I think the prestige and caliber of student is the primary reason Lowell gets the interest it does. I went to elementary and middle school in the northern part of the city and EVERY “honors” type student wanted to go to Lowell. I say “honors” because elementary and middle school didn’t really have honors classes except for algebra in 8th grade.
Kids from poor areas like Chinatown, Fillmore, and Western addition went to my schools and would gladly take the bus for an hour to go to Lowell. There were also kids who lied about where they lived to try to get preferential treatment for getting into Lowell. Some actually were caught when school officials followed them home.