Applying at Our Schools
Applications are accepted online by City University Schools. If you need assistance applying to our schools, please call the main office at (901) 775-2219. For additional information on applying for the upcoming school year, please see our frequently asked questions.
Open Enrollment
All applications submitted within the Open Enrollment period will have an equal opportunity for admission.
City University Schools does not discriminate in its admissions practices. In compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, City University targets all populations within its defined radius, regardless of race, disability, religious belief, ethnicity, national origin, or gender.
All scholars of City University Schools are admitted regardless of their previous academic record. However, admission is contingent upon each student and their parents' willingness to sign the yearly Progress Inventory Plan and the Scholar Code of Conduct. Both documents are developed to adhere to the school's mission and to develop student scholars through scholarship and citizenship.
If the number of applications submitted within the Open Enrollment period exceeds the number of seats available for any grade level, a system-generated, random lottery will be processed to determine who is offered a seat at the school. For more information regarding lottery preferences, enrollment, and registration, please read our Enrollment Policy.
Enrollment Policy
City University Schools will support students throughout the Memphis community within a fifteen-mile proximity of the school. Due to this large radius, City University may have to employ a lottery system if the number of student applicants surpasses the number of spaces available for any given class.
In the event that applications for enrollment exceed the available spaces at City University, the lottery system will be implemented for all eligible applicants. Several additional lotteries may also be required. The specific date(s) for lotteries will be announced and the public will be invited to attend. The Board of Trustees will administer the system in order to avoid possible conflicts of interests or any improprieties.
Lottery System
As City University is an open enrollment school, the following criteria will be used for the lottery process:
Siblings attending City University School of Liberal Arts or a neighboring area school (not applicable to year one);
The date at which application was made to City University School of Liberal Arts;
District-wide applications.
The Board may also consider preempting these criteria for the following:
Documented hardship (extenuating circumstances including safety, medical, etc.);
The achievement of gender and racial balance and diversity;
Ensuring the balance of grade levels, according to the recruitment plan.
Waiting List Procedures
After an initial lottery, all applications will be placed on the waiting list in the order they are received. The prospective student will remain on the waiting list from year to year until one of the following occurs:
The prospective student is admitted to City University Schools;
The parent/guardian withdraws the child from consideration; or
The parent/guardian declines an offer of admission.