Admissions Guidelines

Frisco High School is proud to announce that we have completed the IB authorization process in order to offer FISD’s IB Diploma Programme at FHS.

Lottery Process: For each cohort, there will be approximately 100 seats available. If there is more interest than seats available, a lottery process will determine who gains admission to the program. The lottery process will be designed to ensure a geographic representation of students from throughout the District. Students who are already zoned for Frisco High School will be automatically accepted in the lottery process; however, the number of FHS zoned students will not decrease the number of students accepted into the program from the other district attendance zones. 

Admissions into the Programme:

• Admitted students will be full-time students at Frisco High School for the duration of their high school career. Students will be eligible to participate in all extracurricular activities, athletics and fine arts activities at Frisco High School.

• There may be opportunities for students who were not selected in the lottery to be admitted at the beginning of their 10th grade year.  Admissions decisions at that time will be based on seats available and scheduling issues.  Please contact Jenna Gates, FHS IB Coordinator, if interested in admissions.

• Students who move into the District during their 11th or 12th grade years and have been previously enrolled in an IB Diploma Programme may request a review of their transcript and coursework to seek admission into the IB Diploma Programme.

• Students/parents will be required to provide transportation to Frisco High School.

Exiting the Programme:

• Exiting the IB Diploma Programme requires parents to contact the IB Coordinator Jenna Gates.

• Prior to starting school in August, a student may opt out of the IB DP and return to their home campus.  Once the school year begins, a student may only opt out of the IBDP at the end of the first six weeks of school or at the end of a semester.  

• A student opting out in 9th or 10th grade will return to their home campus if not zoned for Frisco HS.  Any student who opts out may not receive their preferred schedule based on class availability.  Campus administration has final approval on all schedule changes.

• Students may also request to exit the IB Diploma Programme at the end of each semester of their 11th and 12th grade years.  Students who exit in the 11th and 12th grade years may request to remain at Frisco High School to finish out their high school career.  The regular FISD senior transfer request process will be utilized for senior year.

• Exiting the program and returning to your home campus may have UIL eligibility implications (see below). Students are not guaranteed the same placement or level of activities (Varsity, JV, etc.) if they return to their home campus. Student placement or level in activities such as fine arts and athletics will be determined by the home campus upon the student’s return.

UIL Implications/Guidelines

All UIL (including Music and Academics) except Athletics

1. A student entering the IB program at Frisco High School will be eligible immediately to participate in all UIL activities excluding Varsity Athletics.

2. If a student withdraws from the IB program and returns to his or her home campus, he/she will not lose eligibility for UIL activities except athletics. Although UIL eligibility is retained, qualification in activities is not guaranteed to follow the student to the home campus.

Varsity Athletics

1. A student who applies for admission at the first opportunity, is admitted into the IB program, and transfers to Frisco High School at the first opportunity, will retain his or her eligibility for varsity UIL competition and may participate immediately.
   
   First opportunity includes:

   • returning FISD students who have submitted an admission form in their eighth grade year and transferred to Frisco High School immediately following admission into the program.

   • New FISD students who are admitted into the program prior to establishing residency at another FISD high school.

2. A student whose parents live in Frisco ISD and did not choose to apply for admission in the IB program at his/her first opportunity, and enters the program at a later time, is ineligible for varsity athletic competition until he/she has been enrolled in and regularly attending Frisco High School for at least the previous calendar year.

3. If a student withdraws from the IB program and returns to their home campus, he/she will be ineligible for varsity athletic competition until they have been enrolled in and regularly attending their home campus for at least the previous calendar year.

4. A student who withdraws from the IB program at the end of the first semester of their junior year and chooses to stay at Frisco High School will retain UIL eligibility for varsity athletics.