Anonymous wrote:Wonder how many of the people who waited in person were doing it b/c YY was their first choice - They really want Mandarin - or because they were afraid their DC would be shut out but don't care about Mandarin. Anyone?

I would guess some of both, and some for other reasons. For me, personally, I didn't stand in line, but seriously considered it (ended up submitting online) and I have mixed feelings - I am not confident that a Chinese immersion program would be right for my child, but want to at least have the opportunity to make that decision, rather than having that decision made for me because I didn't submit an application soon enough..

So do online applications get mixed in with the in person ones by time stamp, or do they all get pushed back regardless of time. My online time was 8:03 which I was thinking was good, but maybe not! The line thing is tough. Personally I was planning to go but hubby is out of town for work and I have to get my preschooler to school, so nothing I could do about it. I'm sure I'm not the only one in that boat!

Wonder how many of the people who waited in person were doing it b/c YY was their first choice - They really want Mandarin - or because they were afraid their DC would be shut out but don't care about Mandarin. Anyone?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course, the funny thing is that it will now become accepted practice that you have to show up early at YY to get a good waitlist number, so people who don't really care about Mandarin will do it just to make sure they have a spot somewhere. Of course many of those people will find spots elsewhere and wind up not going to YY, so having a low waitlist number will be less important.

But the main entry yr, preK, is only in Mandarin. Not the school for people/families who "don't really care about Mandarin"... Ultimately, families who aren't interested or become interested in Mandarin will be unhappy (see thread about international trip for 5th graders).

Yes, I agree, but people will line up thinking that they might not get in at Two Rivers or wherever their real preference is, and that they would take Mandarin at a good school over nothing. So the top of the wait list will be crowded with these overachievers who really don't want to go to YY, along with the folks who really do of course.

Anonymous wrote:Of course, the funny thing is that it will now become accepted practice that you have to show up early at YY to get a good waitlist number, so people who don't really care about Mandarin will do it just to make sure they have a spot somewhere. Of course many of those people will find spots elsewhere and wind up not going to YY, so having a low waitlist number will be less important.

But the main entry yr, preK, is only in Mandarin. Not the school for people/families who "don't really care about Mandarin"... Ultimately, families who aren't interested or become interested in Mandarin will be unhappy (see thread about international trip for 5th graders).

People in line didn't get an 8:00 am time. They got the application a minute or two before 8. Then in their line order handed in completed apps. My husband was 14 and got a time stamp of 8:02:20.

Sorry, when I said "fair," I meant "equitable for online and in-person applicants." Whether or not you are in favor of the first-come, first-served system seems to be directly related to whether or not you are first-come. We are a family that had absolutely crap numbers last year, so I'm delighted that there is a way to try to get a better WL number at at least one school.

Of course, the funny thing is that it will now become accepted practice that you have to show up early at YY to get a good waitlist number, so people who don't really care about Mandarin will do it just to make sure they have a spot somewhere. Of course many of those people will find spots elsewhere and wind up not going to YY, so having a low waitlist number will be less important.

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be truly fair if it was just a lottery and your WL number was your lottery #? Waiting in line, if you can, doesn't make you a better or more "motivated" parent. Being on an ipad at 7:58 with a latte and a spreadsheet in your pjs doesn't make you "savvy".

It was unfair when Oyster did it and it's unfair when charters do it.

Call it a lot if things, but don't call it fair.

Good luck!

Actually, in the 90s Oyster had no lottery at all--OOB was 100% first come first served. As a current YY aren't who got in off the waitlist, I don't love the way the WL is done, but I do see the school's reasons for it.

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be truly fair if it was just a lottery and your WL number was your lottery #? Waiting in line, if you can, doesn't make you a better or more "motivated" parent. Being on an ipad at 7:58 with a latte and a spreadsheet in your pjs doesn't make you "savvy".

It was unfair when Oyster did it and it's unfair when charters do it.

Call it a lot if things, but don't call it fair.

Good luck!

Actually getting up at 4 AM to try and get a spot a great school for your child does make you more motivated. And life is not always fair. Sometimes you need to take that extra step to get somewhere. My DH was in line this morning because we got triple digit waitlist numbers everywhere last year. Our neighborhood school is a mess. There were lots of parents switching off and the aunt of an applicant applying for her niece or nephew. It is one day out of your life-- if you are truly motivated then you will do all you can to make it work. Whining about how unfair it is will get you nowhere.

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be truly fair if it was just a lottery and your WL number was your lottery #? Waiting in line, if you can, doesn't make you a better or more "motivated" parent. Being on an ipad at 7:58 with a latte and a spreadsheet in your pjs doesn't make you "savvy".

It was unfair when Oyster did it and it's unfair when charters do it.

Call it a lot if things, but don't call it fair.

Good luck!

Of course it's fair, don't be ridiculous. First, there is a lottery. Second, first come first served is a pretty common way to distribute limited resources. Is it unfair that you can't enter a lottery to get the best tickets to the Redskins? Of course not.

Wouldn't it be truly fair if it was just a lottery and your WL number was your lottery #? Waiting in line, if you can, doesn't make you a better or more "motivated" parent. Being on an ipad at 7:58 with a latte and a spreadsheet in your pjs doesn't make you "savvy".

It was unfair when Oyster did it and it's unfair when charters do it.

Call it a lot if things, but don't call it fair.

Good luck!

Nobody got the 8:00 am timestamp. First one was 8:01. They were marking applications with minutes and seconds. I'm sure there will be much brouhaha about online versus in-person, but they seemed to be pretty fastidious about trying to keep it fair.

For people wondering about next year it seems like things tapered off pretty quickly, my DH got there at 7:40 and was around # 24 or 25 in line, got the application in by 8:02. (We have two DCs seeking spots so thought it would be quicker to submit both at once in person.) We'll see how the waitlist looks but really, it doesn't seem necessary to get up at the crack of dawn. I know someone in the K class this year who got in with a spot in the 20s so you really don't have to be in the first ten.

Thanks for all the information OP (and others) - I've got a 3 year old, but depending on what happens this year, YY is my top spot for next year. Good to know I need to send my DH out there at 2:30 am.