Parents are learning this week whether their children have been accepted to attend the city's magnet schools, including Walt Disney Magnet School, 4140 N. Marine Dr. View Full Caption Public Building Commission of Chicago

CHICAGO — The city's magnet elementary schools saw about 1,000 fewer applications than last year, but the liklihood of getting a spot at the highly-sought after schools remained about the same, officials said.

About 37 percent of the 13,735 students who applied for a spot at one of the Chicago Public Schools' magnet, magnet cluster or open enrollment schools got at least one acceptance offer, district officials said Friday.

That's similar to acceptance rates over the past two years. Last year, the district received 14,800 applicants while 2012-2013 saw 13,850 applicants.

CPS didn't immediately address why the number of applicants dipped this year.

Families this week received letters in the mail from the district informing them whether or not their children had been accepted after magnet letters went out March 21. Letters for selective schools, such as those classified as gifted, classical and academic centers, went out Saturday. CPS did not provide data on selective school applications.

Parents have three weeks to decide on the magnet offers. Because some families get offers from different schools, after the initial deadline schools will call parents on waiting lists as seats open up, and those parents will have 24-48 hours to accept a seat.

On some parent websites this week, many comments expressed dismay about not getting offers to schools, but others said that offers could come as late as the fall as seats open up.