Anonymous wrote:For 5th grade, we got >270 for Basis. Didn’t know such a bad result was even possible! (Would love to hear horror stories so we can pretend we dodged a bullet there . Our kid likes elementary school math and science but is not advanced… yet.) The total waitlist length in recent years looks like it’s been between 200-260 students, so 270 is a head scratcher.

And then there’s the 2 Latins. >450 for both.

This kind of result is similar to other lottery results we’ve gotten in prior years. Is it a blind random lottery or do they sort of chunk slots by location, demographics, or maybe even things like EAPs or prior attendance issues? Seems weird how consistently we’ve drawn crappy numbers when it’s just a luck-based process. I guess I’m being a bit paranoid. Probability and randomness are what they are.

Anonymous wrote:For 5th grade, we got >270 for Basis. Didn’t know such a bad result was even possible! (Would love to hear horror stories so we can pretend we dodged a bullet there . Our kid likes elementary school math and science but is not advanced… yet.) The total waitlist length in recent years looks like it’s been between 200-260 students, so 270 is a head scratcher.

And then there’s the 2 Latins. >450 for both.

This kind of result is similar to other lottery results we’ve gotten in prior years. Is it a blind random lottery or do they sort of chunk slots by location, demographics, or maybe even things like EAPs or prior attendance issues? Seems weird how consistently we’ve drawn crappy numbers when it’s just a luck-based process. I guess I’m being a bit paranoid. Probability and randomness are what they are.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this true for PK at CHML too?

No, PK is great! It’s the only part of the school that’s actually Montessori accredited.

Yes, because it is MONTESSORI!!!! It is designed for ECE. The idea that children and preteens should get to pick what and how they learn is stupidity.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can make you feel (somewhat) better. The Latin and Basis middle school waitlists have been growing every year post-pandemic. Mortgage rates might have something to do with it. Basis has a lot of homework. A lottery number in the middle for 5th/6th grade will get you Basis for 5th but not much else. You are not in a substantially worse position with a bad number than lots of others with a so-so number because you need a very good number for schools like Latin or Hardy etc.

I will say that the large number of kids staying in DC for middle school also means that more school become acceptable options. On Capitol Hill more and more kids are attending Eliot Hine because they were shut out of Latins/BASIS, and schools like EH have much better facilities than BASIS for example. Getting a bad lottery number doesn’t mean moving is the only option.

Once you get through MS, the HS options are wider.

Agree with this. There are a whole handful of DCPS middle schools that seem fine, not sure what that PPs options are. And to feel better on BASIS, you really have to be a very particular kind of kid, otherwise it's kind of miserable. My kid does truly like it, so it's not miserable for everyone. But those who hate it, hate it in a very damaging and active way (they feel stupid, they are stressed and exhausted, they feel like they are failing)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can make you feel (somewhat) better. The Latin and Basis middle school waitlists have been growing every year post-pandemic. Mortgage rates might have something to do with it. Basis has a lot of homework. A lottery number in the middle for 5th/6th grade will get you Basis for 5th but not much else. You are not in a substantially worse position with a bad number than lots of others with a so-so number because you need a very good number for schools like Latin or Hardy etc.

I will say that the large number of kids staying in DC for middle school also means that more school become acceptable options. On Capitol Hill more and more kids are attending Eliot Hine because they were shut out of Latins/BASIS, and schools like EH have much better facilities than BASIS for example. Getting a bad lottery number doesn’t mean moving is the only option.

Once you get through MS, the HS options are wider.

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Anonymous wrote:Middle school seats are one of the most competitive seats in the city. There are not that many decent ones in the city.

If you are EOTP and don’t get Latin, Basis, and are not in a feeder for DCI, honestly, I would just move to burbs to good pyramid for 5/6 to 12th. The schools there are much better there then WOTP schools.

I'm not sure you should follow the advice who doesn't know the difference between "then" and "than".

Anonymous wrote:Middle school seats are one of the most competitive seats in the city. There are not that many decent ones in the city.

If you are EOTP and don’t get Latin, Basis, and are not in a feeder for DCI, honestly, I would just move to burbs to good pyramid for 5/6 to 12th. The schools there are much better there then WOTP schools.

Anonymous wrote:I can make you feel (somewhat) better. The Latin and Basis middle school waitlists have been growing every year post-pandemic. Mortgage rates might have something to do with it. Basis has a lot of homework. A lottery number in the middle for 5th/6th grade will get you Basis for 5th but not much else. You are not in a substantially worse position with a bad number than lots of others with a so-so number because you need a very good number for schools like Latin or Hardy etc.

Anonymous wrote:For 5th grade, we got >270 for Basis. Didn’t know such a bad result was even possible! (Would love to hear horror stories so we can pretend we dodged a bullet there . Our kid likes elementary school math and science but is not advanced… yet.) The total waitlist length in recent years looks like it’s been between 200-260 students, so 270 is a head scratcher.

And then there’s the 2 Latins. >450 for both.

This kind of result is similar to other lottery results we’ve gotten in prior years. Is it a blind random lottery or do they sort of chunk slots by location, demographics, or maybe even things like EAPs or prior attendance issues? Seems weird how consistently we’ve drawn crappy numbers when it’s just a luck-based process. I guess I’m being a bit paranoid. Probability and randomness are what they are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same way. But her current school isn’t very academically rigorous and I feel she does need more structure. Unsure if Truth is the answer either. That’s IF we get in. And if don’t then moving might be only option left.

Why not try BASIS for 5th and lottery again for 6th if you're still not sure? Based on comments here seems like 5th is a more "gentle" year at BASIS - a lot of teaching the kids organization and study skills and no comps.

I feel like people underestimate how stressful switching schools is. I have an extroverted, generally pretty easy kid, and he still talks about how stressful it was switching in second grade.

The difference here is that, no matter what you decide, there will be multiple transitions. It's just the nature of 5th and 6th grade in DC.

If they stay at current elementary school for 5th, it's still a "transition" since many 4th grade classmates will move on to charters or better middle school feeders. And they will still have to transition to a new school in 6th. If they don't lottery into something they like for 6th, they're not just looking at moving schools but moving out of DC entirely, which is obviously a much bigger transition.

If instead they go to BASIS for 5th, yeah it's a transition. But if they end up liking it, they're set. If they don't, they're in the same position lotterying for 6th as they would be anyway. But maybe it buys them a little extra time to make a game plan if they're willing to stick with BASIS for 6th.

Coming from the suburbs (living in DC for 15+ years now tho..). this still blows my mind. as a Florida burbs kid, we went to the same cluster, all of our friends. Elementary Middle HS.

I assume it is like this around here in MD and VA of course. But DC.. I get it. Your kids have these elementary friends they grow up with and BAM. 5th grade they are in a brand new school (like a BASIS or a Latin). Start all over with faces they have never seen.

I am aware that there are thousands of kids in DC that go to the same Elem, middle, and HS as their cluster and they stay public the entire time. I get that, too. I am merely commenting on the this comment above.

Anonymous wrote:My child is going into first grade. He's 8 on the waitlist for Shepherd, 10 for Lafayette, Bancroft and Murch, and 7 for Hearst. What is the likelihood of getting into any of these prior to the start of school?