Ranking your school choices: how order affects your odds

Key rules

• Number of schools: The number you can list is set by your region's annual admission call, so check it before applying.
• Order: Order does not add points; it decides which school you get when you qualify for several.
• Too few choices: If none of your listed schools has a place, the authority assigns a school with vacancies and you do not choose it.
• Unwanted schools: Only list schools you would accept, because a place at a higher-ranked school removes you from those below it.

List as many acceptable schools as the region allows

Fill every slot you are allowed, as long as you would accept each school. Listing only one or two favourites is risky. If none of them has a place for your child, the education authority assigns your child to a school that still has vacancies. You do not choose it, and it is usually near your home, but it may not be the school you would have wanted.

How many schools you can list

The limit depends on your region. Many regions set it somewhere between 5 and 10. Madrid allows up to six, Catalonia up to ten and Andalusia up to eight. Your region's annual admission call gives the exact number for this year, so check it before you fill in the form.

How the order works

Your order does not give you extra points. Places are given by points, such as distance from home and family circumstances. The order decides which school you get when you could qualify for several.

The system works down your list:

1. It looks at your first choice. If your points are enough for a place, your child gets it.
2. If not, it moves to your second choice, and so on.
3. Once you get a place at one school, you drop out of all the schools ranked below it.

So put your real favourite first, then the rest in the order you truly prefer them. A school you rank high will always beat one below it, even if you would have qualified for both.

What happens if you get none of your choices

If no listed school has a place, your child is assigned administratively. This usually happens after the lists are final. In most regions you can then ask for a change or join waiting lists, but the details differ by region. The more schools you list, the lower the risk of an assignment far from home.

The decision, checklist and warnings below help you settle your list. The FAQ covers common questions.

Choosing between options

How many schools should you list, and in what order?

• List every acceptable school, up to the limit: Best for most families: you would be happy with any of these schools and want to avoid an assignment you did not choose.

• List only one or two favourite schools: Only if you would rather take whatever the authority assigns than a school further down your list.

Order does not add points, since admission is decided by points. Put your most wanted school first, because the system gives you the first listed school where your points are enough. Then list as many acceptable schools as your region allows.

Checklist

• Find the number of schools you can list in your region's annual admission call.

• List as many schools as the region allows, as long as you would accept each one.

• Put the school you want most first and the others in the order you truly prefer them.

• Include at least one school near your home, so an unwanted assignment is less likely to be far away.

• Remove any school you would not accept, because a place there ends your chance at the schools below it.

Check the exact number of schools you can list in your region's annual admission call or with your local education office.

What to watch out for

• Listing too few schools: If none of the schools you list has a place, the education authority assigns your child to a school with vacancies, usually near home. You do not choose it. List as many acceptable schools as your region allows, so you are less likely to end up with an assignment you did not choose.

• Listing a school you would not accept: A place at a higher-ranked school removes you from every school below it, and the list is worked through in your order. Only list schools you would really accept, and put them in your true order of preference.

Frequently asked questions

How many schools can I list on my application?

The limit depends on your region, and many regions set it between about 5 and 10 schools. The exact number is in your region's annual admission call. Use every place you are allowed if you would accept those schools.

If I get my first choice, can I still get a lower-ranked school?

No, a place at a higher-ranked school removes you from the lower-ranked ones. The system works down your list and stops at the first school where your points are enough. So the schools below it only matter if the ones above it fall through.

What can I do if the education authority assigns my child to a school I did not choose?

In most regions you can ask for a change or join waiting lists once the lists are final. The school is usually near your home, but you did not choose it. The steps and deadlines for this are in the article on what to do if you don't get the school you wanted.