Many of Chandigarh's prestigious schools have finalised admissions but hundreds of parents are still praying that their child may yet wear the uniform of a "big-name" institution, if Lady Luck so wills and a last minute vacancy bumps the little one onto a coveted seat.

Newsline made the rounds of several private schools to get a picture of the last-ditch admissions scene: "We have filled our 180 seats in lower KG," says Sister Gloria, principal of Sacred Heart School, "but yes, there are always a few who don't join. This year, we got 705 applications for Lower KG and selected on the basis of how the child did in the interview." Those whose toddlers made the cut have paid the Rs 2,060 admission fee and can expect a fee hike of Rs 70 or Rs 80 in the next session.

Vacancies in other classes will be declared on March 16. February 26 was the last date to submit admission applications. The schools will open on April 12 for classes up to first; other classes start from April 6.

Some 800 have applied for the baby class at St Kabir. Of these, 56 have been admitted in Pre-Nursery and 45 in Nursery. "Little chance of admissions in these classes but possibly, we'll have some vacancies in the primary section. We'll be able to say definitely after March 24," says principal J.P. Singh. Admission fee: Rs 5,360. Pre-Nursery, Nursery and KG classes start on April 7, 6 and 5, respectively.

All is not lost for the St John's hopefuls. Though the results of KG class interviews were posted a couple of weeks ago, the waiting list is not out yet. Six hundred applied for 140 KG seats.

Rami Rana is one of the anxious mothers who haunt the principal's office. "Convent schools inculcate confidence and my son must attend one. He wasn't selected for KG in the February 20 interview but I come to school every day to check the waiting list."

Meanwhile, St John's has invited applications for Classes I to VIII before March 19. And yes, fees will be hiked this year. However, Brother D' Abreu professes, "We have not decided how much." Last year, Rs 5,000 was charged at the time of admission.

The first week of April will see Carmel Convent's Lower KG waiting list go up. Up to April 5, there's still hope of getting admission in Classes I to XI. Carmel's Lower KG starts on April 12; other classes begin on April 5.

No Nursery or Kindergarten classes at St Stephen's School, but 350 candidates sat for the Class I admission test on February 27; 15 more days to wait for the list naming the selected 22. "It will be declared at precisely 5.30 p.m. on March 17," the school secretary says. School opens on April 6.

With a Rs 8,000 fee for new admissions, Panchkula's Hansraj Public School is one of the costliest, but that didn't deter 550 parents from seeking one of the 75 Nursery class seats for their little ones. The Nursery class fee is Rs 550 per month (Rs 50 more than the fee for other classes).

According to school principal Rajni Taneja, each of the higher classes is expected to have one or two vacant seats. "We have received 25 to 30 applications for each class. Entrance tests for admission to Classes II, VIII and IX will be held on March 16 and 17," she says. Nursery class starts from April 14, KG from April 7 and for the classes from II upwards, studies commence on April 1. Admissions to Vivek High School's Nursery class were held in December. No hope at that level now. But "we have very few vacancies in some of the upper classes. Exactly how many depends on the number of students being withdrawn," says the school administrator. The last date for submitting applications for the various classes at Vivek was February 28. The list is likely to be finalised in a few days.