If you get a good lottery number, you can get into almost anywhere. We were lucky last year, and had multiple good options. My DC ended up at LAMB, which is a fantastic school.

We were one of the didn’t get into anywhere last year who had to scramble to add schools post-lottery. Got into a few of the schools we added post-lottery as well as our in-boundary by the summer. Ended up going to the first school that let us in and have had a great year there. So I’m here to say I’ve been through your nightmare scenario of really bombing in the lottery and it all turned out fine. Actually, way better than fine.

Adjust your mindset. "Winning" the lottery means getting into one of your 3-4 top choices, not only your #1.

There are just very few highly desirable seats to go around.

Overwhelmingly DCPS and DCPCS do ECE well. It is very likely that, if you go in with a positive attidtude, you will have a great year any where you end up. You may play again next year, but (as hard as it may be to hear) this is not the year to have nerves.

We got our PK3 number three, almost number two by summer end, plus LAMB. Most of our worried friends did well by end of summer too on waitlists. If not, they went somewhere else, were fine, then got something they liked by K. All the worry seems long ago now!

We listed 12 schools on our lottery list, and got into #12, our in bound (only because it was early action). It was actually great. We stopped playing the lottery, our kid is really happy there. So, lucky us!

We matched right away with out #1 pick for PK3 a few years ago. This is a reach school with a notoriously long waitlist. We've been thrilled to be a part of the school and haven't considered going anywhere else.

We were IB for a school we liked, but did lottery for one kid two years in a row (for personal reasons), and got top choice both years (including Washington Latin), but decided to stay put anyway, so two people got off the wait list those years, and everything worked out fine for our kid.

On Lottery Eve, kiss your sleeping child and ask yourself whether you are already very, very lucky.

Was thinking no chance and likely will be going to our poorly performing IB. We got our #1 choice. I had to do a double look when I saw the results. So yes it’s a lottery but a number of people do win.

Just play with your actual child when you find yourself spending too much time over a process you cannot control, and be grateful.

Good luck OP! We applied for LAMB for PreK3 for my first kid, and had the highest number out of our daycare friends...something in the 560 range. For PreK4 we were number 6 and got in. Have 2 kids at LAMB now, and are very happy there.

Just roll a pair of dice repeatedly. Every time you get double sixes, think "Lucky"!

We got our IB for PK3 four years ago when it was much, much worse than it is now. It was fine. Most of our friends left by Count Day and it was still fine.

I know zero people who made a reasonable list and did not get into something they like by 2nd.

I tend to hear a lot of stories about not getting into their top choice and getting waitlisted everywhere. Would you like sharing your happy storied for good luck? I'm trying to calm my nerves here and trying to stay positive!