Though sometimes dubbed "choice" programs, choice plays only one part in whether a child lands a spot in any of the public schools' language-immersion, highly capable or parent co-op programs in this area.

Getting into one of these highly popular programs can depend on anything from a lucky lottery draw, to where you live, to top test scores, to required parent involvement. Securing a spot in multi-age and alternative schools, and magnets — schools with a special focus — can be tough, too. Ways to increase your odds are limited. Some families move. Others cheat.

Your best above-board bet if you're interested in any choice program: Know the ins and outs of admission formulas, which vary from district to district, and even school to school. When planning your strategy, be sure to ask:

Is there a lottery?

Most choice programs have one. Typically, lottery applications are set up no later than January with most drawings no later than March.

For example, there's even a lottery for leftover spaces at Edmonds-Woodway's International Baccalaureate program, one of a handful of rigorous college-prep programs in this area that allow high-school juniors and seniors to earn college credits and a diploma recognized by colleges and universities worldwide.

District students already designated as "gifted" get first pick of the full IB slate. Students without these scores who live within the Edmonds-Woodway boundaries get the next shot at one or more IB classes. If there's still room available, other district students may enter a lottery.

Whole lotta movin' going on to popular programs

FAKE MOVING: "John Stanford is a fabulous school but it's not the only school people have cheated to get into. It's been happening for years for whatever the hot school is or was at the time. There will always be a few people who cheat. When race was a factor, people were changing their race on applications. People will always look for ways around the rules."

— Kelly Bradford, Wallingford parent of four children, second to 11th grades, two of whom attend John Stanford International School.

REAL MOVING: "This international diploma is good worldwide, so we get a lot of calls from people coming into this country to work for Microsoft or Boeing. They want to know where the IB (International Baccalaureate) program is so it can be very desirable to live in Edmonds-Woodway."

— Nancy Cartwright, Highly capable program administrator, Edmonds School District

How to get a legal edge: Elementary students whose older siblings already attend the same school often get first shot at prelottery openings.

Only in-district applicants have any real chance.

School districts have the state-approved option of providing the first open slots to children of staff members.

Tip: Double-check the admissions policy; things change. For example, Lake Washington School District's Explorer Community School (co-op for first through sixth grades) is switching from first-come/first-served to a lottery.

When can we apply?

Most start the application process in January, with February or March deadlines, but some start as soon as late fall with screenings and school visits.

Typically, applications are not accepted until a child is ready to start school the next fall. However, at some programs that start with the first grade, such as Lake Washington's first through sixth grade Community School in Kirkland, a child who is 3 years old by Aug. 31 may apply for first-grade entry the following January.

What are other admissions factors?

Some programs rely on testing, teacher evaluations, gender and cultural-diversity balance. Ask if any of these apply to the program you're interested in.

Must we live in the district?

With waiting lists often a mile long, residency makes a huge difference. But in some cases, people "borrow" an address. Noncustodial divorced parents and grandparents in other districts are known to "loan" addresses.

Is this cheating? Yes — but it's done because it's hard to catch.

Where might it catch up to you?

Some get nailed if they register their child for a high-school sport sanctioned by the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association. Competing outside your home district, without permission, is against the rules. It can jeopardize an entire team or group. Competitive parents are often the ones who blow the whistle.

What's right for your child?

Specialized programs mean they fit for some, not all.

Committed to being smart: "The highly capable student program in many ways feels more like a private school. The parents are very involved, maybe too involved in some cases. There are a lot of Type A++ parents. The kids are committed to learning and 'being smart.' "

— Dana Sigley, Magnolia parent of two sons, 16 and 17

IB vs. Honors: "We've seen very, very unhappy kids when IB (International Baccalaureate) wasn't the right place for them. They could be making A's in honors or AP classes, and instead they're pulling C's in IB."

— Nancy Cartwright, Highly capable program administrator, Edmonds School District

In elementary school, fellow parents might also rat you out — especially if they have a friend waiting to get a child into a popular program.

Some schools require a copy of a bill with the custodial parent/guardian's address on it for enrollment. Even so, at Seattle's John Stanford International School, a language-immersion school, parents living outside Wallingford were recently caught using neighborhood rental addresses to register — even though they did not live there — just to qualify for that school's neighborhood-enrollment preference.

How many slots are open?

Turnover is low in many niche programs. Post-lottery waiting lists can range from five to 300 students. At Bellevue's sixth-through-12th-grade International School, for example, about 300 students apply for the 75 sixth-grade entry spots.

How will my child get there?

Some districts offer school bus service from anywhere in the district. Others provide it only within that feeder-school zone.

Notes Jill Crivello, Woodin Elementary principal, Northshore Schools:

"This can be a big deal. Imagine driving your child every day — to and from classes — for seven years. That's a lot of driving."

If testing is required, which ones are used? When is testing?

In some districts, screening for highly capable programs begins in the fall for the following school year. Act fast.

Notes a Renton parent, Kerry Holt: "Get into the school and ask; it's not always well publicized. We think we read everything that comes home from school but we wouldn't have even known" except a teacher mentioned it.

What are average and low-end "cut-off" scores?

In some districts, only the top 1 percent to 3 percent of students tested are admitted to highly capable programs. In others, there are only a set number of classrooms with a specific number of open spots and they are awarded to only those with the top scores.

How to get a legal edge:

Some parents have their children tested for the highly capable program in the fourth or fifth grades, with no intention of transferring them into fifth- or sixth-grade highly capable classes.

If their student scores high, they take advantage of a two-year eligibility and use results for admission into the middle- or junior-high school's highly capable program. If they score too low, they ask to take the test the next year. Ask your district if this is allowed.

What about appeals?

Ask what your district allows; depending on the district and formulas, appeals based on retesting, other test results, teacher recommendations and other factors may be considered. However, Kristi Lin, former highly capable program teacher, notes appeals can be stressful on kids and pricey for parents who choose to pay for private tests. And you still might not get the results you want.

If we don't get our first choice, is there anything we can do?

In some cases. In Seattle, elementary and middle-school advanced learners who don't qualify for the "significantly accelerated" Accelerated Progress Program (APP) can ask about Spectrum, which clusters students who work at an "accelerated" pace in reading and math into classes together.

Another option: Seattle students who are eligible for Spectrum and APP but not enrolled may receive "enriched" and "accelerated" lessons in their own classes. (Contact Seattle's Advanced Learning Student Services at 206-252-0130 or www.seattleschools.org/area/advlearning/index.xml)

Parents in other districts: Contact your highly capable or alternative program office to ask about similar services. Some families push to have advanced learners not enrolled in a highly capable program clustered in classes where teachers can design accelerated lessons for them.