Too many applications for too few seats on last day

The last day of submitting applications for nursery admissions on Wednesday saw posh schools of Delhi receiving a massive number of applications. 

Springdales School’s Pusa Road branch with just 102 seats and its Kirti Nagar branch with 68 seats received some 7,000 applications, so did DPS RK Puram, which has two junior schools, founder of admissionsnursery.com Sumit Vohra said.

In a survey by the website, localities with more schools had more applicants as parents scrambled to stick to the 8-km radius rule. Neighbourhoods with more schools such as Rohini, Saket, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj and Pitampura saw parents applying to 15-20 schools. The schools in these areas received double the number of applications.
 But with no clear guidelines on the upper age limit, parents kept guessing.

Under the new guidelines, admissions to nursery classes will be given on the basis of four criteria – neighbourhood up to 8 km radius, sibling studying in the school, parent alumni and inter-state transfer cases. 

The maximum weightage with 70 points out of 100 in open category seats is for children who live within 8 km radius of the school. Applicants who have sibling studying in the same school will get 20 points and five points will be added by default in the application of girls and children of school alumni.

In DPS East of Kailash, out of a total 3,905 registrations, only 79 students have more than 75 points. “These students are likely to get direct admission,” Vohra said.Out of 308 students having 75 points, a whooping 231 students have five points for inter-state transfer.

The fate of the remaining applicants will be decided by draw of lots. With only 117 seats in DPS East of Kailash, the probability of getting admission works out to one in every eight applicants for students with 75 points. In DPS Vasant Vihar with slightly less applicants, the probability of students with 75 points is one in every four.

Schools will declare the first list of selected candidates on February 28 and the second list is expected on March 15. The admission process will end on March 31.