Contributing parishioner and had to go to another parish. Simply no room.

Which schools are considered popular?

We entered at the high point of covid, and were told that the spot was ours because we were parishioners, but we had to claim it and pay for it or else there were others on the wait list. I wouldn't expect that your own parish won't take your child, unless it's an unusual grade or an overly popular school.

If you are a contributing parishoner you should have close to a 100% chance of admission. That is the reason these schools exist. To educate children of parishoners.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fewer families applying to the Arlington Dioceses schools this year (compared to the past few years). The odds of your child being accepted to your parish school are high.

I think a lot of families who were looking for in-person learning will be heading back to public school, or will move on to privates that have more of customer-service vibe, instead of a religious mission.

The schools are packed, but the churches are not.

Not at our Arlington diocese school. Most families who entered last school year have stayed and added siblings. A few new kids joined each grade. Our school has turnover every year due to military and State department families departing.

We considered returning DC to public school but only to make our lives easier at pick-up and drop-off. DC did not want to return to public, even to see old friends. We love our new school community so we are staying through middle school.

You obviously don't attend a Catholic church in northern VA. My church is packed at every mass every week and so are others that I've visited for various reasons.

Anonymous wrote:There are fewer families applying to the Arlington Dioceses schools this year (compared to the past few years). The odds of your child being accepted to your parish school are high.

I can believe that since the public schools are returning to normal but for our school at least, most of the upper grades are still at max capacity because very few kids are leaving. And anecdotally, many of the new kids from the last couple of years have younger siblings who are entering K or on the waiting list and they will get priority in admissions should a spot open up. I think it's going to be a while before we're back to pre-Covid numbers where parishioners are almost guaranteed admission. But that's for ours. Every school is different.

Anonymous wrote:There are fewer families applying to the Arlington Dioceses schools this year (compared to the past few years). The odds of your child being accepted to your parish school are high.

I think a lot of families who were looking for in-person learning will be heading back to public school, or will move on to privates that have more of customer-service vibe, instead of a religious mission.

The schools are packed, but the churches are not.

There are fewer families applying to the Arlington Dioceses schools this year (compared to the past few years). The odds of your child being accepted to your parish school are high.

Our Catholic school always has a waiting list, even prior to COViD.

Since you are a parishioner and have a backup school, you are in good shape as long as you got in at the beginning of the application process.

The structure is:

1) In parish families (w/siblings)
1.5) In parish families...other
2) Catholic families that attend a parish without a school
3) Other Catholic Families
4) Non-Catholic Families

Some schools are popular and can be hard to get into, especially if it’s not your home parish. Some grades are “bubble grades” and you might get some siblings in but not all if one grade happens to be over-enrolled. I know our school has had waitlists since the pandemic hit. I would talk to the registrars at the schools you’re most interested in.

Apply to the school you wish for your child to attend, even if it’s not your parish school. Your child will most likely be accepted.

Outside of 2020-2021 when public schools were closed it’s unusual to not be accepted to your parish school if you are a registered parishioner.

I see all these posters sharing what schools their kids applied to and what their top 2,3 schools are. Are Catholic schools as competitive? (K-8). We applied to our parish school and another out of parish Catholic school as a backup option.

Do most Catholic k-8 applicants apply to a lot of options like the other private school applicants?