Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 23:51     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

Anonymous wrote:Add yourself to more lists immediately on lottery day. You can advance-prep a list of backup schools.

The way to get your child in is to make a well-researched list that includes at least one school that has historically taken all of its lottery applicants. Do you want us to help you do that?


Yes please! I had made a different post with my list: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1259280.page. I'm thinking of adding Cleveland and Dorothy Height. Looks like both took everybody out most applicants last year.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 21:51     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

Anonymous wrote:NP. Do you mean we can add more than 12 schools after the lottery ends?


yes, once the lottery results come out you can add as many additional schools as you want. You'll be at the bottom of the waitlist for your preference category. Some schools didn't fill all their available slots and you'll be offered a seat right away--you still stay on at any school you ranked higher, so make sure your post-lottery picks are properly ranked in order of your preference.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 20:58     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

Anonymous wrote:NP. Do you mean we can add more than 12 schools after the lottery ends?


Yes. Have your list ready and do it right away if you are shut out.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 20:09     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

NP. Do you mean we can add more than 12 schools after the lottery ends?
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 19:16     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

In addition to adding schools after the lottery, you can apply to community-based option preschools now, see https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 18:21     Subject: Re:What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

You can always get a PK3 spot within DCPS or a charter. The problem is that, similar to PP’s response, it might be far from home or your commute. You can add schools after the lottery comes out or drop schools that you have no chance of getting into (ex: WL of 100 at LAMB or something). But you might only get a school that is way too far from where you live.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 17:24     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

We were weight listed at all of our PK3 choices last year. Highest WL number was like 38, which historically put us in range for that school. We ultimately didn’t get a spot and kept LO at daycare for another year.

We didn’t do any after lottery lists though because we initially applied to all the schools that worked with our commutes.
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 17:21     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

Add yourself to more lists immediately on lottery day. You can advance-prep a list of backup schools.

The way to get your child in is to make a well-researched list that includes at least one school that has historically taken all of its lottery applicants. Do you want us to help you do that?
Anonymous
Post 02/23/2025 17:20     Subject: What if waitlisted at all pk lottery choices?

Is there a way to still get my child in free pk?