The lottery will be held in March. We will publicize the Zoom link and date for virtual attendance later in February.

What happens when the lottery is run?

Each applicant will receive an email or text from SchoolMint at the conclusion of the lottery that will notify you of an admission offer or wait list position for the grade for which you have applied. You must abide by all acceptance and registration stated deadlines or the offered seat will be forfeited.

​Does it matter when I apply during the open enrollment period?

No. As long as you apply during the open enrollment period your chances are the same as all others applying during that time. For example, your chances for admission are no better for those who apply on January 1st vs. February 28th.

I’m not sure if I want to apply for admission right now.  Can I do it later?

Yes, but if you do not apply during the open enrollment period, your student will not be included in the admission lottery.  We strongly encourage all who are interested in ROCS to apply during the open enrollment period. Otherwise, your application will be placed at the bottom of the waitlist for your child’s grade level.​​

What happens if there aren’t enough applications to fill all open seats in a grade level?

If there are fewer applicants than slots available, all applicants will be admitted for that grade level.​

What if we are living out of state but are planning to move to North Carolina in the near future. Can I still apply for my child?

State law mandates that all applicants must reside in North Carolina at the time of application.

How can I increase my student’s chances for admission?

There are two pools of applicants: those in the preference pool and those in the general pool. Those in the preference pool will be randomly assigned their placement prior to those in the general pool.  In accordance with state law, there are a few ways that applications can be given preference. This preference does NOT guarantee admission; it only determines the order in which the applicants are assigned in the lottery process. The following criteria may be used to allow students to be admitted first in the lottery to any open spots for the grade in which that student is applying. If there are more siblings/staff/board children applying than spots available, there will be a lottery held among siblings/staff/board children prior to the lottery for the general pool.

1. Children of ROCS full time staff members may be given preference, if they meet state guidelines.

2. Children of current members of the ROCS Board of Directors may be given preference, if they meet state guidelines.

3. Applicants who are siblings of current ROCS students may be given preference, if they meet state guidelines.

4. EDS Weighted Lottery: ROCS will utilize a weighted lottery system for our economically disadvantaged students (EDS) to increase their chance of admission. Applicants can voluntarily identify as economically disadvantaged when applying for the weighted lottery. 

How do I know what grade to apply for, for my student?

You should apply for the next, natural grade level for your child.

My spouse and I are divorced.  Can we submit separate applications for our child?

No.  If you do, one will be canceled. Please consult with other family members and only submit ONE application per child.  Each applicant can only have ONE application in the system. Duplicates will be deleted.

My children are twins.  Do I apply for both of them during open enrollment?​

Students who are twins, triplets, etc. must each complete an application. However, only one application will be entered in the lottery for those students. If that application is accepted, the sibling’s twin or triplet, etc. will also be admitted.​​

What about applying for more siblings who are not twins?

Families have the option to submit all children under one family name/application or separately. If families submit all children under one family name and that application is chosen, the siblings will receive enrollment as well.

Do we have to re-apply every year to be included in the lottery?

If a student does not get a space through the lottery/wait list process, that student must re-apply to be considered the following year. However, current enrolled ROCS students do not have to re-apply each year.

What is required if I accept the seat offered for my student?

Once the lottery concludes and you have received notice by text or email of whether your student was offered a seat, you MUST log in to SchoolMint to accept or decline the offer. Once you have accepted the seat, you will have access to the registration packet. You will then have until the published deadline to complete and submit the registration packet and documents electronically. You must abide by all stated deadlines or your child’s seat will be forfeited.

What if my student is offered a seat from the waitlist?

If a seat becomes available and your student is called from the waitlist, you will have the opportunity to either accept or decline the offer.