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What choices do we have when applying for high school?
- There are many different types of schools and programs: new small schools that offer lots of personal attention; large comprehensive schools with many varied course offerings; all-boys and all-girls schools; Career and Technical Education schools; schools that are designed to serve students who are new to the country; and a variety of other programs with unique focuses.
- Admissions criteria for each type of school, as well as for each individual school, vary and are published in the Directory of NYC Public High Schools. No matter the type of school, all students must apply through an admissions form available through their middle school guidance counselor.
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What if we are new to New York City or new to the public schools system?
- All new students grades 9-12 must register at an enrollment office, where a counselor will help with the school placement process. Take the student’s birth certificate or passport, proof of residence, immunization records, latest report card, and an Individualized Education Plan or 504 Accommodation Plan, if applicable. The NYC Department of Education has more information on required documents.
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What are the different types of high school admissions methods?
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Admissions methods determine the specific ways in which high school applicants are admitted into high school. There are eight types of admissions methods, explained in more detail below.
- Audition
Students who apply to audition programs are ranked and selected based on an audition performance in a specific performing arts and/or visual arts area. Audition requirements, dates, and times are included on the school pages. Some audition programs may also consider students’ academic performance and attendance from the previous school year.
- Educational Option
Educational Option programs are meant to serve a wide range of academic performers. Based on English Language Arts (ELA) standardized test scores from the prior school year, students will be matched to Ed. Opt. programs based on the following distribution: 16 percent from the high reading level; 68 percent from the middle reading level; and 16 percent from the low reading level. Half of the students matched to Ed. Opt. programs will be selected based on their rankings from the school; the other half will be selected randomly. Note: If you score in the top 2 percent of all students in the city on your last ELA reading exam, and you list an Ed. Opt. program as your first choice on your application, you are guaranteed a match to that program.
- Limited Unscreened
Limited Unscreened programs give priority to students who demonstrate interest in the school by attending a school’s information session, open house event or by visiting the school’s table at any one of the High School Fairs. You must sign in at these events to receive priority to the Limited Unscreened programs.
- Screened
Students who apply to screened programs are ranked and selected based academic performance criteria including the following: final report card grades from the prior school year, reading and math standardized test scores, attendance and punctuality. There may be additional items that schools require to screen applicants such as an interview, on-site assessment or essay.
- Screened: Language
Screened: Language programs provide services for students with a minimum level of English language proficiency. Admission to these programs is based on a student’s proficiency in English and in some cases on home language.
- Test
Test programs require applicants to take a specific assessment. The most common one is the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) which is required for admission to any of the Specialized High Schools.
In the fall, register with your middle school guidance counselor or District’s Borough Enrollment Office to receive a SHSAT ticket for the test. On the exam you will indicate which schools you are applying to by ranking them in order of preference. Other test schools will share their procedures on the phone, during a tour or online.
- Unscreened
Students who apply to unscreened programs are randomly selected.
- Zoned
Zoned programs admit students who live in a geographically designated area. To determine if you are zoned to a high school, you can enter your address in the DOE School Search tool or call 311. There are two types of zoned programs:
— Zoned Priority: Programs that give priority to students who apply and live in the zoned area of the high school. Admission to zoned priority programs is subject to seat availability; even if you are zoned to this school, you may not be matched there if there are more applicants than available seats.
— Zoned Guarantee: Programs that guarantee admission to students who apply and live in the zoned area of the high school. Admission to zoned guarantee programs is granted if the applicant does not match to any of the programs ranked higher on his or her application.
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Some schools give priority to certain students. What do we need to know about admissions priorities?
- Admissions Priorities determine the order in which applicants are considered for placement. Students who fall in the first priority group will be considered for placement first; students in the second priority group will be considered next; and so on, until all available seats have been filled. Students who fall into higher priority groups have a better chance of getting into a particular program than students who fall into lower priority groups.
In some cases, all available seats will be filled before the school considers applicants in lower priority groups; whether students from a lower priority group receive an offer may change from year to year depending on the number of applicants.
Schools with multiple programs may have different Admissions Priorities for those programs, so be sure to carefully review the “Admissions Priorities and Programs” section on the school pages.
Below you’ll find a list of the types of Admissions Priorities. These categories are meant to help you understand the different types of priorities; some programs may list a combination of these.
- • Continuing Eighth Graders Priority Priority to continuing eighth graders who apply to their current school for ninth grade. Continuing students have a guaranteed match to their school regardless of the Admissions Method(s) and seat availability in their school.
- • Feeder School Priority: Priority to applicants who attend designated middle schools.
- • Geographic Priority: Priority to applicants who live in a specific district, borough, or geographic area.
- • Limited Unscreened Priority: Priority to students who attend a school’s information session(s) or open house event(s), or visit the school’s table at any one of the High School Fairs.
- • Screened for Language Priority: Priority to applicants based on English Language Learner status and home language.
- • Single Gender Priority: Single gender schools are open to only male or only female students.
- • Zoned Priority: Priority — or in some cases, a guaranteed match — to applicants who live in the zoned area.
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What are the specialized high schools?
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What forms do we need to fill out?
- School guidance counselors will hand out application forms for Round 1 in October. Rank your schools and return the form to the guidance counselor by the specified date, generally the first week in December.
