Anonymous wrote:We are currently on the waitlist. If we don't get in, we will probably apply again in the future. Does anyone know what are the next biggest expansion years/easiest years to get in?

Holton's big entry years are 3/4/7/9. Each year is progressively harder than the next, but all four are still MUCH easier than any other year.

We are currently on the waitlist. If we don't get in, we will probably apply again in the future. Does anyone know what are the next biggest expansion years/easiest years to get in?

Anonymous wrote:Will Holton still have two classes for third grade?

Yes. They have two classes with two teachers but the classes combine for a lot of programing (there is a removable wall between the two classrooms)

Will Holton still have two classes for third grade?

When my DD was in third grade years ago, there were only 18 girls in the grade. It was wonderful to have two classrooms with 9 girls each…More girls were added in 4th grade.

With The Great Brain Drain of 2024 they probably have to keep class sizes small due to a lack of teachers

Anonymous wrote:When we were applying, they mentioned they had two third grade classes with each class accommodating up to 15 kids. 20-21 seems low considering they could accept up to 30? Genuinely looking to understand.

As others have said, it’s related to older grades. They can only go up to 30 when other classes are smaller. They can’t exceed the full student body number permitted by agreement (GDS had same issue the last few years)

Anonymous wrote:When we were applying, they mentioned they had two third grade classes with each class accommodating up to 15 kids. 20-21 seems low considering they could accept up to 30? Genuinely looking to understand.

There is an agreement with the surroundings neghbors/county that the number of students shouldd not exceed 600 (or is it 650?). The past couple of years it exceeded and they got a special permission to do this, but they need to follow rules and that is why lower school is kept smaller. High school will take more students.
p.s.
I'm a parent there.

They took more in the Upper School. As a previous poster mentioned there's a campus limit. May have been their intent to take 30 but not enough spaces left after they took all they wanted in the Upper School.

When we were applying, they mentioned they had two third grade classes with each class accommodating up to 15 kids. 20-21 seems low considering they could accept up to 30? Genuinely looking to understand.

3rd grade is small for another reason -- Holton has a limit on the number of students (total) at school they can have. It's a limit because of the campus layout (only one entrance/egress road). They need to see how the final numbers look for the upper school in particular, then they know exactly how many spaces they have to work with.

Anonymous wrote:DD is on the waitlist. We had called last month and were told there were 15 other rising 3rd grade candidates in the pool. Keeping our fingers crossed someone decides to later decline admission.

I think absent some sort of major life change (like a family move) there will not be many if any declines at this point. I would reapply for 4th! They increase the class size in 4th. 3rd is just notoriously really small (on purpose, this year there are only 11 girls per class, 22 total, and they do a ton of stuff combined as a class).

DD is on the waitlist. We had called last month and were told there were 15 other rising 3rd grade candidates in the pool. Keeping our fingers crossed someone decides to later decline admission.

Incoming third grade parent here and the class is small -- I think right now it's only at around 20 or 21 students. So they might not be expanding purposefully to try to keep it small (which they have done in the past) but you should reach out to admissions to see. Head of Lower School Admissions is great.

Does anyone know if there’s been any movement for third grade wait pool at Holton?


Has anyone waitlisted for third grade at Holton been accepted?

Think there’s any chance?