1. Enroll at the base school for your address.
2. Learn about different magnet schools and magnet themes
3. Identify magnet and calendar options for your home address.
4. Review your level of priority for magnet selection
5. Check out pathway schools
6. Check out recruitment events - Events are hosted from September through January.
7. Schedule a tour of magnet schools (schools typically host weekly tours from September through January).
8. APPLY!! Applications are available from October 14, 2025 to January 22, 2026 

You may apply anytime during the application window. Applications are NOT first-come, first-served. Students who are selected will be automatically assigned to the school for which they are selected. Applicants should ONLY apply to a school or schools they want to attend. Families are notified via email if they receive a seat at a school to which they applied. 

Tutorial video on how to submit a Magnet/Year-round application

Eligibility

Only students who are enrolled in a Wake County Public School System school for the 2026-2027 school year can apply. If your student does not currently attend a WCPSS school (ie. rising into kindergarten, homeschooled, or currently attending a charter or private school) they will need to enroll online for the 2026-2027 school year and get a student ID number prior to submitting an application.

Prioritization
Families can apply to more than one school, including applying to multiple magnet and choice schools.  You should know that applications are prioritized based on the type of school. Learn how we prioritize multiple applications.

Selection
The purpose of magnet schools is to create a balanced student population, maximize the use of school facilities, and provide innovative educational opportunities.  To that end, we consider two key factors in the magnet selection process:

• Projected overall socioeconomic status of the school to which that student is assigned for next year. 
• Socioeconomic status of the area where the applying student resides

Learn how we select students for magnet schools based on these factors.

Transportation
Choosing a school also means choosing transportation services. Here are some instructions on how to make sure the transportation services will meet the needs of your family:

• Verify the type of transportation you are eligible for by searching for your address Magnet and Application schools, to see the list of magnet, early college, and calendar options and the level of transportation service.
• Some magnet schools may require parents to provide transportation either to school or to an express bus stop.
• Some magnet students who receive neighborhood busing can experience ride times longer than an hour. 

Results and Options
Applicants who are selected for a magnet school, an early college, or a year-round school to which they applied are automatically assigned to that school. Magnet, early college, or year-round application results are not eligible for appeal. If you are not satisfied with your school placement, you may submit a transfer request to be assigned back to your base school during the "Request for Transfer Period" typically in March. Acceptance is guaranteed if the request is made within the Request for Transfer period, unless the base school has an enrollment cap. 

If you were not selected for the magnet, early college, or year-round school that you listed first on the application, you will be placed on a non-numeric waiting list, known as an applicant pool, for the school you listed as your first choice. You may be selected for another magnet school, early college, or year-round school to which you applied and still be in the applicant pool for the school you listed first. You will remain in the applicant pool for your first choice magnet, early college, or year-round school even if you request to be assigned back to your base school. 

Applicant pools
Students who do not receive a seat at the school listed first on the magnet, early college, or year-round school application will be placed on a non-numeric waiting list, known as an applicant pool, for the school you listed first on the application.  If you applied to more than one school, you may be assigned to one of your other choices and remain in the applicant pool for the school listed first. Applicant pools will be reviewed in the spring. You will be notified via your online account or email if you receive a seat in your first-choice school.