Understand Your Lottery Results

Your lottery results explain your child's outcome for every school you selected on your child's application. The information in the sample results display below explains the terms used in the lottery results. This instructional video explains how the My School DC matching algorithm works. Questions? Call the My School DC hotline, 202-888-6336.

 

Sample Results Display

 

The information below explains the terms used in the lottery results. For a complete list of results terms, click HERE.

MSDC - 24 Results Webpage Graphic 1.1.jpg

 

What do all these terms mean?

 

  1. Active School Selections

    This section only displays schools where your child is currently matched, enrolled or actively on a waitlist.

  2. Rank

    The order in which you listed schools on your My School DC lottery application.

  3. School Name

    The schools you selected on your My School DC lottery application.  At some schools a set amount of available seats at each grade level are designated for a specific group of students. Currently there are special education, military, and equitable access designated seats. Learn more.

  4. Preferences

    Any preferences you claimed and that your child is eligible for (e.g., sibling preference or in-boundary preference). Students with a preference at a particular school are offered a space at that school before students who don’t have a preference.  You will not see a preference listed unless it has been approved by the school. To check the status of the approval click on the preferences icon. To learn more about each lottery preference, click HERE.

  5. Status

    Your child’s current status at a school to which you applied. For a complete list of status definitions, click HERE.

  6. Match (Enrollment Pending)

    Your child was offered a placement through the lottery but is pending enrollment. You must enroll your child by May 1, 2023 to accept the seat. If you do not enroll by the designated deadline, your child may lose their seat at that school. Remember: You will remain on the waitlists for your active schools even if you enroll at your matched school. Contact the school for their enrollment and residency verification processes. To learn more about enrollment, click HERE.

  7. Waitlisted - #

    Your child’s current waitlist position at the school. For example, if there are 10 students on a waitlist and your child is Waitlisted - #9, numbers 1 through 8 must first be called before an offer can be extended to your child. For more on how waitlists work, click HERE.

  8. Next Steps

    If your child is matched to a school through the lottery or is extended an offer off a school’s waitlist, you have two options: (1) You can accept the offer by enrolling at the school, or (2) You can decline the offer. If you accept a waitlist offer and enroll your student, you will be removed from any previous enrollments and from the waitlist of any school ranked below where you accept the offer. To learn more about how to enroll, click HERE.

  9. Inactive School Selections

    This section only displays schools that have been removed from your application for one of five reasons: (1) Your child is not eligible to attend the school; (2) You declined a match or waitlist offer at that school; (3) Your child was not waitlisted at the school through the lottery because they were matched to a school ranked higher on their application; (4) Your child accepted a waitlist offer at a school ranked higher than this school on their application and was removed from the waitlist of this school; or (5) You had formerly accepted a placement and enrolled your child at this school but later accepted a waitlist offer from another school and enrolled at that school.

  10. Not Waitlisted

    Your child was matched through the lottery to a school you ranked higher than this school and therefore is not waitlisted at this school. For additional guidance, click HERE.

  11. Manage Application

    These icons allow you to modify your My School DC application. You can edit your application, add more schools to your application, delete your application, edit how you ranked schools, view the status of any lottery preference you claimed at a school, print your application, and (if you applied to a selective high school) view or edit recommendations.