Admissions to CTECS

1. Review the website of the school(opens in a new tab) you want to apply for.

• Confirm you are in their regional area and are eligible for free bus transportation to the CTECS school.  You can do this by calling your sending town’s school transportation department.

2. Review the trade(s)(opens in a new tab) you are interested in and learn about them, including course descriptions and prospective jobs.  Be sure the trade you are interested in is offered at the school you are applying to by reviewing the program locations.

3. Let your school counselor (if none, another school official) know you are going to apply.  

• If you are offered acceptance, they will receive an email from the CTECS school district requesting information.
• You will need their correct email address to enter into the application.

4. Film your interest video or write your interest statement*.

*Applicants to Cheney Tech, Prince Tech and Goodwin Tech follow the Regional School Choice Office application process and do not need to complete an interest video or interest statement as part of their application.

• This part is required and must be completed by the student alone. Both options are acceptable, and neither is better than the other.
• The interest video must be between 1-3 minutes in length. The interest statement must be under 800 characters. 
• Both the video and letter will be uploaded when filling out the application. Upload your video to any public video hosting website such as YouTube, Personal Google Drive (Do Not use a school account), or Vimeo. Type, or copy and paste, the written statement of interest’s text into the correct section of the application.
• Respond to the following questions in your video or written statement:
  • Why are you interested in attending a technical high school? 
  • Do you have a desire to learn a trade?
  • Which trade are you most interested in, and why? 
  • What are your long-term goals connected with your trade education? What do you want to do after graduation from CTECS?

5. Once you complete your application you must hit “submit” or your application will not be considered.

October 1, 2025: All waitlists expire from the year before.

November 15, 2025: Application portal opens on the CTECS Admissions website (Does not apply to RSCO schools – Cheney Tech, Goodwin Tech, Prince Tech. See note below).

January 25, 2026: Final day for rising 9th grade students to submit applications for lottery consideration.

February 1, 2026: Families are notified of placement or waitlist status.

February 20, 2026: Deadline for parents to accept or decline offered placements.

May 15, 2026: Last round of placement offers sent to families.

August 1, 2026: Placement notifications sent for any remaining open seats.

August 10, 2026: Final deadline for parents to accept or decline placement.

*RSCO schools follow a separate application timeline and process. Visit chooseyourschool.org for information and to apply.

Placement Process: CTECS Rising 9th Grade (does not apply to RSCO Schools – Cheney, Goodwin, Prince)

1. Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted by January 25, to be considered on-time.

Late application: Applications submitted after January 25 will be added to the end of the waitlist at the applicant’s preferred school. No new rising 9th applications will be accepted after March 1. 

Completion Requirements: All application requirements must be met for the application to be processed. This includes submitting a complete application along with a student interest artifact – either a video or written statement. Applications that do not meet the stated requirements will be deemed incomplete and removed from the applicant pool, making them ineligible for placement in a CTECS school. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all requirements are met.

2. Placement Assignments
CTECS uses a computer-based lottery system to ensure an unbiased, randomized selection process. Using this method for seating students allows CTECS to comply with all state and federal regulations, removes all subjectivity, and aligns with all Connecticut State Department of Education for public school choice practices.

• • Capacity Limits: Each school has a set capacity that cannot be exceeded. Submission of an application does not guarantee a placement offer.
  • Placement Priorities: Certain priorities may increase the chances of receiving an offer at the preferred school but do not guarantee placement. These priorities apply only to the preferred school and include:
    • Applications submitted by the on-time deadline
    • Enrolled siblings: A sibling currently attending the preferred school
    • Placed siblings: A sibling accepted for placement at the preferred school
    • Employee/staff connections: Children of preferred school employees or staff

3. Placement Notifications
Applicants will be notified of placement decisions via email by February 1.

• • • Accepting or Declining Placement: Applicants will have 14 days to accept or decline placement offers. Responses must be submitted using the selection buttons in the notification email.
    • Impact of Accepting or Declining: Accepting or declining a placement offer means you will no longer be considered for any other CTECS schools for the 2026-27 school year.
    • Applicants Not Offered Placement: Those not offered placement in the first round will automatically added to the waitlist in the order determined by the lottery.

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4. Waitlist Process

• • Applicants not placed in their preferred school will automatically be added to a waitlist.
  • Families will be notified by email if their child’s application has been placed on a waitlist. Updates regarding available seats will also be communicated by email as space becomes available.   

We understand that waiting for a placement can be stressful, so we want to explain how the CTECS waitlist works and what you can expect. If your child did not receive an offer, don’t worry—there is still a chance for them to receive an offer at a later date. Here’s what you need to know:

What Happens Next?

If your child was not accepted in the lottery, your child’s application will be placed on a waitlist in the order determined by the lottery. Families will be notified by email if their child’s application has been placed on a waitlist. Updates regarding available seats will also be communicated by email as space becomes available. Applicants on the waitlist will be assigned a “waitlist indicator” that shows their chance of getting an offer. This indicator will tell you the likelihood of your child receiving an offer:

Waitlist Indicators

Small (Green) – Good Chance of an Offer

What It Means: Your child is near the top of the waitlist and has a strong chance of receiving an offer if a spot opens up.

What You Should Do:

If you’re still interested, you don’t need to do anything. We will notify you if a spot becomes available.

If you’re no longer interested, please let CTECS know so we can remove your child from the waitlist.

Medium (Yellow) – Offer Unlikely 

What It Means: Your child is in the middle of the waitlist, meaning several students are ahead of them. While an offer is unlikely, there is still a chance if spots open up later. Sometimes this happens in the summer.

What You Should Do:

If you’re still interested, no action is needed. We will notify you if a spot becomes available.

If you’re no longer interested, please inform CTECS.

Large (Red) – Offer Very Unlikely

What It Means: Many students are ahead of your child on the waitlist, making it very unlikely they will receive an offer.

What You Should Do:

Start considering other school options for your child.

Other Important Information

• The number of students on the waitlist varies by school and available spots. 
• Due to the volume of requests received and the frequency with which the waitlist changes, we are unable to provide families the exact number their child is on the waitlist.
• Waitlists expire on October 1 each year. If your child does not receive an offer by then, you may submit a new transfer application for the next school year.

Visit our admissions and enrollment FAQ section.