SchoolMint is the computer application system used to collect magnet school applications and conduct a computerized, random lottery to select applicants for available magnet seats. Once the application closes on the second Tuesday of January, applications are processed, and scores (high school only) are calculated to determine which applicants will be included in the lottery. In scenarios where magnet schools or programs receive more applications than there are seats, the lottery system designates students not selected in the initial draw to an “Alternate Pool” status.
Students are eligible to receive one or more preferences in the magnet lottery process. The District generally reserves up to 25% of the seats available in a magnet program for students who apply to a magnet school and are eligible to receive a preference in the lottery.
In order to be considered for a preference, an application must be received by the annually specified deadline. Preferences are only applied to a student’s first choice on-time application. To be eligible for a preference at the secondary level, the applicant must meet the magnet school program qualifications.
If the qualified applicants eligible for a preference comprise more than 25% of the available seats, the District will randomly select students to fill the seats. The qualified applicants who are not selected will be placed in the general lottery.
A qualified applicant who is enrolled in a magnet elementary or middle school will receive a feeder preference for their first choice on-time application when applying to an entry grade level at a magnet middle or high school.
A qualified applicant will receive a sibling preference if a sibling is already enrolled in and attending the magnet school to which the applicant applies as their first choice on-time application. Siblings must be concurrently enrolled in the magnet school for the upcoming school year.
For purposes of the sibling preference, a sibling is a brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister living in the same household. In the case of foster children, this sibling preference applies to related siblings within the household. In a group home situation, only those students selected through the lottery and their related siblings, if they have applied, will be included in the sibling preference.
A qualified applicant will receive a geographic preference if the applicant resides in the magnet school’s geographic preference area established by the CCSD Demographics and Zoning Department.
A qualified applicant will receive a CTA geographic preference if the applicant resides in the CTA’s geographic preference area established by the CCSD Demographics and Zoning Department. The District reserves up to 15% of the seats available for students that live in the CTA geographic preference area.
A qualified applicant will receive a CTA transportation preference if the applicant resides in the established CTA transportation zone. The District reserves up to 35% of the seats available for students who live in the CTA transportation zone.
If qualified applicants are twins/triplets (multiples) and one twin/triplet (multiple) is accepted through the general lottery, the other qualified twin/triplet (multiple) will also be accepted into the program if they applied by the specified deadline. Applicants must apply to the same school.
