Applying to the Magnet

What are you applying to?

The Blair Magnet Program is funded to accept 100 Montgomery County students for its incoming 9th Grade class. The program serves students who are highly able and interested in the fields of science, mathematics and computer science.  Courses in STEM fields are modified to meet student needs and provide additional challenges that are not available at most high schools.  Because the Magnet Program's curriculum is interrelated between grades and sequentially different from other high schools, only students entering 9th Grade are accepted and students are provided four years of instruction at Montgomery Blair High School. No mid-high school transfer of students is permitted.

Who should apply?

Students in Grade 8 with a strong interest in science, mathematics, and computer science who are enrolled in at least Algebra I may apply to the Blair Magnet Program for entrance the following school year. Applicants must reside in one of the following MCPS high school clusters at the time of testing (for more information on testing, see below): Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Winston Churchill, the Downcounty Consortium (Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, Wheaton), the Northeast Consortium (Blake, Paint Branch, Springbrook), Walter Johnson, Richard Montgomery, Rockville, Sherwood, Walt Whitman, or Thomas S. Wootton. Students in other high school clusters can apply to the Poolesville Magnet Program.  

For students entering high school in 2027 and later, MCPS is planning a reconfiguration of regional programs.  The current model would limit eligibiltiy for the Blair Magnet Program to students who reside in the BCC, Whitman, Blair, Einstein and Northwood feeder areas once boundary studies are complete.  Four additional programs modeled after Blair and Poolesville would be created to allow for one similar program per region.

What criteria is used for selection?

Selection for the magnet program at Blair is competitive and a variety of criteria are considered.  We look at grades from both 7th agd 8th grades, MAP-M (or equivalent) test scores from 7th and 8th grade as well as information requested in the application including demonstrated interest in STEM programs.  Teacher recommendations are no longer accepted as part of the initial application process.

Where and when can you get additional information?

Each fall there are informational meetings about the Magnet for interested students and their parents/guardians. For prospective students entering high school in 2026-27, an informational meeting was held for interested students and their parents on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 7pm in the Blair Auditorium.  If you missed the presentation, you can find use the linkes to find the slides and an FAQ document from questions that evening.

Information regarding all application based programs in the county is available at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/. 

How do you apply?

MCPS families should visit the county web site for application information (https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/).  Applications are accessed through Synergy ParentVUE. Applications for the 2026-27 school year were due on November 7, 2025.

Further questions? Call the Magnet Program at (240) 740-7218.