How Marble Works
From setup to enrollment, every step is transparent, auditable, and cryptographically fair.
Marble serves two audiences — schools running lotteries and families applying to them. Below you'll find the step-by-step experience for each.
For Schools & Administrators
Configure Your Lottery
Log in to your school dashboard and create a new lottery. Set the school name, grade level, number of available seats, application window dates, and any weighted preferences (siblings, in-district, staff children, etc.).
Marble validates your settings and prevents overlapping lotteries for the same grade.
Tip: You can save a lottery as Draft and come back to finalize it later — nothing is visible to families until you publish.
Publish & Share
When you're ready, publish the lottery. It instantly appears on the public Marble directory where families can browse and filter by school, grade, and location.
Share the direct link on your school website, social media, or newsletters so families know applications are open.
Marble automatically lists your lottery in the public directory — no extra setup needed.
Applications Roll In
Families submit applications through their Marble account. Each application is timestamped and associated with a verified student profile.
You can monitor application volume in real time from your dashboard, but you cannot see or modify individual applications before the draw.
Why can't I see applications? Keeping applications hidden until the draw prevents conscious or unconscious bias and protects the integrity of the process.
Run the Draw
Once the application window closes, click "Run Draw." Marble generates a cryptographic random seed, shuffles all applications using the Fisher–Yates algorithm, applies any weighted preferences, and produces a final ranked list — all in seconds.
The seed, algorithm version, and full input/output are recorded immutably so the draw can be independently reproduced.
The draw is instant and irreversible. Once run, the results are cryptographically sealed and cannot be altered.
Send Offers & Track Responses
Review the results and send offers to selected families with one click. Each offer includes a response deadline you set.
If a family declines or misses the deadline, the next student on the waitlist is automatically promoted and notified. Marble tracks every action with timestamps so you always have a complete record.
Automatic waitlist promotion means you never have to manually manage the queue — Marble handles it for you.
For Families & Parents
Find a Lottery
Browse the public Marble directory to find open lotteries at schools you're interested in. Filter by location, grade level, or school name.
Each listing shows the school details, number of available seats, application deadline, and any preference categories.
No account required to browse — you only need to sign up when you're ready to apply.
Submit Your Application
Create a free Marble account and add your child's student profile. Then select a lottery and submit an application — it takes less than two minutes.
You can apply to multiple lotteries at different schools, and each application is tracked independently on your dashboard.
Applications are free. Marble never charges families.
Wait for the Draw
Once the application period ends, the school runs the lottery draw. You'll see a status change on your dashboard from "Pending" to "Selected," "Waitlisted," or the draw date if it hasn't happened yet.
You don't need to do anything during this phase — Marble will notify you when results are ready.
Draw dates are posted on each lottery listing so you always know when to expect results.
Receive & Respond to Your Offer
If your child is selected, you'll receive an email and in-app notification with an offer. The offer includes a response deadline — typically 5 to 14 days.
Log in to your dashboard and click Accept or Decline. If you need more time, contact the school directly.
If you don't respond before the deadline, the offer is automatically forfeited and the next child on the waitlist is promoted.
Enrollment Confirmed
Once you accept, your child's spot is confirmed and the school is notified to proceed with enrollment. You can view the full lottery details — including the cryptographic proof of fairness — at any time from your dashboard.
If you were waitlisted, you'll be notified immediately if a spot opens up.
Your child's lottery record — including the cryptographic proof of fairness — stays accessible on your dashboard indefinitely.
Why It's Provably Fair
Marble doesn't ask you to trust us — we give you the tools to verify for yourself.
Traditional school lotteries rely on trust: you submit an application and hope the process was fair. Marble replaces hope with proof. Every draw uses a three-part system — a cryptographic seed, a deterministic shuffle, and public verification — so that any result can be independently confirmed.
Here's how each component works:
At the moment the draw is run, Marble generates a unique random seed using a cryptographically secure random number generator (CSPRNG). This seed is the sole source of randomness for the shuffle. No human — not even the administrator — can predict or influence it.
The seed is fed into the Fisher–Yates shuffle algorithm along with the list of applications. Given the same seed and the same input, the algorithm always produces the same output. This means the draw is reproducible: anyone with the seed and input data can re-run it and get the identical result.
After the draw, Marble publishes the seed, algorithm version, and a hash of the input data. Parents, schools, and independent auditors can use this information to verify the results. If the numbers don't match, something went wrong — and it's immediately detectable.
"Fairness isn't something you promise — it's something you prove. Marble makes every lottery draw independently verifiable, so families never have to wonder if the process was honest."
The Audit Trail
Every lottery draw in Marble generates a comprehensive, immutable audit record. Here's what's captured:
- Cryptographic seed used for randomization
- Algorithm version and configuration
- Complete list of applications (hashed for privacy)
- Weighted preference rules applied
- Final ranked result ordering
- Timestamp of draw execution
- Administrator who initiated the draw
- All subsequent offer, acceptance, decline, and waitlist events
This record is preserved for the life of the lottery and can be accessed by authorized school administrators, participating families, and compliance auditors at any time.
Typical Lottery Timeline
Aug – Oct
Set up your lottery. Applications open.
Nov – Jan
Applications live. Monitor in real time.
Jan – Feb
Applications close. Run the draw. Offers go out.
Feb – Mar
Families accept. Waitlist auto-promotes. Enrollment finalizes.
Mar – Apr
Export compliance docs. Season complete.
Exact dates vary by school and district. Marble supports custom timelines — lotteries can run at any time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the lottery really random?
Yes. Each draw uses a cryptographically generated random seed — the same kind of randomness used by banks and security systems. The seed is generated at the moment the draw is run, and no one — not even the administrator — can predict or influence the result.
Can I verify that my child was treated fairly?
Absolutely. Logged-in parents can view the full transparency details for any draw their child participated in, including the algorithm used, the seed, and the complete ordering. The draw can be independently re-run to confirm the results.
What happens if I miss the acceptance deadline?
If you don't respond by the deadline, the offer is automatically forfeited and the next child on the waitlist receives an offer. You'll receive email reminders before the deadline expires.
Can a school change the results after the draw?
No. Once a draw is run, the results are immutably recorded. The seed, input data, and result ordering are stored and cannot be modified. Any changes to offers — like waitlist promotions when someone declines — are tracked separately with a full audit trail.
How many lotteries can I apply to?
There's no limit. You can apply to as many open lotteries as you'd like, at different schools and grade levels. Each application is tracked independently on your dashboard.
Does Marble charge families?
No. Marble is completely free for families. There are no application fees, no hidden charges, and no premium tiers. Schools pay for the platform — families never do.
How is my child's information protected?
Marble takes privacy seriously. Student data is encrypted at rest and in transit, visible only to authorized parents and school administrators. The platform is designed with COPPA and FERPA compliance in mind, and personal information is never shared publicly or sold to third parties.
Ready to See It in Action?
Whether you're a school looking to run fair lotteries or a family looking for a transparent enrollment process, Marble is here to help.
Free for families. Transparent for everyone.