Still on waitlist - are you surprised?

[Anonymous]

There is a general POV that lists move. Any families surprised that they did not get a call before the 1st day of school based on general "DCUM Chatter" or friends experiences?

[Anonymous]

Of course it is different every year but much less movement now when almost all schools in common lottery.

And if your friends' oldest entered school 2-3 (or more) years ago then their experience isn't relevant to today.

[Anonymous]

Very little movement at all (maybe more in the wrong direction than the right direction). Still wait listed all 12 places for PK3. I thought something would move more than a handful of spots but no.

[Anonymous]

I am surprised at the number of people who are still with our IB. Some have lotteried out but most have not. Last year it seems like much fewer people were left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very little movement at all (maybe more in the wrong direction than the right direction). Still wait listed all 12 places for PK3. I thought something would move more than a handful of spots but no.

Where do you live? Did you list any schools for round 2?

[Anonymous]

Still surprised in the high teens at DCB for PK4 and no call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very little movement at all (maybe more in the wrong direction than the right direction). Still wait listed all 12 places for PK3. I thought something would move more than a handful of spots but no.

Where do you live? Did you list any schools for round 2?

On the Hill. All listed schools are within a reasonable distance (2 miles or so) from where we live because that is important to us. We didn't list any additional schools post lottery because we don't want to go further and we will just stay at private preschool. I was just surprised at the minimal movement on all the lists, especially after hearing from so many people that the lists would move.

[Anonymous]

We only had a shot at 2 schools after the lottery for PK3. One we declined, deciding it was too far away for the commute (and we're less concerned about the upper grades now that we have decided to leave the DC area next year). The other one was more attractive and we are now in the low single digits, having started at about 30. Not terribly surprised. although they tell me they see movement in the first week of school, I think we're now locked in at our inbounds school.

All our other waitlist numbers were high.

[Anonymous]

Not surprised considering that our WL numbers were in the triple digits almost everywhere. Thankfully, we had put together a strategic list and got in somewhere that is fine for our purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not surprised considering that our WL numbers were in the triple digits almost everywhere. Thankfully, we had put together a strategic list and got in somewhere that is fine for our purposes.

What do you mean "strategic" list?

[Anonymous]

like so many things on dcum, the "general POV" is wrong. they used to move more when people could hold on to multiple spaces, but the new lottery system changed that. so very little movement is to be expected after the first wave of enrollments in the spring. The exception might be so-called safety schools where people realize they don't actually want to attend when it comes down to it.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm afraid that belief was pre-common lottery. After 2014, the WLs didn't move much. It is a bummer.

[Anonymous]

We were in the 60's for Appletree LP, and only moved into the 50's, so yes, I was surprised to still be on the list, and even as high as we are. Everyone kept telling me the numbers for Appletree usually (even last year, so it's not just the common lottery) go really deep into the WL, but obviously that wasn't the case this year for us.

We also were in the 20's for another school, and only moved 5 spots. Our #1 school we went backwards 3 spots from the initial draw and then never moved.

This is for PK3, capitol hill schools.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I'm afraid that belief was pre-common lottery. After 2014, the WLs didn't move much. It is a bummer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I'm afraid that belief was pre-common lottery. After 2014, the WLs didn't move much. It is a bummer.

Sure, I guess it's a bummer for people on waitlists but for the schools and the school communities it's great. Less shuffling around at the start of school when things are chaotic already. It's a pretty big bummer for a class to begin to gel and then a handful of kids are suddenly no longer there. The basic problem in DC now is there are just not enough spots at desirable or even acceptable schools.