Norwood is a good idea. I know someone who got in last minute there.

Anonymous wrote:Lowell, Sheridan, Burke, Norwood, Barrie, Green Acres
Call all of these to ask

+1
I’d add SSFS, capital hill day school and if your in DC nearish to 395, I’d add burgundy farm country day school & Alexandria country day.

Anonymous wrote:Call the schools that start in 6th grade. They all have waitlists, but there also can be more flexibility when not trying to balance out a pre-existing class:

St. Anselm's (boys)
Edmund Burke (coed)
Field (coed)

I agree it’s worth a try. Especially if things shake out a little bit around May 1. We are at one of these schools and we have seen kids added to the grade at random points throughout the year, like if someone relocates to the area. In other words, there’s flexibility if they like you and like your kid. But obviously, being full pay and perhaps being able to indicate your enthusiasm for the school and to be philanthropic to the school are probably things that would help your cause.

We chose Barrie School over SSFS and have been very happy. We are excited about the new Global Impact Diploma program. The MS is small, but DC (and us as a family) has gotten a lot of individual academic support that has been immensely helpful. I'd encourage you to check out the MS open house.

Anonymous wrote:SSFS has been a great choice for us. Yes it was rocky but I'm glad we held on. The new admin and board have restored our confidence.

+1 Absolutely feel the same. We are so glad we stayed.

Lowell, Sheridan, Burke, Norwood, Barrie, Green Acres
Call all of these to ask

SSFS has been a great choice for us. Yes it was rocky but I'm glad we held on. The new admin and board have restored our confidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for the suggestions! Definitely not here to trash on any school. Honestly SSFS looks so well suited to my kid. Read some recent threads and seems like the jury is out (rebuilding better than ever vs it’s changed/we are worried it can’t ever bounce back/we are worried it will still close). Also creeped the college admissions Instagram and seems decent. Am I missing any other considerations?

If SSFS is well suited, look at Friends Community as well.

Agree on FCS (Friends Community School). They only go through 8th but the 7th/8th classes gave my child excellent preparation for high school (more so than I even realized at the time). 6th is not a typical entry year for them but they had some extra spaces last year so worth a call to see.

+1

Seconding that WES is worth a try, even if they are full in that grade. Sounds like such a good fit for your family!

Most schools will make space for a kid they want, so it is always worth trying.

You could try Bullis. They might be full but you never know. May 1 is the date where if you withdraw after, you’re stuck paying tuition.
Even if there was a waitlist and someone gets off from another private, they might decline because they would have to pay 2 tuitions and that’s very steep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at past posts I think the only way to try to find unexpectedly open spots is to call. Any idea on which schools to try first (or is this hopeless for 6th grade)?

Did you not get the lottery spot you wanted?

You couldn’t even make it to the sixth post in the thread to learn the reason?

SSFS is the obvious choice. Loved our middle school experience there and love the upper school even more. We are still here.

Anonymous wrote:Looking at past posts I think the only way to try to find unexpectedly open spots is to call. Any idea on which schools to try first (or is this hopeless for 6th grade)?

Did you not get the lottery spot you wanted?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Religious or non-religious? Or any particular learning styles?

Try Lowell school, they have been signaling a lower return rate so you might get a quick win there (better to have a few choices so you can make the right move for your kid).

Lowell is facing significant financial challenges and has had to delay teacher contracts as they struggle to keep things afloat. Best to steer clear for now.

We're at Lowell and are quite happy. I do think 6th might be full though. You can always call and ask!