NYC high school applications are due Wednesday: Here’s what to know when applying

New York’s Staten Island. Applications for high schools in New York City are now being accepted.

According to the local Department of Education (DOE) website, kids apply to high school during their eighth-grade year, and current ninth-graders (who are not repeating the grade) can also apply to programs with 10th-grade spaces.

Students have until Wednesday, December 4, to apply to the public high schools of their choosing. On Thursday, March 6, high school offers will be made public.

The city also revealed fresh modifications to high school applicants. A new feature in MySchools that helps candidates better assess their chances of receiving an offer to a program will be available starting this fall.

Additionally, the options for applications are endless. Students in all grade levels will now be able to include an unlimited number of application choices, up from the previous twelve, starting with this upcoming admissions cycle.

Twelve high school options are listed on a full high school application. A family may list other programs as their 13th, 14th, and so on choices on their application if they are interested in them.

Before submitting your application, make sure to read these important suggestions.

The simplest method to apply

You can apply to high school in three different ways: online, in a Family Welcome Center, or through your school counselor.

Using MySchools to apply online is the most straightforward and easy way to get into a high school in New York City.

Applying online through MySchools is possible in English, Spanish, Chinese, Bangla, Russian, Arabic, Urdu, Haitian Creole, Korean, or French.

Online selection has other advantages as well, enabling you to thoroughly consider all of your possibilities. You can see the selection criteria for each high school program and see whether there are any requirements for entrance, such as essays, interviews, or auditions.

You can quickly navigate it to view all of your alternatives, and it’s a one-stop shop for everything high school.

After that, you have until the deadline to turn in your application and any other needs. You’ll know you’ve sent in your application when you see the confetti.

Look for a school that offers the program you want.

When you apply to high school, you are applying to programs rather than just various institutions. You may apply to more than one program at a school if it offers several.

You can therefore apply to both the technical and arts programs at the same institution if you’re interested in both, but they will appear as two distinct program selections on your application.

To find programs that interest you, look through a school’s MySchools page to obtain comprehensive program information.

Investigate schools

By visiting insideschools.org, you may take things a step further and learn more about a high school. Parent, student, and teacher reviews of New York City schools can be found on the website.

In addition to examining a school’s most recent quality evaluation and instructional plans, the website assesses schools using both quantitative and qualitative data, including school statistics from the city DOE. Additionally, it makes an effort to visit schools in person to conduct reviews, which includes talking to parents and kids, interviewing school personnel, and sitting in on classrooms.

Think about your prospects of being accepted into the schools of your choice.

High school programs provide students admission based on several important criteria. According to DOE, some are elements of the programs themselves, while others are something you can manage.

Make sure you’re giving yourself as many chances as possible to get into the school of your choice.

It matters how many program options you include in your application and in what order. Thus, submit applications to courses you are genuinely interested in taking. Your application must include a minimum of 12 options in your actual preferred order. Beginning with this admissions cycle, you can add even more options to your application under the new admissions adjustments.

After that, send in your application.

Verify a program’s level of popularity.

By comparing the number of people who usually apply to the number of seats available, you can also determine how popular a program is.

Additionally, you may belong to a program’s priority group, which could include children from a particular borough or district. For instance, if you reside on Staten Island and a high school prioritizes Staten Island pupils, you will be given preference over candidates from other states.

Priority group 1 applicants will be given priority consideration. Candidates in that program’s priority group 2 will then be taken into consideration, assuming there are still seats available, and so on.

Additionally, you should look into how a program accepts students. Some are chosen at random, while others are assessed based on predetermined standards. To determine your greatest chance of being accepted, make sure you are aware of the admissions procedure used by each program you apply to.

Utilize the new feature while selecting an application.

To assist families in selecting high school applications, a new function has been created.

Based on the applicant’s admissions characteristics, such as district or borough, grades, priority group, and the school’s admissions method, such as whether the admission is open or screened, students will see an icon for each program that indicates whether they have a high, medium, or low chance of receiving an offer.

Students who might not have otherwise applied to a program will have more options thanks to it, and more students will submit well-rounded applications that mention schools with different levels of selectivity.

Some programs include other requirements, like an audition or an exam, that affect how offers are made, so it’s impossible to predict a student’s odds of getting one. Families will see a different icon and a description of why their chances are not displayed for that program in certain situations.

According to DOE, the new tool should not be viewed as a predetermined outcome, but rather as a resource and help for families as they navigate the admissions process.

Key Staten Island Education Stories

• Top colleges, public high schools in New York state and NYC, according to data released this year

• Top public high schools ranking: Here s what the data shows for New York state, NYC and Staten Island

• New York state test scores: See which Staten Island middle schools performed strongest in reading

• New York state test scores: See which Staten Island middle schools performed strongest in math

• New York state test scores 2024: These 20 Staten Island elementary schools performed strongest in math

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!