DCI Feeder Lottery and Sibling Preference

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a second grader at a DCI feeder and looking at the 2024 enrollment numbers for the DCI feeders, I am wondering how good our odds actually will be for non-siblings once we're doing the lottery for sixth grade. Mundo Verde and Stokes both have double the number of current second graders than designated DCI seats, and DCB and LAMB both have 70+ second graders for 50 seats.

Does anyone know if there is data available about the percentage of siblings at the feeder schools vs. non-siblings? Have any schools communicated changes to their backfilling policies to ensure seats are available for existing students?

Any other families getting concerned that their non-sibling preference kids aren't going to get a spot? What are you thinking? If we bomb the sixth grade lottery and don't get a good enough number for DCI, we surely won't get a spot at Latin or Basis.

If you are at a feeder school, your odds are better than a sibling who is not at a feeder school. If you are at Stokes French, then your chances are very very good with or without a sibling because DCI has about 30 French spots in addition to their 20 that are guaranteed for Stokes French, since French is their smallest program. Stokes French kids have preference to those additional French spots.

[Anonymous]

Stokes has another campus now “east end” with another 20 kids going to middle school in French and Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The weak link at DCI is middle school. We debated leaving but are glad we stayed because the high school experience has really been fantastic - esp after freshman year.

In a feeder school - that’s great to hear. I’m sure there are things DCI could do better in middle, but isn’t part of their middle school challenges just how hard those years are universally?

Generally middle school is the weakest link in many school districts including those in the DMV. Lots of changes and challenges transitioning from holding kids hands to them having them juggle so many classes, tests, deadlines, etc….in a much bigger school with lots of kids. Add onto that hormonal changes happening and IMO, it’s probably the hardest years.

PP I will add that being in a bigger school like DCI with lots more kids, clubs, and sports helps in that your kid will find their niche of friends and interests which will help the transition.

I have a 7th grader at DCI and this has been true for her. She has transitioned through some different friend groups (and not all of them from her feeder school). It has not been an issue because there are plenty of great kids and she has made new friends. And also DCI MS is continuously improving. We also have a high schooler there, and I can see the improvement in academics, class choices, etc. for my 7th grader. As an example, the list of elective classes available to my 7th grader for next year is exciting and those weren't available when my older DC was in MS. (now MS for my older DC was almost entirely during the pandemic, so the comparison is not apples to apples.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The weak link at DCI is middle school. We debated leaving but are glad we stayed because the high school experience has really been fantastic - esp after freshman year.

In a feeder school - that’s great to hear. I’m sure there are things DCI could do better in middle, but isn’t part of their middle school challenges just how hard those years are universally?

Generally middle school is the weakest link in many school districts including those in the DMV. Lots of changes and challenges transitioning from holding kids hands to them having them juggle so many classes, tests, deadlines, etc….in a much bigger school with lots of kids. Add onto that hormonal changes happening and IMO, it’s probably the hardest years.

PP I will add that being in a bigger school like DCI with lots more kids, clubs, and sports helps in that your kid will find their niche of friends and interests which will help the transition.

I have a 7th grader at DCI and this has been true for her. She has transitioned through some different friend groups (and not all of them from her feeder school). It has not been an issue because there are plenty of great kids and she has made new friends. And also DCI MS is continuously improving. We also have a high schooler there, and I can see the improvement in academics, class choices, etc. for my 7th grader. As an example, the list of elective classes available to my 7th grader for next year is exciting and those weren't available when my older DC was in MS. (now MS for my older DC was almost entirely during the pandemic, so the comparison is not apples to apples.)

Thanks PP for your input. We are in feeder but know families with older siblings in MS and kids are happy with school, clubs, etc.. and yes we spoke directly and asked kids who gave thoughtful examples and answers

No school is perfect but what is encouraging is that DCI continues to improve year over year on an upward trajectory and will be even better for kids coming up thru the feeders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, my 6th grade WL numbers for French and Chinese dropped about 30 spots each today. So that would seem to imply uptake is not 100%.

It could be that some people are removing themselves from the waitlist as they enroll at other schools.

It doesn’t mean that all those spots are openings at the school.

Well yes. But 30 within an hour or so seems unlikely to be the result of random people doing whatever they are doing separately.

Sure but the school could also have waited to notify and update their waitlist until now. I highly doubt they called and offered all those families seats within an hour or even a day.

Actually, they did. Students from feeder schools who did not get one of the guaranteed spots through the lottery get preference for the remaining spots. For example, Stokes gets 20 guaranteed French spots. But DCI has about 30 additional French spots. Stokes French kids get preference to those additional 30 spots. DCI just needs to manually clear them off the waitlist because it's not baked into the lottery algorithm. That's why the waitlist numbers moved so quickly.

[Anonymous]

So is there 30 spots in total for French or an additional 30 after the 20 guaranteed spots for stokes?