High school admissions can be confusing. We’re here to help. We’ve created a bite-sized guide to navigating the NYC high school admissions process.

Our guide is broken up into four sections:

Overview of the public school admissions process.
Generalized public school admissions calendar.
Overview of the private school admissions process.
Generalized private school admissions calendar.

Public Schools

New York City students can apply to several categories of public schools simultaneously. This means a student can prospectively choose between a Specialized High School, a Screened School, an Audition Based School, and a Charter School*.

*Charters are not technically public, but we feel they fit into this run-down of non-private HS options

Specialized High Schools

These are the specialized high schools:

Stuyvesant
Bx Science
Bk Tech
Bk Latin
HS of Math
Science & Engineering
HS of American Studies @ Lehman College
Queens HS for the Sciences @ York College
Staten Island Tech

How To Apply:

Admission to Specialized HS’s begins with a MySchool profile. Parents register their children for the SHSAT via MySchools

Admission to New York’s Specialized High Schools is based entirely on the student’s SHSAT score

The exam is historically administered in late October or early November.

*Due to COVID-19, the exam was delayed to December or January for the last two admissions cycle

We typically recommend students begin preparing no later than the spring of their 7th grade year.

PORTFOLIO Submission-Based Schools

These high schools require additional materials (eg. essays) in addition to evaluating a student’s grades.

Admission to portfolio submissions-based schools begins with a MySchool profile:

These schools, like the next category, go on your MySchools list of 12 schools, ranked in order of preference

A lot has changed in the last two cycles. There are more schools than ever asking for essays, and videos. Here are a few examples of schools asking for academic submissions:

CONSORTIUM SCHOOLS: Beacon High School, School of the Future, East Side Community HS, Institute of Collaborative Education and University Heights Secondary School are all accepting the same submissions, (student completes 1 submission that will apply to all schools in this category):

Here is where you can find the prompts on the NYCDOE website

BARD HSEC: Bard has historically proctored its own admissions exam. This used to be an in-person process that has shifted online due to the pandemic. Here is where you can learn more and read the prompts. The answers to the writing prompts are to be submitted through MySchools.

NYC iSchool: NYC iSchool

Hunter Science: Manhattan Hunter Science HS

Frank McCourt: Frank McCourt HS

Academic submissions are typically due on date the MySchools app is due, which is usually in early December of a student’s 8th grade year.*

*Due to COVID-19, these deadlines were delayed to March 1st for the last two cycle

Academic Screened Schools

Admission to screened schools begins with a MySchool profile. This is the DOE application where you rank 12 schools in order of the child’s preference. The screened schools that require academic submissions also go on this list.

Historically, screened schools have also considered attendance.
- Due to COVID-19, this criterion was eliminated for the last two cycles
MySchools App is usually due in early December
- Due to COVID-19, these deadlines were delayed for the last two cycles to March 1st

Screened schools (examples: Nest, Midwood, Millennium Manhattan & Bk, Eleanor Roosevelt and The Clinton School) evaluate students who meet the minimum grade and standardized testing requirements from 7th & 8th grade. Last cycle, the HS’s looked at a combination of 6th & 7th grade grades. This cycle is utilizing 7th & first semester 8th grade grades

Audition Based

Audition based arts or performing arts high schools are a great option if your child has a special talent or interest:

Schools such as LaGuardia, Sinatra, Murrow, and Fort Hamilton High School boast strong academics in addition to engaging arts curricula
These schools will require an arts portfolio submission, and/or an audition. Students can apply to more than 1 program at any one school should they choose.
Depending on a students plan, we recommend using the summer between 7th & 8th grade to hone their craft and / or work towards a completed arts portfolio.

