Friends of Vocational Technical & Agricultural Education,
Reflective of the growing demand for high quality Chapter 74 vocational technical & agricultural education, Essex Tech received 1,746 applications representing the largest application pool in school history.
David
Essex Tech Sees Historic Application Rate Amid New Lottery Admissions System
Starting this year, students will be selected for admission through a random, unweighted lottery.
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Scott Souza, Patch Staff<![if !vml]><![endif]>
Posted Thu, Jan 15, 2026
DANVERS, MA — Essex Tech received more than three times as many applications as it has open seats for the incoming freshman class amid a dramatic change in admission policy for the 2026-27 school year.
The school said on Thursday that its 1,746 applications represent the largest application pool in school history. The applicants are applying for between 550 and 560 seats.
The application jump occurs as the state imposed new admission policies on career technical high schools across the state that eliminate the subjective interview and record-review process — which state education officials deemed to be potentially prejudicial against certain demographics and students who might best benefit from a CTE education — with a lottery system.
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<![endif]>While the state allowed for a "weighted" lottery system that could still factor in things such as attendance and disciplinary issues, as well as demonstrated interest in a CTE education, Essex Tech was among the schools that opted for a straight lottery system.
The school said the volume of applications "reflects strong and growing interest in career and technical education, as students and families across Essex Tech’s sending communities and the surrounding region continue to seek hands-on, career-connected learning opportunities."
Applicants can expect to hear the results of the lottery in February.
"We are humbled by the level of interest from students and families," said Jill Sawyer, Executive Director of CTAE & Workforce Development at Essex Tech. “These numbers speak to the value families place on career and technical education and the pathways it provides for students’ futures."
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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