Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what you mean by "wouldn't be given priority." What priority did you expect to get?

It sounds like OP thought the list would just move in order, but the school is jumping over younger kids close to the cutoff to enroll older kids. (Does that mean younger kids remain on the list for future year openings, OP?)

This is awful! I'm sorry you are going through this.

I guess it's a lesson to all of us to ask about priority or other things before laying out what they clearly say is a non-refundable deposit or fee.

People put $ down for daycare all the time without being told that squeaky wheels jump the line.

I don't understand what you mean by "wouldn't be given priority." What priority did you expect to get?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give the school a bad review.

I think she just did.

Seriously, it's a smaller town than you think and keeping my money and not being transparent upfront will do more harm than good and cost you way more than 250$ in the end.

Anonymous wrote:That’s crappy. They need to ask people up front about birthdays when they first inquire and explain their system before cashing checks. $250 is a lot to spend if you don’t have a prayer of getting a spot.

I feel your pain. Another Alexandria preschool gave me a slot in a class and told me it would be no problem to move to my first choice, they just had to shift some things around. The other class time was less convenient. They ended up not letting us move and kept my $150. We went elsewhere. What a racket—these things are a moneymaker.

Yes it was expensive but I was desperate to get her enrolled. We did this last summer so I felt the timing was fine (14 months). $250 was a lot but it was the right school for us. A new school opened down the street and we signed up, so depending on the price I would probably not enroll her anyways, but it felt like they took my money without being upfront.

That’s crappy. They need to ask people up front about birthdays when they first inquire and explain their system before cashing checks. $250 is a lot to spend if you don’t have a prayer of getting a spot.

I feel your pain. Another Alexandria preschool gave me a slot in a class and told me it would be no problem to move to my first choice, they just had to shift some things around. The other class time was less convenient. They ended up not letting us move and kept my $150. We went elsewhere. What a racket—these things are a moneymaker.

Anonymous wrote:Give the school a bad review.

I think she just did.

Give the school a bad review.

It also seems like an unreasonably large application fee. If it were $50, it would not be unreasonable for them to keep it. But $250? Not good.

Anonymous wrote:What's the basis for your refund request? Application fees typically aren't refundable, even if your child doesn't get a spot.

My basis is that I was not informed that her birthday would impact her enrollment priority.

I wouldn't expect it back, but you could certainly make your case that you wouldn't have put her on the waitlist if they had been upfront about the fact that her birthday made her a low priority applicant. Just be polite and hope it falls on sympathetic ears. Generally application fees aren't refundable, though.

Non-refundable sounds non-refundable. I’d only expect it back if they offered a spot and then withdrew the offer.

What's the basis for your refund request? Application fees typically aren't refundable, even if your child doesn't get a spot.

We toured CPS in Del Ray a year ago and signed up for the 2018 school year, which starts in September with a $250 non refundable check. She said we would know if we get through the waitlist in March. I contact them in May and finally hear back - they say we barely make the cut off (Not discussed at our tour) and we wouldn't be given priority. I still haven't heard if we are going to make the enrollment but at this point I want my money back. If I had known her late birthday (we make the cutoff but she would be one of the youngest in her class) would affect her chances of enrollment I wouldn't have written such a large non refundable check. I'm also so angry they said March and it's 4 months later and crickets.