiving a waitlist invitation do I have to enroll? What if I am out of town? Can enrolling be done remotely?

The time allowed to enroll varies by school. Please contact schools directly to ask about their waitlist deadlines.

If you are nearing the top of a waitlist and plan to be out of town, we recommend you reach out to the school directly and let the school know. Schools may be willing to work with families if they are notified about the circumstances ahead of time. Remember: Enrollment cannot be done remotely; it must be done in person by a parent or guardian at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was guidelines from My School DC regarding how long you had to accept a waitlist offer.

No, that is only if you get a match in Round 1 or Round 2. After that, when you are offered a spot from the waitlist, each school decides how long to give.

[Anonymous]

Back to the original point, though: if you get an offer from a WL, why on earth would you need to sit on it for two weeks without responding? I take it their deadline is Friday, and they still have folks who haven't turned in paperwork or let them know their intentions. If you're going to turn it down, why not let them know sooner so they can keep the process moving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the original point, though: if you get an offer from a WL, why on earth would you need to sit on it for two weeks without responding? I take it their deadline is Friday, and they still have folks who haven't turned in paperwork or let them know their intentions. If you're going to turn it down, why not let them know sooner so they can keep the process moving?

That's on the school--you give people x days to make a decision, plenty of them will take it to the limit. From an administrative standpoint, I don't understand why a school would give so much leeway. 2-3 days plus another or so to get enrolled seems like enough.