Parent: How can I ensure my child is selected for your program?
Me: You can't.
Parent: How are students selected for your program?
Me: They apply, qualify as G/T, and are selected in the lottery.
Parent: How can I ensure my child is selected in the lottery?
Me: You can't.
Parent: What is your job exactly?
Me: Officially, my title is Magnet Coordinator. But if you are asking what I do, the short answer is that I do everything necessary to to make Admissions happen on this campus. After students are enrolled here, I work to ensure they are given every opportunity to succeed and thrive at this school. And buses. I also do buses.
Parent: And you cannot ... influence ... a particular outcome of the lottery?
Me: Very no. The lottery is completely random.
Parent: So what is your part of the lottery?
Me: I get the applicant files ready for the lottery by marking students as either qualified or not qualified for my program.
Parent: That's it? Nothing else? You don't "flag" a student as being exceptional to get priority or select certain students to be selected in the lottery?
Me: Not even a little bit.
Parent: So how do students get into your school?
Me: The apply, qualify as G/T, and are selected in the lottery.
I know it is difficult for parents to believe this, but there is absolutely no way to "influence" the lottery. I've heard parents brag to others about getting in because they know someone or did something, but, at least in my school district, that isn't even a remote possibility for students that apply for a Magnet transfer, because the lottery selects qualified applicants completely at random.
Me: You can't.
Parent: How are students selected for your program?
Me: They apply, qualify as G/T, and are selected in the lottery.
Parent: How can I ensure my child is selected in the lottery?
Me: You can't.
Parent: What is your job exactly?
Me: Officially, my title is Magnet Coordinator. But if you are asking what I do, the short answer is that I do everything necessary to to make Admissions happen on this campus. After students are enrolled here, I work to ensure they are given every opportunity to succeed and thrive at this school. And buses. I also do buses.
Parent: And you cannot ... influence ... a particular outcome of the lottery?
Me: Very no. The lottery is completely random.
Parent: So what is your part of the lottery?
Me: I get the applicant files ready for the lottery by marking students as either qualified or not qualified for my program.
Parent: That's it? Nothing else? You don't "flag" a student as being exceptional to get priority or select certain students to be selected in the lottery?
Me: Not even a little bit.
Parent: So how do students get into your school?
Me: The apply, qualify as G/T, and are selected in the lottery.
I know it is difficult for parents to believe this, but there is absolutely no way to "influence" the lottery. I've heard parents brag to others about getting in because they know someone or did something, but, at least in my school district, that isn't even a remote possibility for students that apply for a Magnet transfer, because the lottery selects qualified applicants completely at random.