It Was a Tough February for New York's Fanciest 5-Year-Olds

"Parents have complained for decades that getting into an elite independent school in Manhattan is harder than getting into Harvard; for the wealthy parents who are competing to spend about $70,000 a year, it's an infamously complicated and time-intensive game of tutoring and networking that involves preschoolers sitting for assessments and "interviews" just before nap time."

"Both girls attended a feeder private nursery school (what was once known as a "baby Ivy") where the school directors had a direct line to the admissions offices at the very best ongoing schools, and their mother was an alumna of a "top-tier" private K-12 all-girls' school. His daughters applied to that school in September and were accepted in December, in an early wave of notifications reserved for siblings and legacies."

Wealthy families in Manhattan compete intensely for spots at elite independent schools costing approximately $70,000 annually. The admissions process involves tutoring, networking, and young children undergoing assessments and interviews. Legacy status and alumni connections provide substantial advantages; children from feeder nursery schools with direct admissions office connections face better odds. A finance professional's son, lacking legacy status, was waitlisted at two prestigious all-boys schools despite his sisters' earlier acceptance through legacy preference. The February 2026 notification period proved particularly competitive, with many families experiencing unexpected rejections and waitlists. This experience reflects broader trends among wealthy Upper East Side parents navigating an increasingly difficult and time-intensive admissions landscape.

Read at Intelligencer