We’re now at the point where the magnet acceptances should be any day now (there is some question as to whether they’ll be out today or Monday or who knows?)
Good luck to all. We’re in the middle of college acceptances here and it’s no easier waiting the older the kids get.
Please provide the following:
School
Points
Gender/White or Minority
accepted or waitlisted
Ask A Magnet Yenta 
Taft High School website says Magnet placements will be announced on March 18, 2019: https://taftcharterhssteammagnet.weebly.com/2019-2020-enrollment.html
To those who work the school offices and answer the phones we wish you all the best in the next week or so
The notices are up online to accept or reject but in “actions” not messages in letter form,
Hamilton humanities
16 points
Female minority
Selected
Thanks and congrats!
How are seeing an action? When I go to the site, in messages it has a 0 as well as in actions. And in action that just gives me a place to do an application, sigh
It will have a (1) in “my actions” when it is available.
Just as a data point, mine showed up in messages, not actions.
Congratulations. Did you get an email notice before you looked? I have received nothing this morning and looked and there is nothing in my actions yet. nor is there a new letter. Wondering if they’re rolling them out throughout the day.
I have not received anything either also checked in action & nothing.
No email and no status letter but now I recall I may have chosen an option earlier to accept or decline online. Keep checking because it wasn’t there earlier in the morning so they probably started today and will take some time to roll out everything.
Found out by email notification to check echoices at 7:27 PM
Palms Gifted Magnet
6th grade
4 points
White female
Accepted!
No email or letter yet, I only had an action.
4th grade Wonderland gifted magnet
8 points
White male
Accepted!
Congrats and thanks for posting!
How did you see the action? We applied to Wonderland as well and anxiously awaiting the results…
Congratulations! I am considering Wonderland for my son the year after this. I would love to know how you like it. My email is madsstickss@gmail.com and if you would share your experience later on I would so appreciate it!!!!!
Every time I look in actions it says “Select a child for whom you wish to accept/decline applications.” but it doesn’t give me the option to pick my kid. I haven’t received any letter or email yet. We are waiting to here from Science Academy STEM Magnet
Me too!!
Me three! I was doing great at being chill, but now I’m maniacally refreshing.
Ha ha- you have company, mama! 🙂
Refreshing did the trick-
3rd grade Wonderland gifted magnet
0 points
(For the first time in years, our school missed being PHBAO by one percent so we unexpectedly ended up with zero)
White female
Waitlisted
North Hollywood HS Highly Gifted Magnet
Grade 9
16 points
White
Accepted
Wooooooohoooooo!
Science Academy
6th grade
White female (though they told me gender is irrelevant?h
16 points
ACCEPTED
We’ve been doing this game for years now and never get in anywhere, so this is really, really great.
Second kid, Kester gifted, 3rd grade, white female, 8 points, waitlisted (which really is the outcome we wanted)
Thank you to everyone here for sharing your info (and nail-biting commiseration).
Congrats and here’s hoping you stay on the wait list until September 🙂
Congrats! How did your daughter prepare for the Science Academy exam?
My boy passed the exam, tho’ we are waitlisted, so I’ll chip in. He’s coming from a school outside the LAUSD, and he’s got a completely different approach to match and science, so we sort of had to start from scratch.
We had six weeks to prepare from the time we learned of the program. I got the Spectrum 6th Grade Math & 6th & 7th Grade Science books, and we worked through them intensively. Up at 5 AM, first thing after school until bed. (Breaks for soccer practices, games and fall baseball.) We learned the times tables from 1-13 using a deck of cards. We took breaks to play catch in the street and practiced them then as well. We practiced in the car driving to and from school. He’s bright and can absorb new information quickly, but ratios, decimals & fractions were brutal. Lots of tears.
We’re a family that values empty time and messing around in the backyard more than homework, so it was a big break from the norm for us. We suffered a lot of doubts. He had been on a tour, though, and wanted to go to the school, so we pushed through.
