Sorry. We are all parents who wish the best for our kids. I wish you well too and hope things turn out fine.

My puzzlement is directed at those who die die must ballot for branded schools when the odds are really bad. And the 2CS options are really far away or well, not branded.
I can understand those in Sengkang or Punggol. It is just unfortunate that the Dragon Year really boosted the competition. I hope you will find a good school for your child.

bedshat:

Parents, I do not wish to be rude or a cold blanket but just stating the cold hard truth- if everyone sits and wait for the last day, there is going to be more crying and more surprises afte the witching hour (ala 4.29pm) sets in!! Case in point, we got a shock that there were so much more <1km and <1<2km trickling in at 15:30-16:15pm. Yes, I did call up to ask gently and politely after the registration to know the numbers and I realised we were in hot soup. Well, of course its everybody’s prerogative about when one is to register. Everyone should just be mentally prepped that first and last day stats may not be the truthful holy grail! Even if the school in my phase 2cs has 100+ vacancies now, I have mentally prepped myself that I may have to accompany my child to timbuktu everyday for schooling.

I am actually quite puzzled.
To those parents who chose to ballot despite very bad odds (like 3 or 2.5 to 1), why? This applies to both who succeeded or not. I can understand if you buy Toto or 4D. The consequences are mild. But why kamikaze with your child’s future esp when the odds are bad? In any case, my takeaway is that the concept of odds is quite difficult to grasp.

It is like those who still choose to buy overvalued properties, thinking that prices will keep rising.
Sorry if I sounded blunt.

zac's mum:

Tetwsf:

What about the 54 SC (all <1 km) balloting for 20 places at NYPS? It doesn’t make sense at all. If you don’t get it, you are only left with Bukit Timah Pri.

You make it sound like 一个是天，一个是地. Where got so bad.

I don’t think the SCs who paid much to buy or rent a place near NYPS will be happy with a BTPS place. Just illogical for them not to have a better backup plan.

HHMummy:

qms:

[quote=\"grace2011\"] Parents who decide to join the balloting should already prepared to face it. If they can’t take it they should have withdraw from the battle.

Being psychologically prepared is one thing. Being faced with hard truth is another thing.

When you are one of 23 applicants balloting for 21 places, you withdraw meh? Logically and practically, who in their right minds wouldn't give it a go... [/quote]What about the 54 SC (all <1 km) balloting for 20 places at NYPS? It doesn’t make sense at all. If you don’t get it, you are only left with Bukit Timah Pri.

skii:

you know, I was thinking hard about this too until ....


my wife said something out of the blue:
\"imagine its a girl, stay 1KM of NYPS, most likely stay 1KM of RGPS.
if 2B NYPS fails, there are 120 vacancies in RGPS in 2C waiting for her leh...\"

woooo....suddenly, it all makes sense.

However, there are also the ones who only have NYPS-PV and can't change to anything else, thus die die also will apply.

Tetwsf:

What I don’t understand is say for NYPS, why 35 or more SC parents (all < 1 km) are willing to risk balloting for 20 places in Phase 2C, when if you miss it, that’s it. The options left in 2CS are far removed from your first choice of NYPS and the chance of a future transfer is so small. Under what logic would one still go for balloting with such odds and consequences?

Yes, agree that if those NYPS-PV didn’t get it in 2B (thanks to the grassroots influx), they will likely try 2C because of the sunk cost fallacy or mentality.

floppy:

Tetwsf:

What I don’t understand is say for NYPS, why 35 or more SC parents (all < 1 km) are willing to risk balloting for 20 places in Phase 2C, when if you miss it, that’s it. The options left in 2CS are far removed from your first choice of NYPS and the chance of a future transfer is so small. Under what logic would one still go for balloting with such odds and consequences?

If you put your name into the hat, there's a possibility that you might win.
On the other name, if you don't put your name into the hat, you will never win.

But given the odds, if you don’t get it, you will end up with something far removed from your ideal. The alternative outcomes are too extreme. That’s why I don’t get the thinking behind this.

What I don’t understand is say for NYPS, why 35 or more SC parents (all < 1 km) are willing to risk balloting for 20 places in Phase 2C, when if you miss it, that’s it. The options left in 2CS are far removed from your first choice of NYPS and the chance of a future transfer is so small. Under what logic would one still go for balloting with such odds and consequences?