Peabody, SWS, or Brent

[Anonymous]

We were very lucky in the lottery this year and got into our in-bound school, Peabody, for PreK4. We are also Top 3 on the waitlist for School Within a School. In January, there is a good chance that we will be moving in-bounds to Brent elementary. Assuming we get off the waitlist at SWS, what are the major differences bw SWS and Brent. Should we stay at Peabody and transfer to Brent later or if we get SWS go there? The commute is similar and we have heard great things about all schools. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Just as a warning- we pulled #3 in the initial waitlist for PK 4 last year at SWS, and never got an offer! Moved as low and 2 and as high as 5, but never got off the wait list. Hope your luck is better than ours!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that! I guess I shouldn’t assume we would even get off the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

I would go with SWS if it's an option - you can always go to Brent by boundary if you change your mind.

[Anonymous]

Well, we were at Peabody and got into SWS and Brent. We’re now at SWS with no regrets.

[Anonymous]

Not buying it, unless this happened at least five years ago. SWS current takes no more than 6 or 7% of applicants for PreK4 and Brent takes none OOB for PreS3, PreK4 and none OOB without siblings for K.

[Anonymous]

Peabody now, Brent when you move in boundary. The families I know at Brent are happier than the families I know at SWS, especially in the upper grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not buying it, unless this happened at least five years ago. SWS current takes no more than 6 or 7% of applicants for PreK4 and Brent takes none OOB for PreS3, PreK4 and none OOB without siblings for K.

Nothing about the OP is implausible. IB for the Cluster now, good WL number for SWS and will be IB for Brent by the time K rolls around. Seriously, why would someone bother to troll about something like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Peabody now, Brent when you move in boundary. The families I know at Brent are happier than the families I know at SWS, especially in the upper grades.

Would you mind sharing any general complaints about SWS? We are top 3 on the waitlist, and I’ve only heard (cultish) adoration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not buying it, unless this happened at least five years ago. SWS current takes no more than 6 or 7% of applicants for PreK4 and Brent takes none OOB for PreS3, PreK4 and none OOB without siblings for K.

I think this comment was in response to me, who posted that we had these exact choices.

This was three years ago. We were in the Cluster (with kids at both Peabody and Watkins). My rising K child, who drew an overall lousy lottery number, got into Brent for K through proximity preference. Older sibling was offered spot through sibling preference.

Meanwhile, older sibling got into SWS. We switched our enrollment from Brent to SWS.

[Anonymous]

Surprised that you didn’t apply for 5 star Maury. The building looks large.

[Anonymous]

For the family that switched to SWS can you say why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the family that switched to SWS can you say why?

We were briefly enrolled at Brent, not long after the lottery results came out, but we never attended so we didn’t technically “switch.”

One of our kids has an IEP and we thought SWS would do a better job of serving that child. But our child without an IEP has also thrived at SWS.

Nothing against Brent.

[Anonymous]

I would take the SWS spot and move somewhere cheaper than IB for Brent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would take the SWS spot and move somewhere cheaper than IB for Brent.

Or take the Peabody spot (if you plan on SH for middle school) and move somewhere cheaper than IB for Brent.