It's that time of year again, one that New York City parents and students go into with great hope — and apprehension — about the future.
The admissions process for public high schools in the five boroughs begins again Tuesday for current eighth graders and first-time ninth graders, the city's Department of Education said. That's when the high school application and registration for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) begin.
Students have two weeks to register for the test, and just under two months to send in applications for high schools. For more information from NYC Public Schools about high school admissions, click here.
A week after high school applications start, applications for middle schools begin as well. Fifth graders are eligible to apply, and admissions will handled similarly to 2023, the DOE said. Just like high school applications, student have just under two months to apply to middle schools.
For more information from NYC Public Schools about middle school admissions, click here.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The applications aren't just for older students: The applications for kindergarten open on Dec. 5 for children born in 2019. A month later, the applications for 3-K and Pre-K open on Jan. 10.
For more information on kindergarten admissions, click here. Information on Pre-K admissions is here, and info 3-K admissions is here.
Here's a breakdown of the dates to remember when it comes to school applications opening, closing and offer releases:
- Oct. 3: High school applications and registration for SHSAT open
- Oct. 11: Middle school applications open
- Oct. 17: SHSAT registration closes
- Nov. 10: Deadline to register to test for Mark Twain I.S. 239 (21K239) and District 21 Talent Tests
- Dec. 1: High school application closes
- Dec. 5: Kindergarten application opens
- Dec. 8: Middle school application closes
- Jan. 10, 2024: 3-K and Pre-K applications open
- Jan. 19, 2024: Kindergarten application closes
- March 7, 2024: High school offer release
- March 27, 2024: Kindergarten offer release
- April 3, 2024: Middle school offer release
In 2022, Chancellor David Banks announced that the controversial SHSAT admissions test are here to stay, and that applications opened much earlier than in the past. Here are the details families need to know:
- At more than 100 "screened high schools, students in Tier One (with a grade average of 90 or above) will be the first ones admitted by lottery
- At select middle schools, the criteria will be similar, although each superintendent will decide
While Banks called it a "threshold of excellence," critics were vocal in their displeasure. Some worried it would further inequality, as one parent suggested that not all students receive the same help at home.
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander said that sorting kids by academic grades "will reinforce segregation in our schools." But Banks insisted his decision to embrace grades won't make racial divisions worse.
"I do not accept the notion that Black and Latino families don’t score above 90," he said.
Students will be allowed to take the selective high school exam at their own schools on a weekday. In the past, they’d have to travel sometimes out of borough on a Saturday — which many saw as yet another barrier.
