Siblings flat-out rejected -- this never really happens, does it?

[Anonymous]

A recurring theme in these threads is that younger siblings are given a "preference" in admissions when they apply to the school that their older sibling currently attends.

I strongly suspect that this is understating the reality of sibling admission. And I feel this way because I have never once known a family where DC#1 is doing fine at school but applicant DC#2 was flat-out rejected for admission even though DC#2 is typically developing and the school is the parents' first choice for DC#2. (in other words, not the situation where DC#2 may have some mild special needs, or DC#2 is a huge athlete so he and the parents favor a different school than DC#1).

I have not once known a family where they thought DC#2 was going to get in only to be surprised to learn that the school doesn't want DC#2. Have you? I'm talking about preK/K enrollment, not 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends upon the school. It certainly is to the school's benefit to take siblings.

Several years ago, a flap at our school with new AD not taking a number of current family sibs. AD left at the end of the year.

[Anonymous]

Key phrase in your post: where DC#1 is doing fine at school ... I think that's why it's just a "preference"

[Anonymous]

Very interesting in this post since I have DC#1 at a school and in process with DC#2 for pk/k right now and we had awful playdate. My DC#1 is a super star at his school and those are words that his teacher and others use to decribe him and he is very well liked. I sure hope my DC#2 with sibling preference is not rejected because he had an off day at the playdate.

[Anonymous]

How do you know that the playdate was awful? It seems like such a mystery re: how they do, what they are looking for, etc...

[Anonymous]

I can think of specific instances in my child's school (JK-8)
in which one child was doing fine, and it was clear the second was not a fit. That's not frequently the case, but when it is, it is.

[Anonymous]

PP back- now I know why other posters had a smiley face in a weird place.... it changed the "8" to a smile. Oh well. Sorry about that.

[Anonymous]

Having worked at a "feeder" preschool, I know a number of these families. Maybe the parents or the older siblings had a reputation of being high maintenance, maybe the younger child had some "red flags", not actual problems but things that are sometimes correlated with problems (e.g. child is shy and wouldn't make eye contact, school knows that not making eye contact can sometimes be a sign of an issue, and doesn't take a risk, but it turns out that really they were just shy). Maybe the younger child, while a perfectly nice child isn't as impressive as their sibling(s) in the way the school values.

I know one family where mom worked at the school, first child got in off the waitlist, second child was rejected (perfectly nice child, with no developmental issues but not particularly dazzling WPPSI scores etc . . . ), second child went to another private school and then a few years later was accepted at the first and joined her sister and mom.

[Anonymous]

Happens at Maert. They tell you their sibling preference is not as strong as at other schools.

[Anonymous]

Oops, I meant "Maret."

[Anonymous]

I know a sibling who has been rejected by Sidwell despite many tries. I know another sibling who was rejected by Maret but then accepted by Maret when the family reapplied two years later. So, two stories from my little universe.