High school admissions can be confusing. We’re here to help! We’ve created a robust guide to navigating the NYC high school admissions process. Need help? Check out our HS Admissions services
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 general round HS, LaGuardia*, 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
*LaGuardia - does not require the SHSAT but rather, an audition or arts portfolio must be submitted
SHSAT prep time-line: We typically recommend students begin preparing no later than the spring of their 7th grade year.
How To Apply:
Parents register their children for the SHSAT via MySchools
Here’s where you can look for updates on testing dates, locations and when enrollment will take place
Admission to New York’s Specialized High Schools is based entirely on the student’s SHSAT score
You will rank the SHSAT HS’s in order of your child’s preference in the MySchools portal before they sit for the exam
This list is separate from the general HS app (list of 12)
Submissions-Based Schools
These high schools require additional materials (eg. essays, letters, interviews, or personal statement videos) in addition to evaluating a student’s grades.
These schools, like the next category, go on your MySchools list of 12 schools, ranked in order of preference
A few HS’s listed below have their own entrance exam - some only proctored (in-person) offered after the HS app is due
Academic submissions are typically due on the date the MySchools app is due, which is 12/1/23 for this cycle
A lot has changed in the last few years. 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, Townsend Harris & the Baccalaureate HS for Global Ed:
Bard: STEM prompt, Humanities prompt, (passage based), & personal statement video (2mins)
Townsend Harris: Humanities prompt and a 2 minute personal statement video
Baccalaureate HS for Global Ed: Submit 3 minute video, which may qualify you for an invite for an interview and writing assessment
Here is where you can learn more and read the prompts
NYC iSchool: essay submitted directly to the school
Nest+m: Requirements and details: - essay submitted directly to the school
Manhattan Hunter Science HS: essay submitted directly to the school
Frank McCourt HS: Conducting in-person essays and interviews
Brooklyn College Academy: requires the completion of an entrance exam
Medgar Evers College Prep Academy: requires the completion of an entrance exam
Science, Technology and Research ECHS: (STAR HS): requires the completion of an entrance exam
Academic submissions are typically due on or around the general application deadline, (12/1/23 this cycle).
ACADEMIC SCREENED SCHOOLS
Screened schools (Midwood, Millennium Manhattan & Bk, Eleanor Roosevelt and The Clinton School) evaluate students who meet the minimum grade and/or standardized testing requirements.
Final 7th grade grades sort students into academic tiers
ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies are included
This cycle, Tier 1 = 94+, Tier 2=89.66+, and so on
Attendance and NYS exam scores as criteria have been eliminated
ed-opt & lottery schools
E.R. Murrow, Maker HS, Essex St Academy, The Harbor School, Pace HS, Landmark HS, Richard R Greene HS, Telecommunication Arts HS, Robert F Wagner HS all fall into these categories
Ed-Opt schools admit an inclusive range of students across the NYC academic averages. 1/3 of students from the upper bounds, 1/3 of students from the middle bounds, and 1/3 of students from the lower bounds of the citywide academic averages from 7th grade
These schools are designed to help all students reach their maximum academic potential by the end of high school
Lottery based school admissions process is self explanatory :)
AUDITION & PORTFOLIO 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*, Bayside HS, Frank Sinatra, Professional Performing Arts HS, Edward R. Murrow, Fort Hamilton High School, Gramercy HS for the Arts, Fordham HS for the Arts, Art & Design HS, & the Fashion Industries HS 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 student's plan, we recommend using the summer between 7th & 8th grade to hone their craft and / or work towards a completed arts portfolio
*Laguardia does not go on the ranked choice general app. It is a separate avenue of admissions
Yes, it’s possible for a child to get seat offers from: LaGuardia based on an audition, a specialized HS, as well as a main round HS and have the opportunity to chose one
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
Brooklyn Prospect Charter, Uncommon Charter HS, Broome St Academy Charter, University Prep Charter, Innovative Charter New Visions Charter Network, Kipp Charter Network
PUBLIC ADMISSIONS CALENDAR
March - June of 7th Grade Year: Initial NYS test prep and or practice, SHSAT prep, Essay Writing workshops, Portfolio work, Spring / Summer tours:
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 submission based schools might as well star brainstorming for their essay submissions ahead of time
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 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 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
Month of November and early December: Interviews, Applications and Auditions
Students should begin finalizing their high school choices and rankings for their MySchools DOE application.
Schedule in-person interviews, auditions or portfolio reviews if required
SHSAT exam
Danielle giving a High School Admissions presentation, October 2023! Please reach out if you’d like to partner with us on our admissions presentations and services.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Visual Arts Common Audition Resources (LaGuardia, A+D HS, Frank Sinatra, Murrow),
DOE Academic Submissions details page (Bard, Townsend, Nest, Baccalaureate Sch for Global Ed, Consortium HS’s, etc…)
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Most private schools accept applications through the Ravenna Portal.
Schools typically ask for:
General student essay, (multiple prompt options)
Student surveys and/or short form supplementary questions
Writing samples
Letters of recommendation (ELA & Math teachers)
Transcripts from 6th and 7th grade, including standardized test scores from 6th and/or 7th grade (NYS Common Core or CTP-5’s)
Student & Parent Interviews
Parent statements
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 in recent years.
We recommend that students who will be taking the ISEE or SSAT begin preparing no later than the spring of 7th grade.
Please note, each school has their own set of rolling due dates for the submissions listed above.
Most independent school applications are due in January of 8th grade.
PRIVATE ADMISSIONS CALENDAR
March - 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
