Demystifying the Admissions Process

Upping Your Child's Admission Odds

Selective preschools come in two varieties. Some have admissions criteria - they accept only children with a particular targeted combination of developmental prowess and family attributes. Others are open to everyone through some kind of lottery used for selection, but have more applicants than available slots. In either case, you can up your odds of getting in simply by understanding the dynamics of admission at the preschool.

Individual preschools vary enormously, so it's important to do some up-front homework about the preschools you are most interested in.

• How many slots are available for your child's age? How many applicants are expected?


• What are the criteria for admission, and are those criteria different for different age groups?


• Do siblings and/or alumni relatives get preference over other applicants? How many slots does this typically use up each year for children your child's age? How many slots are likely to remain?

In some schools, the slots available even in the youngest age groups may be fewer than you think. Schools nearly always guarantee admission to returning students, who occupy most seats in the older age groups. So most of the new student slots will be in the preschool's starting age group (which varies from preschool to preschool). In some preschools, many of those starting-class positions will be spoken for by siblings of current students, who usually have preference in the admissions process.

But the numbers vary each year, and you may find other windows of opportunity. Some families will move each year. Even in high quality preschools, some families will find the offerings to be a poorer fit than anticipated and so will change schools. Slots may open up for other reasons as well. As more elementary schools add junior kindergartens, slots for continuing four year olds and kindergartners may open up in some preschools. In cities with high quality public schools, large numbers of families flee paid preschool in the kindergarten year. Some preschools add a class at certain age levels, increasing the slots substantially in those years. Switching an older sibling into a preschool opening can give your younger children sibling preference for admission into younger classes.

It's a game indeed. So play it to get the slot you want - once you know for sure that the oversubscribed preschool you want is all it's cracked up to be.

Admission to Preschools Housed Within Elementary Schools

For those of you considering a preschool housed within a school of higher grades (commonly K-5, K-8 or K-12), the admissions game can get complicated. In many private schools, lower grades are populated by children of families who will send all of their children to the same school. Despite what some admissions officers may tell you, these schools will bend over backwards to admit siblings so that family loyalty (and donations and volunteer time) is not split between schools.

And family characteristics are typically more important for the preschool and lower-grade elementary slots. But to remain academically competitive when student achievement becomes more visible in middle and high school, these schools reserve some slots in higher elementary and middle school for very high-achieving applicants. Your child's achievement, rather than family characteristics, becomes more important in the higher grades. So you are taking a risk by waiting; but every year counts, and a high quality high school does not guarantee a high quality program for three or four years olds. Know that quality and fit may differ considerably among a school's preschool, elementary, middle and high schools, particularly if the programs have different leaders.

If you understand these dynamics, you can "play the game" more effectively by doing things like:

• Applying for a school's preschool program (or the youngest grade, whatever it is). The preschool may have more open slots than kindergarten, and once you're in, you're in. But scrutinize the quality and fit of the preschool program specifically before you take this leap. Every year counts a huge amount at this age. Think hard before you accept mediocre preschool years for the hope of better quality in elementary or higher grades.


• Leading with a younger sibling to help your older child. It may be tough to get your rising second grader into an already full school. But if her little sister is admitted to preschool, then your second grader's chances are boosted by her sibling status. And of course vice versa.


• Waiting for a window. If your child's preschool age group is going to be filled with siblings (just ask), inquire about future age/grade levels. The school may add a class in Kindergarten. Perhaps waiting a year could up your odds considerably, and politely letting the school know now that you are interested can't hurt.

Feeder Schools: A Leg Up?

In some cities, a few preschools are regarded as "feeders" for particular, selective elementary schools. If your child attends the feeder preschool, he is presumed to have an advantage when it comes to getting into the elementary school. If you have your eye on such a school for your child's future, you might be tempted to select the feeder preschool now to up the admissions odds later. But should you?

Let's take the easy case first. If the feeder preschool meets your fit needs and passes quality muster, the fact that it may feed the desirable elementary school could well put it over the top in your decision-making, perhaps breaking a tie with a similar school. But now the tougher case - what if the feeder falls short in fit or quality? What then?

Keep this in mind: attending the feeder preschool probably will not guarantee your child's admission to the selective elementary school. Think about it. Private elementary schools want the best students and best family-fit possible, and they simply are not going to give exclusive preference to one preschool unless the two schools are run by the same outfit. The two schools' perennial relationship may give you an edge - the director's phone call to an admissions officer might well tip things. But is the preschool director going to do that for every child applying to a popular elementary school? We think not. Your child - and family - still will need to meet the elementary school's exacting standards. If the feeder school is a poor fit for your child or weak in quality, what will happen? You may find that after lackluster development in a popular but complacent preschool, he doesn't make the cut after all.

So think twice before opting for a perceived feeder school over a preschool that's a better fit and higher quality. Your child's preschool years are a critical period for development, not just a holding pen.