You’re asking now, so you have eight months to do the work. My takeaway: you can do it.
(Love + Work) x (Grit + Love) = Something to be proud of, win or lose.
Thank you for providing about your experience for the exam review and congratulations on passing the exam! It must have been a tough 6 weeks. I hope that your son gets in! Have you guys applied elsewhere?
Our main prep was about six months of Mathnasium and a lot of reading about science. We worked through all of a middle school science book that I think was called something like Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook. It was written in a pretty fun way, so that was our bedtime reading for months. It was recommended to me by a mom on here, so it seems to work! At Mathnasium the goal was just to get her fully through fifth and sixth grade math.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
YAY!!!!!!
Balboa 1st Grade
7 points
White female
Accepted
Feeling really disappointed about our waitlisting. Do kids ever get off waitlists with zero points?
If we had known our daughter may get identified gifted & we’d want a different school, we would have taken the chance & applied somewhere hard last year to have 4 waitlist points.
Schools indeed go through their entire wait lists and take walk ins. You’ll need to be patient, and creative and look for schools that may not have the brand name recognition of other magnets–also look for SAS and other programs that may have room. And do not forget your home school may be able to make accommodations and she wouldn’t need to leave her friends.
Academy for Enriched Sciences, Kindergarten
4 points
Hispanic male (actually 1/2 white, 1/2 Hispanic)
Accepted!
So relieved, our home school is a 3/10! I haven’t received an email, but had the letter and action to select.
Thanks a bunch Magnet Angel for this site! It has really helped this LAUSD Magnet rookie!!
Welby Way Gifted Magnet
2nd Grade
12 points
1/2 White 1/2 Filipino Female
Accepted!!!
So excited…have been playing the game since she was four…Was identified gifted in 1st grade.
Science Academy STEM Magnet, 12 pts, Latino Male, 6th Grade: Waitlisted
Anybody have insights on how these numbers work?
Families who were accepted have until a set date to accept their spot. Once that deadline passes, schools move to their wait lists. There are essentially two–one for white applicants and one for minority. Schools will replace the originally admitted 1:1 with the students on the wait list. You can wait a few days and call to ask where you are on the wait list. Some schools are incredibly candid, and some are pretty vague. If they refuse to share details, make solid backup plans and decide when would be the last day you’d be willing to wait. You could conceivably be contacted in September.
Thanks, magnetangel, that’s helpful.
Angel,
With 12 waiting list points for Science Academy, what’s the chance to have a spot before summer? What’s the chance in previous years?
I am really not able to comment on points because I’m not at the school site. Your best bet will be to call the school after the 5th (preferably a week later or more) and find out where you are on the wait list for your grade and how far down they went last year. The magnet is very new in its magnet incarnation and while 6th grade fills, it remains to be seen how full the other grades will remain.
Hale STEAM
6th Grade
15 points (with sibling points)
Mixed (Asian/white) male
Accepted!!
Probably only needed 4 points to get in, but it was great to hear he got in.
Braddock Gifted Magnet
4th Grade
8 points
White female
Waitlisted
Science Academy STEM Magnet!!!!!!
12 points
White female
ACCEPTED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Congrats! How did you daughter prepare for the Science Academy exam?
everything you need to ace math in one big fat book (also get the one for science)
also on the website, they have a list topics that were on the test (or going to be for next year idk)
Thank you!
LACES
16 points. all but sibling
White
waitlisted
This is crazy to me!
23 is the highest–it’s rare–but there are schools getting overcrowding points
ah, I forget about overcrowding! What is insane is that I live 4 blocks from the school and my “homeschool” is on Sawtelle. This whole system drives me batty. I wish I could get a point for living so dang close. Question: do we know how many kids get into LACES from their feeder school? I wonder how many open slots there even are!
The changes they’ve made in recent years (no bussing, proficiency tests, and reserving spots) all disappoint me incredibly. I guess I’m thankful my daughter is a senior.
