Just as some people's private school journeys came to an end this weekend with notifications of acceptances and rejections, others are still in the thick of things as they wait to find out if the waitlist at their first choice school move might move by the time all contracts are due at noon on Friday, February 17.
Everyone is told, "If you really love the school, work the waitlist."
The question is, what does "work the waitlist" mean, exactly?
It means exactly what it says. Work it! But, there are rules and guidelines to follow.
For one thing, if you sign a contract with any private school - first choice or not - you may not remain on the waitlist of another school - first choice or not. It's one spot to a customer.
Second, most schools request to be notified whether or not you wish to remain on their waitlist. If you wish to remain on their waitlist, waste no time in letting them know.
Call the number provided, express your enthusiasm and desire to attend in the Fall - if you've been waitlisted everywhere, it can't hurt to mention it, as they'll know you haven't got another school in your back pocket - and ask when you might call again.
Some schools don't mind daily check-in phone calls. Others might prefer an e-mail, while others believe in, "Don't call us, we'll call you."
This is also a good time to beat the bushes for anyone who might put in a good word for you with the Admissions office. Another parent at the school, an alum of the school, a teacher.
The admissions office does not want to spend all day Friday making phone calls to possible prospective parents only to be told they've changed their minds or accepted an earlier offer elsewhere. So if you can get someone to vouch that, if called, you will accept on the spot, odds are you might jump a que or two.
Always be polite, always be respectful. Do not resort to pleading or guilt-mongering, like one mother who reportedly told an Admissions officer, "I have cancer, you have to let my son in!" (The NY Gifted Education Examiner sincerely hopes she has recovered, but that was not a good strategy.)
And remember, this is not the end of the waitlist. Places always open up once the DOE releases Gifted & Talented testing results and some parents decide to forgo their private school deposit for a free, public education the following year. (Well, we all know the education isn't free, it's just paid out of a different pocket.)
There is also some movement late in the summer, as parents get transferred out of town or job situations change.
So, if you've got nerves of steel and a school you really want to be a part of, just keep trying, keep calling, work that waitlist!
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