How Cobb County magnet admissions actually works
The key dates, what the application asks for, the seven programs and how our two-month program works, plus an honest look at whether magnet is the right fit. Written by three students who went through it.
Key dates
These are the Cobb County School District’s dates for 8th graders applying in fall 2026 to start 9th grade in the 2027 to 2028 school year.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 30 to October 15, 2026 | Open houses at each magnet program |
| October 1, 2026 | The application opens online |
| October 9, 2026 | PSAT 8/9 registration deadline for students not enrolled in Cobb schools |
| October 14 to 20, 2026 | PSAT 8/9 testing window for 8th graders in Cobb middle schools |
| October 17, 2026 | PSAT 8/9 for students not enrolled in Cobb schools, at Kennesaw Mountain High School |
| December 1, 2026, 11:59 PM | Application deadline for every program except Pebblebrook |
| January 5, 2027 | Teacher recommendations due |
| January 29, 2027, 4:30 PM | Decisions posted in the magnet portal |
| February 26, 2027 | Deadline to choose a program and commit |
| November 2026 to May 1, 2027 | Pebblebrook acceptances, rolling by audition date |
The PSAT 8/9 counts toward the application, and the recommendations come from your child’s 8th grade teachers, so 8th grade still matters. Teachers receive the recommendation request only after your child submits the application.
Dates checked against the district’s official magnet timeline and testing calendar on September 28, 2026. The district can change them, so confirm on the official magnet programs page before you rely on them.
What the application asks for
Every Cobb County magnet program, including Pebblebrook and CITA, uses one online application in the district’s magnet portal. Your child selects the programs they want, then completes these parts:
- An essay for each program. Every program your child selects asks for its own essay.
- Short written sections on awards, leadership, academic activities, non-academic activities, personal characteristics and course selection. Each one needs an answer, even if the answer is “None.”
- Teacher recommendations from your child’s current English, math, science and social studies teachers. Some programs ask for one more.
- PSAT 8/9 scores. Cobb students take the test at school. Students outside Cobb schools register for a separate test date, listed above.
- Program extras. CITA asks your child to rank three career pathways. Pebblebrook asks for up to two majors and a minor, plus an audition.
Who can apply: students entering 9th grade who live in the Cobb County School District. Students at private schools or home schools who live in the district can apply too.
Choose the list before you submit. Once the application is submitted, it can no longer be edited and no programs can be added.
Choosing the right magnet for your student
Cobb County runs six high school magnet programs plus the Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy. They are specialized programs inside larger high schools, not separate magnet-only schools, and they are genuinely different from each other. Applying to the one that fits what your student actually wants to do matters more than applying to the one with the biggest reputation.
These are the three we know best.
Wheeler High School
Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Mathematics and Technology
Known for its advanced STEM course selection, with an unusually large catalog of AP and post-AP courses, plus robotics, aerospace engineering, biotechnology, organic chemistry and computer programming. It was the first program in Georgia certified in both STEM and STEAM.
Best for a student who is already running out of math and science to take.
Campbell High School
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Known for its comprehensive academic program. Rigorous and deliberately well rounded, with real strength in writing, critical thinking, research, world languages and service. Students can finish with the internationally recognized IB Diploma.
Best for a student who is strong across every subject rather than pointed at one.
Kennesaw Mountain High School
Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Broad STEM with unusual range. Extensive laboratory work, engineering, computer science and astronomy, including an on-campus observatory, four years of research and a professional internship.
Best for a student who wants STEM but does not want to specialize this early.
The other four programs
North Cobb High School
School for International Studies
Global studies and liberal arts. Suits a student drawn to international relations, politics, cultures, languages, travel and leadership.
South Cobb High School
Academy of Research and Medical Sciences
Medicine, biotechnology and scientific research. On-site medical lab, multiyear research, an original final project and healthcare internship opportunities.
Pebblebrook High School
Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts
Conservatory-style training in acting, dance, musical theatre, vocal music and technical theatre. Admission includes an audition.
Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy
Hands-on career and technical pathways across maker industries, emerging technologies, community services and healthcare, with college and industry partners.
The short version
- Advanced STEM course selection: Wheeler
- Comprehensive academic program: Campbell IB
- STEM with astronomy, engineering and room to stay broad: Kennesaw Mountain
- Medicine and original scientific research: South Cobb
- Languages, global affairs and international travel: North Cobb
- Professional performing arts training: Pebblebrook
- Practical career and technical preparation: Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy
Admission is competitive at all of them. The academic programs generally weigh grades, teacher recommendations, test results, writing, attendance and discipline records. Pebblebrook also evaluates an audition. Cobb provides arterial magnet transportation.
Everything on this page should be checked against the district’s own page before you rely on it. Application details and information night dates live there.
All seven Cobb County magnet programs
We can help with an application to any of them, not only the three we attended.
Wheeler
Campbell
Kennesaw Mountain
North Cobb
South Cobb
Pebblebrook
Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy
Is magnet right for your student, honestly
It tends to be a good fit for a student who:
- Already chooses the harder class when it is offered
- Has something they genuinely care about, not just good grades
- Can handle being average in a room where they used to be the top
It tends to be a hard fit for a student who:
- Is already at capacity with their current workload
- Is applying mainly because their friends are applying
- Would have to give up something that matters to them to make the schedule work
Our two-month program
We guide your child through every part of the magnet application, and our job is to help it stand out. The application is open from October 1 to December 1, so our program covers the same two months.
Step 1 · First session
Find the right programs
Your child starts with a short diagnostic about their personality, interests and strongest subjects, which we use to pinpoint the magnet programs that fit them best. Every program needs its own essay, so a focused list saves your child time and saves you money.
Next, your child writes a practice response to a sample prompt, set up the way the real application portal looks. By the end of the first session, we know your child’s writing level and which programs to target.
Step 2 · October
Write the essays
We start right away on the essays, building from your child’s writing level. We show your child how to highlight their extracurriculars, interests and future goals in writing that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish and shows why they fit that program.
Grades, test scores and teacher recommendations all count too. By October, though, the essays are the part your child can still shape the most, so they get the most attention.
Step 3 · November
Describe activities and qualities
We help your child write detailed descriptions of their awards, leadership, activities and personal characteristics. It can seem like a small part of the application, but it makes a real difference.
Written well, it shows the reader that your child balances strong grades with activities outside school, has made an impact in their clubs and community, and matches what each program says it looks for.
Start with a free parent call
Twenty minutes with a parent. No cost, no card, and no obligation.