LACES has 238 spaces. Here’s a useful link. http://echoices.lausd.net/Magnet/MagnetSchoolDetail?sc=1874101
In the case of LACES it’s not really the amount of overall spaces, rather the amount of those spaces that are allotted for students matriculating from specific school(s).
Thanks, Angel. I see Mid-City has two 5th grade classes, so 60ish kids will go straight to LACES. Are there other magnet schools that have this direct feeder school situation going on, bypassing the lottery? Thanks.
I wasn’t sure how many spots they reserve. And they make changes every year so there might be more. Some of the conversions don’t offer any bussing so in essence they favor neighborhood kids (especially in the West Valley where the schools are further from public transportation hubs.
Wonderland Gifted Magnet
4th Grade
8 points
White male
Waitlist
LACES
7th Grade
0 points
White male
Waitlist
No surprises, really. Mostly looking to accrue points.
Sorry that should be:
LACES
7th grade
4 points
White male
Waitlisted
(Forgot PHBAO points)
Accepted off Wonderland waitlist on May 2 (was told we were the very last spot and class sizes were reduced this year).
Kester Gifted
1st grade
4 points
Latino male
Accepted!
Kester Gifted
White male
Kinder
Accepted
Oops, I mean 1st
Our boys will be in class together!
Great! Maybe a summer play date or two
Alissa, have you heard from Kester yet? I was told to wait for an email from them for enrollment info
Science Academy STEM
Waitlist
6th grade
12 points
Asian male
What’s the chance with 12 points get called from the waitlist in previous years? So nervous if it works
Hi Lili: We’re in the same boat. Just wanted to let you know: we feel ill. (Misery loves company, right?)
One thing: we gave our candidate a big celebration for passing the exam, and we’re are helping him — and ourselves — use this as an opportunity to accept feeling disappointed without getting discouraged.
COMMUNITY CHARTER ES (Liberal Arts)
8 points
White Female (47.3% Asian according to 23andme.com)
Selected
That is our school! We have had a great experience. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions.
Welby way gifted
1st grade
7 points
Asian male
Welby Way Gifted Magnet
1st grade
7 points
White female
Accepted!
welby way gifted
asian female
8 points
accepted!
Angel, many college acceptances came out on Friday. Do you have any good news to share with us yet?
She has several good options that have arrived but she’s waiting on several others. 🙂
Community Charter ES
Kindergarten
4 points
White male
Waitlisted
Called Community. They said they won’t have waitlist numbers until after all of the people who were accepted make their decision. So, not until at least April 5, probably later.
I do have a question, though, about first and second choice. So, my first choice was Community. Second choice was Open Charter. I thought that if I didn’t get into my first, that they’d bump me to my second. Clearly, that was wrong. So, would it be worth it or even possible to do a late application to Open Charter or is that completely pointless?
And a similar one for SAS programs. We were accepted into Third Street for SAS. But, am now thinking that Franklin for SAS may be a better fit. Should I bother applying late to Franklin for SAS? If I accept Third Street, can I still do “late application” to others? Thanks!
When your application is run, they run it against your first choice. If it’s full, they move to your second choice. If that is full, then you revert to the wait list of your first choice. Since your second choice is equally (if not more) popular, it’s not likely they would get through the wait lists. You may want to call Franklin and see how many are on their wait list. Since this is all new territory with SAS as part of the same app process, you should ask the school directly.
Thank you so much, Magnetangel. You truly are an angel. Really appreciate your time and expertise.
My pleasure. Best of luck.
In past years Franklin has definitely had spaces. I looked at moving my son mid year in kinder. It kinda turned into a fiasco but in theory they had space.
that should say about a year ago Franklin had spaces. Not past years.
Where did you end up Madeleine? Thanks so much for the insight. (Trying to decide between CWC Silverlake and SAS at Third Street [or Franklin])
Hi, We started in Micheltorena for Kinder. Mid year we switched to LFCSA. We finished kinder at LFCSA and transferred, again, mid year to Citizens of the World HOllywood. So now he’s finishing first and I really like CWC Hollywood. If you want to talk more I”m happy to.
