Sorry, I'm not going to name the high school magnet kid. You can believe me or not, I'm just putting it out there for OP's information.

However, what I've described is absolutely consistent with your understanding that such cases are almost non-existent. As I said, the TP magnet administrator made it very clear that our older kid's chances were virtually nil for entering in 7th grade. So probably other families in the same boat as us don't bother applying for 7th grade (like us). Or, they take the test and either do badly, or the kid ends up in perpetual wait list limbo with the other 100 wait list kids. Which is the same as not getting in.

Sorry for the bad news, OP. I was trying to be a little softer in my 17:52, but it's probably helpful to have it spelled out anyway.

I would like to hear other examples of this -- I've ben following these issues for a long time and have NEVER heard of someone getting into a magnet when they didn't test/apply at the appropriate time.

I'm 17:52. One of my kids is in the TPMS magnet currently, and for DC's year (2-3 years ago, I don't want to identify us too much) we were told there were 100 kids on the wait list. We heard the same story when we looked into moving DC's older sibling into the magnet in 7th grade a few years back. The head of the magnet program took us a tour and told us that older DC could take the magnet test and might possibly (depending on how older DC did on the test) be put in the waitlist pool, but the chances of being picked out of the pool of 100 kids, supposing a 7th grade opening even came up, were slim to zero.

The huge waitlist pool size is probably related to the number of qualified kids in Montgomery County, and the relatively small number of slots the county makes available for them. But that's another issue.

We also know somebody who got into the Blair magnet after moving from out of state. So there's a compelling story that worked for the HS magnet. I don't know all of the family's circumstances, just that they were out of state.

This isn't true. The wait list has about 30 kids on it.

And even if it didn't, you can't test after fifth grade so it's a moot point, regardless of compelling need or story.

The magnet has something like 100 kids in the wait list. Probably many of these families aren't "real" wait listers after 6th grade, because they will have found other school options they are happy with, or they don't want to move their child into the program mid-stream for whatever reasons. Still, there will be some "real families" still on the wait list in 7th grade, and it's probably almost impossible to jump over these other families unless you have a really compelling need/story.

The good news is that the rest of the school is really good, at least the parents seem really happy. Magnet kids take non-magnet subjects like honors english, honors social studies and foreign languages with the rest of the school, and we've been impressed.

Part of the school is a magnet and you can only enter through the application process when the child is in 5th grade.

The rest of the school is a regular neighborhood school and you can enroll any time that you move into the neighborhood.

Since Takoma Middle School is a magnet school can you still enroll your child at 7th grade? Is part of it magnet and part not? and if so, is the non magnet part good? how is it structured? We're hoping to move to Takoma Park next summer and want to enroll out daughter in a middle school.

thanks