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At City Schools, students have the choice to choose and apply for the middle or high school of their choice.
Your Choice is Your Pathway to Possibilities.
School Choice is your pathway to possibilities. At City Schools, our students choose their middle and high school.
City Schools is finalizing plans for this year’s Middle and High School Choice process. The Annual School Choice Fair will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center on December 3, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Using Campus Portal, 5th and 8th grade families can complete and submit their Choice applications between December 1, 2022, and January 20, 2023.
School Choice Process
Composite scores are needed for students applying to schools and programs with entrance criteria. Typically, composite scores are calculated using grades and standardized test scores. The Spring 2022 MCAP assessment scores will not return in time to be used for the composite score formula. As a result, composite scores will be calculated using only grades for the 2023-24 school year cohort participating in School Choice this year.
To calculate your final overall grade average used in the composite score calculation, we will look at students’ final grades from the 2021-22 school year -- 4th grade (for Middle School Choice) or 7th grade (for High School Choice) -- and the first quarter grades for the 2022-23 school year.
Choice applications for students will be available on December 1, 2022. Students and families will be able to complete and submit their choice applications between December 1, 2022, and January 20, 2023, in Campus Portal. Additional support to families is available by district staff in the Office of Enrollment, Choice, and Transfers (Enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us) and Multilingual Enrollment and Support Center (MESC@bcps.k12.md.us).
Annual School Choice Fair
The Annual School Choice Fair will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center on December 3, 2022. Check back soon for updates.
Updated School Choice Applications
Choice Guides
School Visits and Open Houses
Visiting schools is the best way to see which school will be the “best fit” for you.
Many schools have at least one “open house” between November and January when you can visit and ask questions. If you can’t make it to a school's scheduled “open house,” call the school and ask if you can visit at a more convenient time.
Many schools also have shadow days, where you can partner with a current student and attend classes to get a real feel for the school.
Please visit this page for an updated list of open houses and shadow days.
School Choice Liaisons
Confused about something related to the high school choice process? No worries! There is a staff member at your current school who can help you find a high school that is perfect for you.
Contact your school to find out who your school’s Choice Liaison. You can talk to this person about high school programs, which schools you’re eligible to attend, visiting schools you’re interested in, how to apply, and more.