Would love to chat more, Madeleine! I’m at laurenmwhaley at yahoo dot com. Or, happy to reach out in any other way. Thank you!!
CWC has a social/emotional component. Franklin, I don’t believe, has that. THat was important to me. I don’t know about third street myself.
Doesn’t look like Franklin will have any spaces this year – the principal sent this message early in the week:
Enrollment Cap for 2019-2020
A message from FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Dear Franklin Families,
Recently, enrollment in our residential area has risen much more than expected and caused our school to be near capacity very quickly. Franklin was asked by District offices to immediately implement procedures that inform incoming families about the current situation and possible next steps in case the school reaches full capacity.
The following has been implemented thus far:
Announcements regarding registration period and hours have been made available.
Surveyed current families for incoming school age students, five years old on or before September 2nd, 2019. Families who indicated on the survey that a school age child would attend were asked to complete enrollment packets immediately.
New requests for permits such as Open Enrollment, Childcare, Job Related Needs, etc. will not be granted for 2019-2020 school year.
Sibling permits for the upcoming school year will not be offered.
Current families attending Franklin on a permit program have been asked to inform the school of their plans for next school year.
Incoming families are being informed of the current situation and possible next steps in the event our school reaches full capacity for 2019-2020. New overflow enrollees may be placed in another school with space designated by the school District.
Families who have not yet submitted an enrollment application for next year are asked to submit one immediately.
Though, we are faced with many questions and uncertainties, District protocols and policies in place will help to ensure that we serve families safely and responsibly. Franklin Faculty and staff will remain diligent at fulfilling our commitment to student achievement and serving our community. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.
If you have any questions about enrollment for 2019-2020, please contact the school at (323) 663-0320.
Sincerely,
Veronica Sasso,
Does anyone know once you accept, will we receive an email at some point confirming acceptance? Thank you!
Yes, I got it.
Chatsworth Park Elementary
Kindergarten
4 Points
African American Male
Waitlisted ☹
UPDATE! The school called me today and offered me a spot! That was much faster than I anticipated!
Is it normal NOT to receive an email? I accepted yesterday, and I didn’t receive anything. I still have the option to accept or deny on the dashboard. Is this normal?
My son is on the “top third” waitlist at LACES for 6th grade. If I accept an SAS school via echoices – does that bump him off the LACES waitlist?
I forgot to add …
16 points
white male
Hi All,
I know this isn’t necessarily Magnet related but I’ve been perusing this website for some time and thought this would be the best place to ask.
Does anyone know for sure how the Choices application works in regards to Open Enrollment if you have already applied to and accepted a spot in a different program, i.e., SAS, DLP?
We have been selected for spots in both an SAS and Dual Language Immersion Program for Kindergarten. If I were to accept one of these options (we have until April 5th) would I sill be able to participate in Open Enrollment when it starts on April 29th?
Also, if anyone has any opinions on the Third Street Korean Dual Language program, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Anyone else on the Wonderland waiting list (and actually wanting to go? Curious if you’ve gotten feedback about where you are on the waitlist. Thanks.
We are hoping to collect points and continue to remain waitlisted. White female, 3rd grade, 0 points.
Magnet Yenta
I was having a discussion today with some other Moms about magnet matriculation. I thought if we matriculated from out magnet elementary school (Kester Gifted) we get 12 points automatically upon graduation so we don’t need to collect points at all in elementary and only think about this again in middle school for High school. I was told I’m wrong. Can you please clarify?
It’s always interesting that people choose to argue rather than just pull up the echoices site and read it, but you’re right and they’re wrong. When your child graduates from 5th your child will be eligible for 12 points. If they are not in a magnet, they’ll have two be rejected three years in a row. What may be the case is people who are thinking of leaving Kester for SOCES. Leaving for 4th grade would not get points. Of course, a Kester student couldn’t get wait list points while attending the magnet anyway.
