In an attempt to improve training and development of principals, the General Assembly in North Carolina established a competitive grant program to transform the way principals are certified. This qualitative study aimed to inform principal preparation practices by examining the initial, critical steps of recruitment, screening, and selection of candidates to enroll in a non-traditional, university-based program. The grant that funded the principal preparation program specified that program providers partner with school districts to tap top tier educators to enroll as principal trainees. In this study, public school district partners conducted the recruitment and initial screening of aspiring candidates internally. Through interviews of district leaders and scrutiny of documents associated with recruitment, screening, and selection, the researchers of this study found that the multi-tiered process of recruiting, screening, and selection worked effectively. The challenges of a university-school district partnership are presented as lessons learned. Findings are discussed in terms of recommendations for universities and school districts as to how to work collaboratively, as well as some pitfalls to avoid to make the process equitable and fair to emerging leaders in public schools.