The lottery number is the way the Department of Education (DOE) decides who gets admission to public schools. It is a 32-digit code that is used to match applicants to their places in the admission process.
There is no guarantee that you will win. Rather, it depends on the number of people who apply, your ranking, and the number of seats available. For example, you may not have a chance of getting in if there are many other applicants with similar lottery numbers. However, if there is a single applicant with a good lottery number, the odds of them being assigned to a school of choice are greater.
In order to receive a lottery number, you need to file an interest form. This form is filed in chronological order after those who have been assigned a Lottery Number.
Once the interest form is received, the DOE then assigns the applicant a Lottery Number. This number is unique among the residents in a particular area. If there are more than one lottery number, the lottery number is not assigned.
All students receive a computer generated Lottery Number when they enter the spring term. They will also be sent instructions on how to view this number. Generally, the lottery number is sent to students’ email accounts.
Lottery numbers are generated based on class level information from the Registrar’s office. These numbers are then compared left to right in increasing order. Typically, a low lottery number will lead to more desirable choices. Alternatively, a high lottery number will lead to fewer choices.