Parents are timing in vitro fertilizations to get their kids into private schools

New York City parents start plotting their offspring’s social ascension before the kids are even born.

Dr. Brian Levine, the practice director of CCRM New York, an all-inclusive fertility center, said it’s not uncommon for patients to time their embryo transfers to increase their unborn child’s odds of getting into a top private school.

“The private school questions come up with transfers around November and December because those are the August and September babies,” said Levine.

For kindergarten, children typically need to be five years old by September 1 or else they get held back until the following year. Levine said many of his patients are wary of having a child that is on the cusp and potentially the youngest in the class.

“The concern is, they want every door open when it comes to private school. They feel like they’ve planned their pregnancy perfectly and part of planning the pregnancy perfectly is planning their kid’s trajectory,” said Levine. “And they want to give their child every shot possible.”

Levine says about five patients this season have delayed their embryo transfers because of future admissions concerns.

“Some parents, if they know the gender and know they are having a boy, will end up keeping the November transfer so the boy will be held back and can start preschool a year later and be the oldest in the class,” he said.

“Others are absolutely adamant that they don’t want to be on the cusp.”