Harrow/Eton/Winchester Entry 2027

[Num1]

Hi all,

Just thought I would start a thread for Entry 2027 for the above.

My DS has had the invite for the Harrow Test in Jan 2025, has anyone heard back for Eton or Winchester?

i appreciate its just a waiting game, but am asking out of curiosity.

A very clear and accurate answer to a rather naive, inaccurate and assumptive assertion.

Thank you for your imput but there is nothing anyone can do about the fact you have to hold on to schools as you are so entitled! its ridiculous you all know jolly well what school you want , you just can’t bare the fact that another little boy could have that place without being waitlisted until 2027!!
I have been there done it my eldest got into Westminster ,St Paul’s and Sussex House , my friends son didn’t get a place at all !! He got wait listed to Sussex house I chose my first choice and let go the other two immediately! My friends son got the place at Sussex house he went onto Winchester then Oxford!! He could of missed that opportunity if I hadn’t off told her we were not taking Sussex house ! She called them up and said we know a place is becoming available, I was very happy he got his place as he was an incredible little boy !!!

What a strange strange post. I shan't bother dignifying it with a response.

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
There are definitely some parents who know
full well what they want from the outset but hang on to other options because they can afford to, because it gives them a sense of power in what can feel like a very disempowering process sometimes, and/or because they want to see which way the wind is blowing. In my opinion, this is selfish behaviour as well as unhelpful to their own child. Unless there is a VERY good reason (eg health) nobody should be waiting to turn down places just weeks or even days before the start of term 1.

Probably more a sense of control than a sense of power in fairness!

There are all sorts of reasons to hold more than one place- the narrative of entitled, controlling and greedy parents is just narrow minded. In the current climate having a second option makes sense- schools are sadly closing at a rate. Perhaps not a risk for the schools mentioned above but it is a factor. Change in personal and financial circumstances are another two obvious reasons to factor in when you have to commit several years ahead. Holding more than two places is perhaps less explainable but tbh I don’t think a large majority of people hold say four places.

@MrCarson

These are rather lame excuses. There is no financial circumstances justification for sitting on multiple places at Eton, Winchester and Harrow - which are the schools this thread is about. It is also extremely unlikely that a family would keep hold of an offer at one of these schools and also at a free state comprehensive or grammar school, because at age 13 the latter would be an in-year admission and such places have to be accepted and taken up immediately.

As for the current environment - that’s a bit lame too. Eton and Harrow are not going to go out of business any time soon (unless the Government changes the law very dramatically in which case the sector has far bigger problems). And apart from the above schools and a very small handful of others (eg some of the hyper competitive London schools), children whose families can pay full fees can presently get into any UK independent school they want. There is no justification to sit on multiple offers because a parent is worried about a school closing down, as if such a thing were to happen all other schools in the area would be descending like vultures to snap pupils up.

But this is just how it works, @Tobstar106 . I know a Westminster family who applied to Eton just to be able to say they received the offer and turned it down. Extremely poor form but what can you do? I also know a SPG boy who is a late applicant to Eton on purpose, because they didn’t want to show their hand to their current school to soon but are 100% certain their son will be offered a last minute place. I was not aware you could do that but apparently it’s possible.

To sum up I think the schools know that everything is in flux until the very last moment. It’s designed to work that way

Thanks for that,

“Applying just to turn it down”, when it costs £400 to register, plus the annoyance of getting your son out to Berkshire for the test/interview? Sounds mentally ill.

As for the too-late Eton List registration: I’ll believe it only if your friend is the Duchess of Snifflebottom. Eton is not going to do that for normal mortals.

@ArtHistory not only I think it’s a disgrace and very odd to behave in such a greedy manner !

@Ziegfeld its a disgrace it is aloud ,

They want to hang around the school pitch ! Decisions ,decisions I really not sure where DS will be happiest !! I thought you wanted Eton , but you will hold on to Winchester just incase next year they have more oxbridge offers ! Your DS will go to Oxbridge if he is smart enough from any school . Very strange people

@MrCarson they have been doing this for years , 25 years ago I remember a client telling me they are putting deposits on all four schools , I asked why she said because I can !!!

I don’t know why this rather odd post has been directed at me. We haven’t even applied to Winchester and I couldn’t tell you how many Oxbridge candidates any of the schools have. My son is hoping he might go to the US for his tertiary education. Oxbridge is not the be all and end all.

I don’t think the family in question is well connected at all. They had examples of boys who had been successful late applicants in previous years - they say it’s more of a buyers market these days? Their son goes to a competitive day school and according to the parents he is outstanding in various ways, and they couldn’t be more confident that he will be offered a place. If I find out how it all plays out I’ll come back and update…

On a related note I just remembered i know someone else who applied late and got a place. Their older son was already there and for various reasons they never thought it would suit their younger son, so they never applied - they ended up having a last minute change of heart and got it done. Obviously much easier for siblings but I think it goes to show that for the right applicant (whatever that may mean) there are always ways?

(And yes @ThatChirpyCrow I do believe they are mentally ill for applying just to turn it down. Who on earth is ever going to care that their son was offered a place? Bonkers. But I heard it directly from the parents and they have form for this sort of thing so I have no doubt they went through with it)

Any idea when Eton erly tranche offers is coming out this years?

Tranche 1 offers came out on 27 March 2025 last year. I imagine it will be similar this year.

Am asking for the erly tranche the one before tranche 1
thanks for your input thought

Never heard of “early tranche”

What’s early tranche?

@Ziegfeld not only should they know their child should also know where they would like to go ! These parents know excactly where they wanted their pre prepared children to go at the start , no need for it , they do not have a clue what their headmaster actually think off them !! It’s ignorance pure ignorance.

@Kitkat189 i agree with you , if you are that good at what they want they will take you !

@Ayome hi did you find out when the early tranche find out ?