# Baltimore's high-stakes school choice starts in fourth grade

> A single number called a composite score determines which Baltimore students get into the city's most competitive schools.
- Title: Baltimore's high-stakes school choice starts in fourth grade
- Summary: A single number called a composite score determines which Baltimore students get into the city's most competitive schools. In Baltimore, fourth grade…
- Keywords: baltimore city public schools, composite score, school choice, baltimore, maryland, baltimore polytechnic institute, baltimore city college, western high school, paul laurence dunbar high school, middle school admissions, high school admissions, advanced academics
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/education/k-12-schools/baltimore-city-school-choice-composite-score-K7UH7IAJF5EGVJTTTL2ZR4ULZI
- Author: Maya Lora
- Published: 2026-09-16T09:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: baltimore city public schools, composite score, school choice, baltimore, maryland, baltimore polytechnic institute, baltimore city college, western high school, paul laurence dunbar high school, middle school admissions, high school admissions, advanced academics
## Fourth grade sets your path
Baltimore uses a composite score to rank students for middle school. That score is mostly based on fourth grade performance, shaping the rest of their academic career.
## Maryland's only universal choice district
Baltimore City Public Schools is the only district in Maryland offering universal school choice starting in sixth grade. Students must navigate a complex admissions process.

> Baltimore City Public Schools is the only district in Maryland to offer universal school choice, beginning in sixth grade.
## How the composite score works
Students earn a score out of 800 or 860 based on grades and test scores. It's similar to class rank and determines which schools they can attend.
## Grades matter most
75% of the composite score comes from final grades the prior year and first quarter of the current year. For fifth graders, that means mostly fourth grade performance.
## Test scores fill the rest
The remaining 25% is based on state English and math test scores from the prior spring. The district ranks students by percentile against all other test takers.
## Most can skip the process
About 76% of students can stay at their neighborhood school or feeder school. All rising ninth graders must rank five schools unless they're already in a combined school.
## Honors classes boost your score
Taking honors classes adds 10 points to your grade in the formula. A 78 in honors counts as an 88, even if it pushes the score over 100.
## You need at least 610
Advanced academics middle schools and the four competitive high schools require a minimum composite score of 610 to apply.
## But averages are much higher
Last year, students admitted to advanced middle schools averaged 746. Baltimore Polytechnic Institute admitted students averaged 790.
## Competitive high school cutoffs
City College averaged 746, Poly 790, Dunbar 671, and Western 670. Admission depends on how you rank against classmates applying to the same schools.
## Applications open in December
Applications open December 1st with a deadline of January 15th. The school choice fair is December 12th at the Baltimore Convention Center.
## Parents stress early and often
Emily Megnin found the process confusing even with help from her son's principal. She started worrying a year and a half before applications opened.

> You start stressing out about it like a year and a half before it's actually going to happen.
## Key takeaway

In Baltimore, fourth grade performance largely determines middle school placement, which shapes high school options and academic trajectory.