Getting in

How to crack nursery and kindergarten admissions—and avoid homeschooling your kid.

By Molly Lyons, Photographs by Aimee Herring, Illustrations by Brendan Leach

Perhaps nothing strikes more dread in the hearts of New York parents than the prospect of trying to get their child into school. And we’re not talking about college. The nursery school and kindergarten admissions process—for both public and private enrollment—involves a mind-numbing amount of paperwork, testing and scheduling, not to mention hours of sucking up and park-bench gossip. Add to that the sinking feeling that you can do everything right and still not get in anywhere decent, and it can make even the most laid-back parents vow to homeschool their kids—or move to Westchester. ...

Read the full introduction

Getting in to...

	Nursery school
	Public kindergarten
	Private kindergarten

Also in this issue:

	The new school: Up your acceptance odds by applying to a recently opened nursery.
	Admission impossible: What makes a nursery school a “baby Ivy”?
	P.S. 911: You applied to ten schools and got into zip. Put down the letter opener and read on.
	What it really costs: Three parents reveal what they spend in a school year.
	3 questions for...Sheila Wolper: Founder and director of Beginnings Nursery School and author of Playgroups: A Complete Guide for Parents.
	Special needs in the city: Extra help for parents of kids with special needs.