A study examined the social status of the members of the social sets of preschool children. For 8 weeks, interactions of 3- and 4-year-olds were observed in 8 classrooms. Interaction scores were standardized, and members of each social set were identified as popular, average, or unpopular. Findings indicated that for 3- and 4-year-olds, 39% and 47% respectively of the social sets consisted of same-status peers. The majority of social sets consisted of similar status peers. A total of 9.1% of the social sets consisted of low social status peers only, with 76.5% of the unpopular children being in social sets with higher status peers. Similarity of social status within social sets tended to increase with age. Thus, subsystems based on social status may begin to emerge in preschool, and provide different socialization experiences for different children. Stability of social status increases with age, as do similarity of social status and cohesiveness within the social sets. Therefore, late preschool may be a critical time for intervention strategies that take into account the social milieu of the child. (RH)