When your daughter enters 5th grade, apply with confidence for middle school. You have 12 points plus any other points you might have.
Thank you. So if we can’t apply for points while attending a magnet then we can only matriculate with 12 points right? I have none since we just accepted a Kester. I think that’s what I just read.
You don’t need to apply when attending a magnet. More importantly–you shouldn’t. If you were to apply and get in to the other magnet you would immediately lose the spot at the current school and could not go back.
Hello! Need some help. My son is going to start 4th grade is 2019-2020- he currently attends a Private school in Canoga Park and we do not want it for him long term for various reasons. I think my end game is to get him into Nobel to automatically matriculate into Granada Charter ( he can from Noble right?) SO long story short today I got a call that he was accepted to Academy for Enriched Sciences in Encino- and when he graduates from there and applies to Nobel he will be able to use 12 points (Correct?) ANYONE OUT THERE have any advice about ACADEMY FOR ENRICHED SCIENCES? I learned these are not advanced courses ( gifted ) is this just general education. He is very bright and advanced math and English ( AES does not offer I do not think anything advanced) I want him to be ready for “public” school ( Nobel/Granada etc.) and would like to transition him out of this private school environment (dated material to be honest). IS AES a good school? Any recommendations. SHOULD I BE EXCITED HE WAS SELECTED ( white/ 4th grade/ 4 points based on his home school PBHOA) THoughts please!!!
Unless something has changed that I’m not aware of, there’s no automatic matriculation from Nobel to Granada for magnet or anyone else. If that’s changed, hopefully someone attending Nobel can share. It will take a majority of those points to get into Nobel without the wait list so having 16 would be desirable. Granada is another issue for *years* from now.
Just about any elementary school in LAUSD is going to have the ability to differentiate a bit for children who need a challenge, or they’ll cluster the gifted kids together. There are gifted kids in every school in LAUSD, and the West Valley is no different. Short of coming from a private highly gifted school, there’s not much to worry about–he’ll be learning and he will be challenged. The notion that a school in a predominantly affluent West Valley neighborhood does not offer “anything” advanced is probably flawed.
Bottom line, you applied, and he’s in, so you have to decide if you take him out of where he’s at for 4th and 5th, or you lose your points. If you’re ok losing your deposit at the private school, then talk to the school and ask to speak to a few of the parents on the PTO or room moms.
These smaller magnets were created to draw kids into the neighborhood and avoid charter co-locations (LAUSD built schools in the 60s when people had way more kids and they really haven’t been able to fill them since–they’re not the only ones, Conejo is dealing with similar issues). This magnet received the input of all stakeholders, and the test scores and the equity scores at Academy for Enriched Sciences (how they treat both low income and students of color) are pretty respectable too.
I’ve known families that are very happy there.
I’d have hoped you toured it last fall and you know about the programs and can make the decision with solid information. They gave you a time limit on how long you can wait before making a decision, and give it the time you need, but be aware there are families waiting for that spot and school starts Tuesday. If you opt to stay at your private school, let AES know right away so another family can make plans.
No one on a message board should be a substitute for your own decision. Only you know what is right. I might be biased against religious schools, or I may have opinions on really small neighborhood schools.
Good luck with your decision.
Thank you! To be honest I was unable to tour the school – so that is what I am missing here. I am hoping anyone here can share anything regarding ACADEMY FOR ENRICHED SCIENCES? I really want him to enjoy school and have critical thinking skills and his current faith based private school in Canoga Park is very limited and inside the box at all costs.
Mom is just as nervous as son lol
As it’s a small school and has only been in existence for a few years, there aren’t a lot of folks with direct experience (definitely not on this blog). While you are waiting for someone to reach out, definitely contact the school and ask to talk to some of the parents (many schools can’t/don’t/won’t this time of year, so don’t consider that a red flag).
