5 Tips for Getting Into NYC's Public High Schools

Even New York City parents who’ve survived pre-K, kindergarten, and middle school admissions are shocked by how much more difficult the high school application process is. That’s because NYC has only a handful of public zoned high-schools, and while several more offer District or Borough Priority, the majority of public high schools  are citywide, meaning anyone can apply, which ups the competition factor considerably.

Then there is the fact that there are many different types of public high schools:

And that’s not even counting charter schools, private independent schools, and parochial schools (plus don’t forget Hunter College High-School, which doesn’t even start in the 9^th grade, but the 7^th).

Families would be forgiven for feeling utterly overwhelmed, especially since so much needs to be done in so little time. For 2017 admission, public school application forms are due on December 1, 2016. The Specialized High-School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is even earlier, on October 22 and 23.

These five tips won’t make the process easy--nothing can do that--but they will make it easier.

Start the NYC High School Admissions Process Early

It may seem like there is nothing to do for high-school admissions until fall of your 8thgrade year, but that’s absolutely not the case. Many schools offer spring tours, and the more schools you visit in the spring, the fewer schools you’ll need to visit in the fall, when you are also preparing for tests, writing essays, and going on interviews. Some schools make attending an open house (and writing your name–legibly) a prerequisite for admission. Registration for the more popular schools’ open houses fills up within hours. Schools frequently post the day they’ll start accepting registration on their websites during the summer, so skip surfing the waves and surf the web, instead.

Think Different

Going into the process, parents and teens have a pretty good idea of what sort of learning environment--traditional or progressive, big or small, teacher or student directed--they think they want. Nevertheless, try to visit at least one school that’s the opposite of what you’ve got your heart set on, too. Some parents who were certain they didn’t want a single-sex school were stunned when they saw the benefits it offered both girls and boys. Kids nervous about a rumored academic pressure-cooker instead found it stimulating and surprisingly supportive.

Don’t let reputation--or gossip--form your opinion of a school. Always go and see for yourself. If nothing else, it will let you cross off your list a school where you otherwise would have wasted time applying, only to learn after the fact that you don’t really want to go there.

Do Your Own Research Into NYC High Schools

In a perfect world, the NYC Department of Education would not release a high school directory with errors or arbitrarily change their own due dates while you are in the middle of the process. In an equally perfect world, your 8th-grade guidance counselor would keep you appraised of every upcoming deadline, check in to see how your child is doing with her application, call high-schools to make sure your materials arrived safely (and talk up your candidate while they’re at it).