Students who participate in the School Choice lottery and don't win a seat, or whose parents didn't apply during the lottery window, still have a good chance of winning a seat at a preferred school.  Most students on wait lists are offered a seat at a preferred school before the next school year begins.

Last year, almost 90% of school choice students who were placed on wait lists were offered spots at their chosen school before the start of the new school year in August. Your child's chances at being offered a spot at their chosen school are still pretty high and depends on how many seats for the following year become available at the schools of interest.  School leaders begin reviewing their expected next-year enrollment numbers regularly, starting in mid- to late March, and if they have openings, they will contact the parents of students on their wait list.

As with the lottery, students on wait lists are ranked by impartially assigned preference weights and then by random numbers. The wait list is not chronological, and does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis, but the sooner you apply, the more opportunity you will have to receive an offer from a school that you would prefer.