Tips for competitive preschool admissions?

[tny915]

Around here, a lot of moms sign their babies up for preschool waiting lists when they're newborns. I was not aware of this until just recently, and I now find myself overwhelmed by the fact that DD is competing for spots for preschool, as if it's college. I don't think I can compete with moms whose sole mission in life is to get their child into one particular preschool. I've heard that moms repeatedly call/email preschool directors to get a good word in on their child and send in letters of rec from other families. I'm not an aggressive person, but it seems I now need to be.

Anyway, all of these stories have led me to procrastinate, and I now have only a month or two before hitting application deadlines for 2006 admission. And at this point I've still yet to go on any tours or talk to any preschool directors.

I'm finally getting my butt into gear. But I was wondering how many of you have faced similar situations with preschool competition, and what you've done to get through it. Also curious if this just comes with the territory of living in an urban area?

[entttc]

I was told that's the way things are around here, but when I looked into it, I found that only a few local schools really do things that way- most have open houses/tours and accept applications the fall before entry, and no earlier. So I'd say dig around and contact the schools themselves. We WILL probably be going on the tours/open house visits this fall for entry in 2007, but I'm told we won't be permitted to apply at most places.