Reply to Common Lottery Algorithm

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes, agree that this algorithm should NOT be some sort of state secret. And I do not agree that it will be the same method as last year.

What I suspect is the plan is that they will take the full number of lottery applicants for a particular grade and spit out the numbers once (so, let's say 5000 applicants for one grade...they "shake the hat" and pull out the numbers ordering them as they are pulled--yes, I realize a computer will do this and it's not on slips of paper). Then, they go down that list of 5000 kids, placing children with any preference first, after that they start "matching" children with no preference with their most preferred schools).

So let's say applicant #3500 was actually sorted at #10 in the lottery. That child will have a very good shot at getting in his/her top or 2nd choice (if there were any spots at those schools after giving all the "preference kids" theirs). Conversely, let's say applicant #5 got ranked at #4500 in the lottery pull...that kid has very little chance in getting in at any of his/her top schools (assuming those schools are at all popular).

Anyway, this is admittedly a total guess, but it's all I can come up with based on the limited explanation that we've all received. Why oh why can't they just explain it very simply?  [/quote]

Under this system, how would the waitlists work? That is, say that you are #50 out of 5,000 to be selected by the computer, would you also be near the top of all the waitlists too? Meaning, you get into, say, your #4 choice, but when you are waitlisted at 1-3, you are pretty high there? That seems to be a real drawback of this method. [/quote]

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