Looking for input from parents who enrolled in a school that was not first choice

[Anonymous]

To those whose DC did not get into their first or second choice but you went ahead with the school your DC did get into how did it work out? Were you happier than you expected with that school? Did it work out well and your DC thrived there for several years? Or did it never really work out? Did you reapply again to the desired school(s)?

I am mostly asking this of parents with young, but not very young, DCs... Asking about situations with kids in 3-7th grades. Ages where the parents are more/completely responsible for the school selection as opposed to high school when the DCs is vested and involved in the process.

[Anonymous]

Our 7th grader attended a third choice school, but that was partly because of distance, reputation etc. We had been very impressed with the school when we saw it. It worked out amazingly well - amazingly well.

[Anonymous]

We enrolled in our 2nd choice after being w/l for 9th and could not be any happier! Burke rocks! !!

[Anonymous]

We enrolled DC in our 5th-choice school for kindergarten and never looked back. Well, okay, we did look around a bit but never ended up applying out.There are many good schools out there. You may be pleasantly surprised by your runner-up school.

[Anonymous]

Once enrolled, if your child is happy, doing well, and making friends, it is a crazy risk to change again in high school. We thought about it for a school closer to home, but at the end of the day DC 's primary interest in applying was only to erase a prior wait list decision. I think school sensed this and made the same decision. We may have been able to push to get in this time off wait list, but realized ourselves the risks outweighed the slightly closer distance.

[Anonymous]

You have to believe your child will end up where they are supposed to be. Whether it be for that year or for their entire school time. 1st choice, 2nd choice doesn't always turn out to be best choice. Go with the option you have and love the one you are with until, and if, they give you a reason to no longer love them.

[Anonymous]

Good philosophy!

[Anonymous]

My rising 9th grader is already excited about their 2nd choice...we kept things realistic from the beginning that they needed to mentally keep the 2nd choice as a viable choice. So, while more excited about their 1st choice, DC knew 2nd choice was a potential reality. Now that it is, they are excited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to believe your child will end up where they are supposed to be. Whether it be for that year or for their entire school time. 1st choice, 2nd choice doesn't always turn out to be best choice. Go with the option you have and love the one you are with until, and if, they give you a reason to no longer love them.

+1000

[Anonymous]

I think that schools are better than parents at choosing the right student/school match for applying students, if that makes sense. I have heard time and again that the runners-up schools worked out wonderfully for kids. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those whose DC did not get into their first or second choice but you went ahead with the school your DC did get into how did it work out? Were you happier than you expected with that school? Did it work out well and your DC thrived there for several years? Or did it never really work out? Did you reapply again to the desired school(s)?

I am mostly asking this of parents with young, but not very young, DCs... Asking about situations with kids in 3-7th grades. Ages where the parents are more/completely responsible for the school selection as opposed to high school when the DCs is vested and involved in the process.

It worked out great, we were happier than expected, yes DC thrived, no we never felt a desire to reapply.

In fact so much so that we have practically forgotten that the current school wasn't our first choice all along.

We actually found that we were happier than parents whose kids got into the most selective schools. It's like anything else, how the service provider treats you is largely a product of how much they value you. Many of the top schools know that they can instantly replace any kid who leaves, so they aren't as determined to give your child a great learning experience as some of the other schools are.

If you find a good school that appreciates what your child brings to the table, that's gold. You might decide it was a blessing in disguise not to get in to your first choice. We did.

[Anonymous]

We chose a school that was my first choice, but my child's second choice. (WL at that school). We haven't started there yet, but I already feel strongly that it's a good fit. We may still get into the first choice - and that will be a struggle because the logistics of that school are SO much more appealing, and it's DC first choice, but I don't feel it's as warm and welcoming. I also feel that the academics there are a bit more rigorous and the athletic teams are more competitive and my child is probably more "average" than "excellent" and I think there would be too much pressure at that school.

[Anonymous]

9:13 wrote: "It's like anything else, how the service provider treats you is largely a product of how much they value you. Many of the top schools know that they can instantly replace any kid who leaves, so they aren't as determined to give your child a great learning experience as some of the other schools are.

If you find a good school that appreciates what your child brings to the table, that's gold. You might decide it was a blessing in disguise not to get in to your first choice. We did."

This was absolutely our case. You appreciate this when there is a small bump in the road, you or your child needs a reasonable, small favor, and yes -- all the way through to college counseling time. And even without any of that, it just makes everyone -- child included -- to feel good about a school when its clear that you are really wanted there.

[Anonymous]

We were applying at 5th grade and it was an entry year at one school and not at the other. We initially really preferred the school at which it was not an entry year. We applied pretty much knowing that there was no space at all for our child, especially considering that any space that came open would go to the opposite gender.

So we ended up with what had been our 2nd choice. DC is so happy with so many wonderful friends and teachers that I can't even imagine how I could have thought another school would have been better. The other school has invited us to apply for 6th where they do expand, but I can't imagine leaving. Plus the commute is better with lots of carpooling and the tuition is less expensive.

I think an important element is that we only applied to 2 schools which we really really liked. We were fortunate to have a good fallback (staying at current school) if it didn't work out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those whose DC did not get into their first or second choice but you went ahead with the school your DC did get into how did it work out? Were you happier than you expected with that school? Did it work out well and your DC thrived there for several years? Or did it never really work out? Did you reapply again to the desired school(s)?

I am mostly asking this of parents with young, but not very young, DCs... Asking about situations with kids in 3-7th grades. Ages where the parents are more/completely responsible for the school selection as opposed to high school when the DCs is vested and involved in the process.

It worked out great, we were happier than expected, yes DC thrived, no we never felt a desire to reapply.

In fact so much so that we have practically forgotten that the current school wasn't our first choice all along.

We actually found that we were happier than parents whose kids got into the most selective schools. It's like anything else, how the service provider treats you is largely a product of how much they value you. Many of the top schools know that they can instantly replace any kid who leaves, so they aren't as determined to give your child a great learning experience as some of the other schools are.

If you find a good school that appreciates what your child brings to the table, that's gold. You might decide it was a blessing in disguise not to get in to your first choice. We did.

ITA. Seeing this even in the acceptance process. Accepted by 2nd and 3rd choice. 3rd really appears to want DC as opposed to 2nd which is a big 3.