- It is important to remember that in completing the application, many schools contain multiple programs, sometimes with different admissions methods, enrollments and program features. When you apply, you may need to list the program code, not the school code. Also you may be applying to more than one program at a school.
- Students will learn Round 1 admissions, SHSAT and auditions results in March. The majority of students will receive a match.
- Forms for Round 2 admissions
Students who do not receive a Round 1 match or are unhappy with the results are eligible to participate in Round 2. Those students should submit another application ranking up to 12 schools with available seats by the specified deadline.
- New to NYC and unable to participate in Round 1
Students new to NYC who were unable to participate in Round 1 will automatically move on to Round 2, and should visit an enrollment office to learn more. By the end of Round 2, all students should have a match.
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Can we visit the schools before applying?
- Yes! Make time to visit schools of interest, attend high school fairs and attend workshops that explain the admissions process.
- Many schools hold specific events, open houses or tours, so it’s a good idea to get in touch with schools directly. Once you are there, talk to the principal, teachers, and current students. Ask questions, get a feel for the school community, and test the commute.
- Another great place to start is the WNYC Schoolbook tool, allowing comparison by type of school and borough, among other criteria.
- The Department of Education releases a high school directory. The NYC School Search allows students to search schools by borough, size, type, interest area, and admissions method. Many schools have websites of their own.
- The city also holds high school fairs each fall. Students who attend can meet with school leaders, and sign up for limited unscreened programs.
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What’s the best way to rank the schools?
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You can list up to 12 programs on your application. Last year, students who chose between seven and nine programs across multiple schools on their application, matched to one of their choices about 90 percent of the time. You should rank programs in your true order of preference. It can’t hurt to list twelve, but rank only schools you are actually willing to attend.
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Schools do not see your rankings and you should not tell schools how you ranked them.
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Before submitting the application, be sure to double-check that you filled in the correct program codes for each school. Once the application is submitted it cannot be changed!
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What if we want a strong sports program or a special focus on the arts? Where is that information?
- Check WNYC’s Schoolbook to look for specific programs and see how schools stack up.
- The high school directory pages show what programs are offered at the school, as well as sports and extracurricular activities. For those students who are very serious about the arts, they should seek out audition programs. Guidance on preparing for auditions is here.
- For those students serious about athletics, PSAL usually is the most competitive level of sports at a school; teams usually compromise students from many different schools in a building.
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What if we do not get into the school we wanted? Can we appeal?
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Yes, those unsatisfied with school matches can appeal. It is important to first contact the student’s middle school guidance counselor who can be a key ally in the process. After students’ applications are submitted, they will receive a Round 1 offer letter about three months later. Most students will receive a match at that point. Those unhappy with their choice, do not receive a choice, or did not apply in Round 1 can participate in Round 2 when students can select from schools with open seats. After Round 2, every student receives a match. In exceptional circumstances, a child may work with his/her guidance counselor after Round 2 on an appeal.
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Appeal decisions are determined based on a number of factors, including reasons for appeal, admissions methods and priorities of the schools the student selected, and seat availability.
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Similar to transfer requests, the strongest appeals are usually based on travel, safety or medical hardships.
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If the appeal fails, students can go through the admissions process again as a ninth grader to try and get a more desirable placement.
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How can we transfer to a different high school?
- High school students with commutes 75 minutes or longer or at schools inaccessible by public transportation can request a transfer.
- Students with a documented safety or medical reason for transfer can also submit a request. Visit the NYC Department of Education site to learn more.
- Students at a low-performing school may request to transfer to a higher-performing school. The city defines a “low-performing” school as one classified as Phase Out, Priority or Focus. Eligible students will receive a Transfer Application packet in the spring listing transfer options.
- Performance-based transfers are based on seat availability and are not guaranteed.
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What are the requirements to graduate high school in NYC?
- New York State graduation requirements differ depending upon what year a student enters ninth grade, but in all cases a certain number of credits, distributed among mandated subject areas, and passing scores on the state’s Regents exams must be achieved.
- Students must score a 65 or above on these five Regents exams to graduate: Integrated Algebra (Math A), Global History and Geography, U.S. History and Government, Comprehensive English and any one science Regents. Students who earn a sufficient number of Regents credits and who complete the state’s requirements are eligible for a Regents Diploma, bestowed by the State Board of Regents. Advanced Regents Diplomas are awarded to students who pass additional math and science exams and/or have taken additional credits in foreign language or other subject areas. The New York State Education Department has more information on Regents exams.
- Students with disabilities are generally held to the same criteria, although they can earn what are called “local diplomas” by scoring a 55 instead of a 65 on their Regents exams.
- Students with more severe learning disabilities are eligible for an Individualized Education Program or I.E.P. diploma in either of the following cases: 1) the student is at the end of the year in which he/she reaches age 21 and has achieved the learning standards outlined in that student’s I.E.P., or 2) the student has completed 12 years of education, excluding kindergarten, and has achieved the educational standards established in his or her I.E.P.
The High School Years
New York City has more than 400 public high schools and even more programs students can attend. Schoolbook's Guide: The High School Years helps answer questions for the entire high school process, from finding the right school to making it to graduation day.