Waitlist for Westminster Schools (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: co-op, home, school district)

[carlosthecharlie]

Our son was wait listed for Westminster for sixth grade. I'm curious if others have had this experience and have insight into what the historical odds are a spot will open up. We are a bit surprised, not that the school isn't competitive but we had what we thought was a relatively strong application.

I'm sure everyone thinks that... But I'm not looking to commiserate just more trying to figure out the game theory of whether its worth waiting past the deadline or if we should take our second choice.

As an aside I'm quite surprised how little discussion there is on this forum around the subject of private school admissions. Is there somewhere else where this party is going on? Thanks in advance!

[lastminutemom]

There have been several threads on this, but remember that the vast majority of students in the state are in public school. (Like 90+ percent). In some communities, it may not feel that way though.

I have friends who tell me that this was an especially competitive year, perhaps because the economy is turning around a bit, but more likely because of the mess in DeKalb. Families that weren't considering private got uncomfortable with the large budget cuts there and the big increase in class size was the final straw. Next year, it is expected more DeKalb families will be looking for a way out.

There was this thread recently...
https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...-woodward.html

[AtlJan]

There really is no way to tell. I will say that Westminster is very often a family's top choice. You will see more movement off of waitlists from other schools that may not be as highly regarded. Not saying your child won't get in W., there is still a chance. . .It won't hurt to have friends with connections speak up for you and--if you decide to wait it out--send a nice email to Westminster telling them that you will accept the spot if one becomes available. That being said, I'm guessing your second choice is a fabulous school, as well. When my oldest got in Pace and was waitlisted at Westminster, we felt very grateful to have an acceptance in hand and have been so happy at Pace.

[CMMom]

I agree with Lastminutemom. Many families who, up until now, have been very happy at DeKalb schools such as Austin, Vanderlyn, and Montgomery are now jumping ship due to increased class sizes and potential upcoming redistricting. Much more so than in previous years. Although many of those kids are applying to Dunwoody/Sandy Springs private schools, some apply to the "Buckhead" privates as well.

Remember that at schools like Westminster, they could fill entire grades with siblings and alumni children alone (although such children are NOT automatically accepted at Westminster). I don't have any particular insight other than to say I hope you have a second choice in mind. Westminster also accepts a good number of kids in 7th grade if you don't make it in this year. Being waitlisted does tell you that they feel your child is a good candidate, so just hang in there!

[10 feet tall]

Originally Posted by CMMom

I agree with Lastminutemom. Many families who, up until now, have been very happy at DeKalb schools such as Austin, Vanderlyn, and Montgomery are now jumping ship due to increased class sizes and potential upcoming redistricting. Much more so than in previous years. Although many of those kids are applying to Dunwoody/Sandy Springs private schools, some apply to the "Buckhead" privates as well.

Remember that at schools like Westminster, they could fill entire grades with siblings and alumni children alone (although such children are NOT automatically accepted at Westminster). I don't have any particular insight other than to say I hope you have a second choice in mind. Westminster also accepts a good number of kids in 7th grade if you don't make it in this year. Being waitlisted does tell you that they feel your child is a good candidate, so just hang in there!

I agree with this. Dekalb is a dumpster fire of a school system right now, and it is spilling over into all of the schools, even traditionally good ones like the Dunwoody/Brookhaven area elementary schools - just take a cruise by Vanderlyn and check out the trailers for the kids' classrooms. Then you have the Atlanta city system which now has a reputation that it will likely never live down. Private school applications are going through the roof right now. Also, home school options in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs are growing exponentially, with tons of co-op options around. With the combination of Dekalb and Atlanta city schools being absolutely terrible, I wonder if the Atlanta metro may be in some of the worst shape in America when it comes to public schools.

Westminster is probably the most prestigious private school in Atlanta (maybe in the entire southeast?). Even getting on the waitlist is an accomplishment. However, I would not expect the waistlist to move that much, since families who get in just don't drop out to go somewhere else.

[3kidsloveit]

My son has been waitlisted at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta for four years straight. He will be entering sixth grade this year so we are finally giving up on getting off the waitlist. This year they had 70 spots. I think most people are waitlisted. I think that they just have too many perfect candidates applying. I wonder if Pace Academy and Lovett is the same way with how many people they waitlist. Since the economy is recovering I just think that the private schools in Atlanta are just being flooded with families applying this year. We have decided to move from Buckhead to the Walton High School district. My son will receive a great education at Walton. We will also save a ton of money.

[robertaflash]

You should call the Admissions Office and talk to them. They can provide much more insight regarding the chances of your child getting in from the wait list than anybody on this thread. Additionally, Westminster has a "real" wait list; they do not place people on it to soothe feelings (as some schools do).

[atlanta39]

Do you know which Buckhead private schools don't have "real" waitlist? Or how to tell if your waitlist letter is real or not?

[marito17]

I just spoke to a parent who knows a lot of families who applied to W for the Kindergarden level. They had 170 open slots and 115 kids with siblings / parents who went there did NOT get in. We have not heard of a single kid from Suzuki School (One of the top Buckhead pre-schools) who got into W. I am not sure what is going on, but it looks like they received a huge number of applicants this year. My figures have not been verified and they are not official. This is just what I heard.

[LovelySummer]

Thank you for your insights. I know that you did not say that no children from Suzuki got in, just that you did not know of any who were admitted. Please keep us posted. Incidentally, I wouldn't be surprised if larger numbers of children are being admitted from other Buckhead (and non-Buckhead) preschools in larger numbers than in the past since Suzuki now has more competition. Suzuki also has a very different model (montessori/traditional mix) from the other schools and much, much larger class sizes than the others so the environment for students is very different from some of the other smaller schools and I'm not sure how that translates in Westminster's eyes and in terms of competitiveness. Good luck to everyone in getting off the waiting lists.

Originally Posted by marito17

I just spoke to a parent who knows a lot of families who applied to W for the Kindergarden level. They had 170 open slots and 115 kids with siblings / parents who went there did NOT get in. We have not heard of a single kid from Suzuki School (One of the top Buckhead pre-schools) who got into W. I am not sure what is going on, but it looks like they received a huge number of applicants this year. My figures have not been verified and they are not official. This is just what I heard.