Navigating New York City High School Admissions
Organization is Key to Finding the Right NYC Public H.S.
Almost anywhere else in the U.S., students are assigned to a high school based on where they live, but in New York City, high school bound students must select and rank their choices. There are approximately 600 different high school programs available ranging from schools with a particular career focus such as health professions or culinary arts to the specialized high schools that require a separate test for admission. The key is to narrow down the choices while still exploring many options.
Start Planning Early for New York City High School Admission
Most students will receive a copy of the New York City High School Directory at the end of the 7th grade. The directory is conveniently organized alphabetically by borough. While students are allowed to apply to schools in any of the five boroughs, many will choose to stay in the borough that they live in, which automatically will cut the number of choices to a more manageable size.
The NYC Department of Education (DOE) has a searchable version of the directory on their website. The DOE also provides an explanation of the admissions process and ranking system. Students and parents should review the directory and come up with a list of 10 to 20 schools that they want to explore further. In the end, students can rank up to 12 programs on the regular high school application. This is in addition to any of the nine specialized high schools that they can apply to separately.
Visit High School Websites and Make Note of Important Dates
The fall of 8th grade should be spent visiting school for open houses and tours, attending high school fairs and gathering information from parents and students currently affiliated with the target schools. Shortly after the first day of school, many high schools will start posting information on their websites about open house and tour dates. Some tours will require pre-registration, so it is important to keep track of dates when registration opens since tours fill quickly. The high school websites are also a good way to get information about the school and to see what types of activities are offered. Many publish student newspapers online, which is a great way to hear the voice of the student population.
Students applying to the Specialized High Schools must take the Specialized High School Admissions Test which is usually administered in late October or early November. Students applying to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School must sign-up for auditions. Other schools may also have separate admissions requirements such as interviews, tests, portfolios, etc. This information is available on the individual school websites.
Attend New York City High School Fairs
Each fall the DOE hosts a city-wide high school fair and high school fairs in each borough. The nine specialized high schools are typically represented at all of the fairs. Parents and students should plan to attend at least one fair. The fairs are usually very crowded, but tables for each school are set up in an orderly manner and it just takes a little patience to speak with each one that a student is interested in attending. Come prepared with a target list and try to speak with students and faculty at each target school. Take notes and any brochures and flyers that are available. After leaving the fair, review the notes and write down any impressions that were formed about any particular schools.
Tours and Open Houses
Open houses tend to draw big crowds for the most popular schools. Arrive early to ensure getting in with the first group. Most tours are led by current students and will take small groups of parents and students through the school building. Come prepared with questions and listen carefully to the questions that other tour-goers ask since most share the same concerns.
Look around the classrooms and hallways. Is student work prominently displayed? Does the building seem clean and is it a pleasant learning environment? Is there a library? Where do students eat lunch? Some schools will have teachers from each subject speak to prospective applicants. Take note of their level of enthusiasm and ask questions about the curriculum.
Ranking the High Schools
The high school application is due in early December, and it requires 8th graders to rank up to twelve high school choices. This can be very stressful, but when filling out the application, review the notes and flyers. Take another look at the school websites and talk to any friends or neighbors that are affiliated with the schools under consideration. In the end, for most students there is usually more than one school that will be a great fit, so rest assured that any choice made based on the research will be a good choice.
The NYC High School Process Takes Planning
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