Admissions to CTECS

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

• They will receive an email from the CTECS school district requesting information.
• You will need their correct email address to enter into the application.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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 component is a requirement and must be created independently by the student. Both options are equally acceptable, and choosing one over the other does not provide any advantage.
• 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.

February 1, 2025 – Admission offers sent to accepted applicants

February 15, 2025 – Parents must notify CTECS if they accept or decline the offer

March 1, 2025 – Second-round application deadline

March 20, 2025 – Second-round admission offers sent to accepted applicants

April 1, 2025 – Parents must notify CTECS if they accept or decline second-round offers

April 20 – October 1, 2025 – Waitlist period; if seats open, waitlisted applicants will be notified in order

Placement Process: CTECS Rising 9th Grade (for Non-RSCO Schools)

1. Application Deadline
Applications must be submitted by January 15, to be considered during the first round of placements. Complete 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. (Applications that do not meet the stated requirements will be deemed incomplete and excluded 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 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 a first-choice school but do not guarantee placement. These priorities apply only to the first-choice school and include:
    • Applications submitted by the priority deadline
    • Enrolled siblings: A sibling currently attending the first-choice school
    • Placed siblings: A sibling accepted for placement at the first-choice school
    • Employee/staff connections: Children of first-choice 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 removes the applicant from all CTECS application pools making them ineligible for further placement offers for the 2025–26 school year.
    • Applicants Not Offered Placement: Those not offered placement in the first round will automatically be considered in the second round.

4. Second Round of Placements

• • A second round of placements will occur by mid-March.
  • Students not offered a placement in round 1 or those who submit a completed application by March 1 will be included in this round.

5. Waitlist Process

• • Applicants not placed in their first-choice school after the second round of placements will automatically be added to a waitlist.
  • Families will be notified via email if their child’s application is placed on a waitlist for any of the selected schools.

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 in the first or second round, don’t worry—there is still a chance for them to receive an offer in later rounds. Here’s what you need to know:

What Happens Next?

After the first and second rounds, your child’s application will be placed on a waitlist. They will be assigned a “waitlist indicator” that shows their chance of getting an offer. This indicator will tell you where your child stands:

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 in the Next Round

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

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 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. We do not have exact numbers for small, medium, or large waitlists.
• Waitlists expire on October 1, 2025. If your child does not receive an offer by then, you will need to submit a new application for the next school year.

Visit our admissions and enrollment FAQ section.