Charter Schools

Admission to charter schools is typically conducted by lottery:

These lotteries are known to give preference to students who are located in the same district as the school or who have a sibling who attends.
Each charter school will have its own registration form on its website. The deadline to apply for charter schools cannot be earlier than April 1st.
Brooklyn Prospect Charter, Uncommon Charter HS, Broome St Academy Charter, University Prep Charter, Innovative Charter

Public ADMISSIONS CALENDAR

April - June of 7th Grade Year: Initial NYS test prep and or practice, SHSAT prep, Essay Writing workshops, Portfolio work, Spring / Summer tours:

Students should be preparing for 7th Grade NYS Common Core Tests
- Note: these did not impact admissions these last two cycles but they have in the past
Students should engage in an introduction to their fall tests and essays before the beginning of the summer, so they have idea of their weaknesses and know their score potential
Students interested in applying to Beacon, NYCiSchool, Hunter Manhattan Science, SoF, Frank McCourt might as well get their essays and submissions started ahead of time
Students should be mindful of retaining graded pieces of writing from late 7th grade for possible writing sample submissions (Beacon used to require this, for example, and we have no way to know if this will come back in the future)
If you are able to attend school tours in the spring or summer, they will be far less crowded than the fall

Late August onward: Test Prep for Bard exam, SHSAT

Weekly appointments targeting all components of their tests
Practice test sections and full practice tests beginning 6 weeks before test day
Academic submission tasks and Bard Assessment scheduled - after Labor Day
Sign up for Open Houses online

Early October: Portfolio and Academic Submission Preparation

Academic submissions should be wrapping up
Any admissions essay or assessment practice should be wrapping up

Month of October: Open Houses and School Visits

Most schools space out their Open Houses from Late September to Late October
If required, submit Beacon Artifacts: typically due between mid-October & mid-November

Month of November and early December: Interviews, Applications and Auditions

Students should begin finalizing their high school choices for their MySchools DOE application.
Log into MySchools and update list
Interviews potentially scheduled (Bard, SoF, East Side Community)
LaGuardia, Murrow, Frank Sinatra, PPAS, Talented Unlimited host auditions throughout the month of November into December

Summary: Preferred Test Date Scheduling

Bard Test should be scheduled early October or November
- If your child is also taking the SHSAT, be mindful of spacing these grueling exams out.
SHSAT typically takes place in late October - early November

PRIVATE Schools

Most private schools accept applications through the Ravenna Portal.

Schools typically ask for:
- General student essay, (4 prompt options)
- Student surveys and/or short form supplementary questions
- Writing samples
- Letters of recommendation
- Transcripts from 6th and 7th grade, including standardized test scores from 6th and/or 7th grade (NYS Common Core or CTP-5’s) as well as
- Parent statements
- Student & Parent Interviews
- Students have historically been required to submit Upper Level ISEE or SSAT scores for evaluation in the holistic admissions process.*
Students have historically been required to submit Upper Level ISEE or SSAT scores for evaluation in the holistic admissions process.*
- Some independent schools have adopted test optional policies due to COVID-19
- We recommend that students who will be taking the ISEE or SSAT begin preparing no later than the spring of 7th grade.
Most independent school applications are due in January of 8th grade. Please note, different schools will request different materials at different times. Each school has their own set of rolling due dates.

PRIVATE ADMISSIONS CALENDAR

April - June of 7th Grade Year: Initial Test Prep lessons

Students should be preparing for 7th Grade standardized exams, (CTP-5’s, Terra Nova’s, MAP tests)
Students should engage in an introduction to their fall admissions tests (ISEE or SSAT) before the beginning of the summer, so they have idea of their weaknesses and know their score potential
Begin collecting extracurricular activities if not already
Parents should be researching their list of target schools

Late August through Labor Day

SSAT and/or ISEE registration begins in August
Weekly appointments targeting all components of ISEE/SSAT
Set up Ravenna, the online platform used by most private schools
Begin signing up for Open Houses through Ravenna or school websites (Tuesday after Labor Day is most often the first day of registration)
Practice test sections and full practice tests beginning 6 weeks before test day

Early October: Prepare essays and begin preliminary applications

Begin drafting parent and student essays
Submit preliminary applications to all target schools
Collect writing or work samples to submit by early January

Month of October: Open Houses and School Visits

Most schools space out their Open Houses throughout the month of October and November
Request recommendations from English and Math teachers

Month of November and early December: Interviews, Submit Applications, Testing

Finalize parent and student essays
Upload parent and student essays to Ravenna
Request transcripts from school registrar
ISEE/SSAT Testing