March is the time when preschools send out the long-awaited letters for preschool admissions. You may be one of the many families to receive notifications that you’ve been placed on the waitlist. After all the hard work of applying, you may be frustrated and more anxious than ever. So what can you do?
Even if a waitlist letter makes your heart sink, it’s important not to take it personally. It is not a reflection on you as parents or your child. There are many factors involved when schools make placement decisions—perhaps there were a lot of siblings of already-enrolled students this year, or they needed to keep an even boy/girl ratio, or they had to balance the age range within the class. The good news is that spots may still open up, and there are also other options for finding a great school for your child.
If you’ve been placed on the waitlist for your top choice(s) of schools, it’s wise to have a plan of attack.
- Remember, you may still get accepted – Waitlist acceptances can start going out within 2 weeks after the initial acceptance letters have been sent. Even then, don’t lose hope if you don’t hear right away. Spots can open up throughout the summer as people move, change their minds, or get accepted into other schools.
- Decide if you want to stay on the waitlist – If you do wish to keep your spot on the waitlist, call the school. Let the director know that you’re still interested in the school and want to be in the running if a spot opens up. It’s okay to ask about the school’s timing for acceptances and if they’re willing to tell you what your chances are if a spot opens up. (Conversely, if you select a different school or you want to be removed from the list, call the school to let them know!)
- Find out: Does the school have other options? Maybe you wanted a morning spot, but there’s an afternoon spot available. Or you were hoping for full-time but they have a part-time spot still open. If you have your heart set on a particular school, it’s worth considering other options if you—and they—are willing to be flexible.
- Don’t pester the school – When you call the school about keeping your spot on the waitlist, ask them when it would be best to follow up. If they don’t have a suggestion or if you haven’t heard anything after a month, it’s reasonable to contact the school to reaffirm your interest in a spot. Resist the temptation to nag the school every day requesting an update (that won’t help your chances!)
- Look for other openings in your area – You can find open spots for all areas by clicking on the “Immediate Openings” link on KidAdmit’s home page. Openings are refreshed on a daily basis. We’ve had many happy parents who have found outstanding alternatives by finding an open spot in a school they’d never considered!
- Consider delaying for another year – Especially if your child has a few years before starting kindergarten, there are other ways he/she can get the kind of social interaction you’d find in a preschool class. Many cities offer toddler and preschool-age classes through community centers and Parks & Recreation departments. Other programs like Kindermusik, Music Together, My Gym, Gymboree, or your local YMCA have a variety of choices that provide a class-like setting to introduce skills like following directions, taking turns, and sharing.
- Apply again next year – If you don’t end up getting into your top choices or find another high-quality program, apply again the next year. It won’t hurt your chances if you didn’t receive an acceptance the first time, and it may even give you more time to become familiar with the school, its teachers and staff. If they have a summer school or camp, for example, you may want to enroll your child to get a better sense of the school’s culture and teaching approach. Plus, it helps put faces to the names for the school when your application comes through the following year!
Remember that you’re not alone when it comes to the waiting game. We invite you to share your experience with us and other parents! In the meantime, deep breaths and an MNO (or Dads-Night-Out) can work wonders!
kidadmit.wordpress.com 
There are a few preschool programs that I want to send my son to, but he was wait listed by a few of them. The information about how he can still be accepted was really comforting. I should keep in mind that wait list acceptances can go out two weeks after the first acceptance letters are sent to parents. Now that I know that, I feel better about waiting to hear back from schools while I’m looking into other programs for my son.
LikeLike
I agree that it is important to have all of the information available before determining whether or not to stay on the waitlist for your child’s potential preschool program. It could help you boost your chances of getting in if you ask the right questions. Staying on the waitlist leaves a bit of uncertainty for your child’s future so it may be important to figure out if the risk if worth it to you.
LikeLike