If you have concerns about the religious school (and if it’s the one I know of other defectors from), this might be the time to jump. By joining in fourth grade, he’ll still have time to make friends before ‘graduating’ with his class in fifth grade. And coming from a very small religious school, you and your son will have to get used to how public schools operate (not always the most sensical path–but a far more diverse one). Consider it an exercise in tolerance and inclusion while you ramp up to middle school.
Thank you ! I am looking forward to our new journey – the. Private school served its purpose in early years but time to venture out! This may be a great time for him to shine too . This private school boxed in so many beautiful minds – I know LAUSD is not perfect but it has to be a partnership right? Concern : common core math will be new to him – do u feel this is going to be a struggle now at new school ? ( another reason I am jumping ship I have to get with the standard math right ? Thoughts ?
I’ve felt the labeling of “Common Core” is just words. Kids learn a new way to do math every few years with a new textbook adoption. My son was majoring IN Math when he took a look at all the hype and said that’s how he’d always done math in his head. Forget about the memes on social media, honestly. My daughter was learning multiplication in a diamond format that I didn’t understand a decade ago, and she is now off to study engineering at a well-respected program. Don’t label the math and don’t let your concerns influence his outlook. Kids seem to have fewer issues than the parents go.
And yes, LAUSD is not perfect, but it represents the people you see at grocery stores, at parks, and in the community. We’ve embraced public schools for 25 years and both kids are thriving as young adults. It’s not private school, class sizes are large, and the teacher has to focus on more kids, but we all have to learn the world does not revolve around us individually but us as a community.
My daughter was in the gifted magnet for 2 years and she wasn’t receiving gifted education. All of the materials were for general education because that was what given to the school by the district. When I talked to the magnet coordinator and the teachers, I was told that they use the one provided for by the school because it’s easier to just rip them out from the books rather than gathering new materials.
This year, I am moving her back to the SAS program that she used to go to because the teachers at the SAS program provided some materials for gifted kids. Those materials were bought from the teachers’ pocket. They weren’t provided by the school. I know this is not their job to use their own salary to provide for those materials but they did it anyways because they love the kids.
LAUSD claims that each school have a gifted program but in reality that doesn’t happen. My home school doesn’t do anything for the gifted kids because most of the kids were behind and I was told that with limited money, they focus more on the kids who are about to meet the standards for their SBAC so that it’ll lift the school’s test results.
I have also volunteered in my daughter’s gifted magnet class and several kids are quite advanced. They know a lot of stuff that the teachers aren’t teaching. When I asked them how they know so much stuff, several kids told me that their parents give them lessons at home because they already know what the teachers at the gifted program are teaching.
Anyways, I’ve learned that if I want to provide rigorous education for my kids, I have to provide them myself just like most parents of gifted kids do.
At some schools with both a gifted magnet and an SAS, the SAS is stronger. At others, it’s the gifted magnet. That’s been the case for as long as I can remember. Also since there is a very wide array of ability in students identified as gifted and highly gifted, it’s never going to be a 1:1 focus on a single child.
Some people start their kids in academic preschools at 2 or 3 years old. Some prefer more of a play based approach, and there are also those who don’t use preschool or after school academic programs.
When it comes to gifted ed, there are families who want the same kind of array of academics. In the end, they all thrive when they’re allowed to pursue their passions…even if that’s music, dance….and math and science.
My son in 4th grade at carpenter charter with 0 points , he is HGA! Still have one more year ! Planning to apply to IHP at Walter Reed ! Any recommendations ?! Thanks
Make sure you follow up with the recommendations and keep in mind if you are accepted to more than one school, Walter Reed will expect you to drop all other applications. In the meantime, have a wonderful year.
Thank you 🙂
Is there really a chance to get into this program without any points or with just 4 points, because he is not HG, but HGA! But Walter Reed our home school! Thank again
Walter Reed IHP is not a magnet. There are no points. It’s strictly an application.
Oh! Now I got it! 👍🏻