Waitlist for local private schools Lovett, Woodward, Pace, Westminster, etc. (Buckhead: transfer, neighborhood)

[dbutler72]

My son was denied for one school we applied to and wait listed for another. I am wondering what has been others experience with wait list. How long were you on it? Did you get in?

[ecm1969]

I'm curious about this issue as well. My child got into one school, but was waitlisted at three others. I'm wondering the following: 1) do kids ever get off the waiting list? 2) if so, how did they get off?, 3) when does the waiting list start moving (ie over the summer or shortly after the 4/19/12 deadline)? We feel very grateful that our daughter was accepted at a school, but our first choice school waitlisted her and we don't want to pay reservation fee, commit to enrolling her, only to have the waitlist first choice school call us with a "surprise, you're in " call. I find this whole "wait list" thing to be yet another wrinkle in this whole crazy admissions process.

[lastminutemom]

A lot depends on the grade level. If it is an entry year (K/Pre-first, 6th, 9th) there will likely be movement on the list, though maybe only a few spots. If is an year with limited openings, then there will be less movement. Some movement will come immediately after the contract deadline, but as life happens (transfers for example) openings may occur throughout the summer.

I believe that once you submit the contract, you are obligated for the next year's tuition. Do you have a public school option that you are comfortable with?

Here is an old post from a few years ago...
https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...aitlisted.html

[ecm1969]

@LastMinuteMom: Thanks for the feedback. My kid is not in an expansion year (first grade). Unfortunately, our public school option is literally awful (which is why we went the private school route). We even tried the charter school application process and got placed into a lottery, as there were no spaces (all kindergarterners had planned to return for 1st grade). Am I crazy to hope that we hear something before the reservation fee is due on the 19th? I did reply to our #1 choice school that we wanted to remain on the waiting list, but I guess I want to be very realistic about our chances to climb off the waiting list. Again, we feel grateful to at least have gotten into a good school (even though it wasn't our #1). My husband's stance is once the check is delivered on/around the 19th, we're done.

[lastminutemom]

Unless kids were accepted at multiple places, most will probably accept their spots in first grade. Was the school up front with how many spaces they would have for first grade? I imagine it was only a few.

Can you see your child (and your family) at the private school where she was accepted for the next X years? If not, I might take a breath and reassess before depositing.

[ecm1969]

@LastMinuteMom: Actually, the school where she was accepted is good for us in terms of her doing well there for the next several years, as well as for several family factors (ie. convenience, she already has some kids she knows there, cost, etc). Again, our neighborhood school (overcrowded, crappy test scores, etc.) simply not an option. I guess we just really loved school #1. My husband says "just get over it", and I guess I'll have to (smile). In terms of the honesty of choice #1 regarding 1st grade spots, they said it was attrition based, but I was also told by the parent of a current 1st grader that last year they had a pretty good number of 1st grade admissions (not sure if that was unusual or not). I despise this whole "waiting list" concept. A straight "no" would've been simpler. The whole "wait list" thing gets your hopes up, seemingly under false pretenses. if we never have to go through this admissions craziness again, I would be ecstatic. And is this is a ploy to get us to go back through the admissions process again, hoping to get "picked", big no!

[DawgPark]

Originally Posted by ecm1969

(And is this is a ploy to get us to go back through the admissions process again, hoping to get "picked", big no!

No it's not a ploy by the schools. Went thru all this w my daughter and now have several friends in admissions/admin at her school. Talking w them has helped me see this crazy process from the school's viewpoint.

Each school has X seats to fill and want to do so w the highest caliber student. But,it's kinda like recruiting in football. Just because you offer a kid a spot doesn't mean he's going to take it. and the LAST thing any of these schools want is empty desks. That's about $20k per unfilled spot.

So if a kid who is offered a spot chooses not to take it, then that school wants to find their next highest pick on the board, ie waiting list. The schools are kinda getting jerked around too because some kids are applying to 4-5 different schools when 2-3 of those schools are really just their "back-up" plan.

[CMMom]

Remember that you also have the option to re-apply to your first choice again next year. Not an ideal situation, but there is that option.

[PeteATL41]

We have a friend whose son was on the waitlist at Lovett last year and they got a call the day the deposit was due at another school that a spot had come open. They were able to make the shift at the last moment and are very happy at L. These things do happen. If it were me I would wait until the last day if I wasn't happy with the school that accepted my child. But in the end, why apply to a school if you're really not OK with sending your child there? I personally wouldn't sit around throughout the summer hoping a spot will open up and continuing the stress and uncertainity beyond 4/19. This impacts the child as well.

The frustrating part of the entire private school process is that is seems a bit random from the parents' perspective. Our son was accepted by 2 of the 4 schools we applied to and waitedlisted at the other two. He has good qualifications (for a Buckhead 5 year old) so we think he should have been attractive to all the schools. I realize there are intangibles and other factors ( legacies, gender balancing etc.), but these are completely nontransparent to the parent. Luckily,we were very happy with one of the acceptances so we completed the contract and are done.

[lastminutemom]

The reality is that some years some school have more siblings applying for K/pre-first than they have spaces, so it isn't really such a mystery to me. I think these schools (especially for the early elementary grades) waitlist a tremendous number of kids because they want you to apply again -- for middle school, for high school, etc. The school has no reason to irritate parents with rejections.

Pete, most parents feel that way about their child.

To the original poster -- it does sound like you are done. Making peace with the decision and moving on are probably the best strategies.