• Fall: Focus on earning strong grades. When high school applications open for you next year, your Tier for screened schools will be determined based on your 7th-grade average in the four core classes: Social Studies, Math, Science, and ELA.

Begin exploring school options through DOE events and websites like InsideSchools and NYC SIFT. NYC-SIFT (School Information Finder Tool)

• Winter: Learn about the different types of admissions (lottery, screened, auditions, specialized). Consider SHSAT prep if interested.

• Spring: Use DOE tools (School Snapshot, School Survey, NYC SIFT) to research schools. Arts students should begin portfolio preparation.

• Summer: Families review the DOE admissions guide (published annually) and discuss what type of school environment would be the best fit.

September: Families log in to MySchools with Welcome Letters. Review open house calendars. Begin attending events. MySchools Event Calendar - NYC MySchools

Tuesday, October 7, 2025: High School Application, LaGuardia Application, and Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) Registration Opens

Friday, October 31, 2025: SHSAT Registration Closes

November 12, 2025 - SHSAT will take place at McKinley

Wednesday, December 3, 2025: High School and LaGuardia Applications Close

January–February: Auditions and assessments for arts and screened schools (Bard, Beacon, etc.).

Thursday, March 5, 2026: High School Offer Release. Waitlists open.

These dates are subject to change. Any updates will be announced and communicated directly to families. Sign up for DOE updates here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/high-school

There are three paths to high school admissions, and you can take all three if applicable. You can receive only 1 offer from each path. 

• Required: High School Application. This process is how you apply to most high school programs. During the application period, apply to 12 or more options with your high school application. Some programs have additional requirements, such as an audition or assessment, and some programs make offers based on applicants' academic records.

• Optional: Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). Interested students can also apply to the eight testing Specialized High Schools. These schools use ONLY this test to select applicants. Visit schools.nyc.gov/SHS to learn more about the  SHSAT and download practice tests and other test preparatory materials.

  • The Bronx High School of Science

  • High School of American Studies at Lehman College

  • The Brooklyn Latin School

  • Brooklyn Technical High School

  • Stuyvesant High School

  • High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College of NY

  • Queens High School for the Sciences at York College

  • Staten Island Technical High School

• Optional: LaGuardia High School Application. Interested students can also apply to any/all of LaGuardia's six arts programs by submitting a LaGuardia application and auditioning.

Charter schools have a separate admissions process. Contact charter schools directly to learn how to apply.

Many NYC high schools use a 'screened admissions' method, which admits students based on their final 7th grade core course averages (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies). Applicants are placed into groups, referred to as 'tiers,' and admitted in order starting with Group 1. Within each group, if there are more students than seats available, a random lottery number is used to decide placement.

• Groups are based on final 7th grade averages in the four core subjects (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies).

• Families will not know a child’s admissions group until the HS application opens and they log into MySchools.

• Last year, Group 1 (top 15% citywide) corresponded roughly to a 94% average in core subjects.

• Applicants from charter schools may be placed based on citywide averages if their school reports grades for all students. Non-NYC public/private school applicants are placed only by citywide averages.

• When applications open, families can log into MySchools, click 'Edit profile,' and see their child's admissions group listed there.

Example: If your child earns a 94+ average across ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies in 7th grade, they are likely to be in Group 1, which gives them the best chance at screened programs. If they earn between 85–89, they may be in Group 3, depending on schoolwide and citywide averages. Admissions groups are recalculated each year, so families must wait until the application opens to confirm.

• Lottery/Random Number (RAN): Every student receives a random number which, along with their ranked list, determines placement 

  • Decoding the NYC School Admission Lottery Numbers | by Amelie Marian | Algorithms in the Wild | Medium

• Screened Schools: Students are grouped by final 7th grade averages of four core subjects. Last year Tier one was about a 94% average and higher. 

• Screened+: Some schools also require essays, interviews, or additional assessments (e.g., Bard, Beacon, iSchool).

•  Audition Programs: 25 schools, including LaGuardia, require auditions or portfolios submitted through MySchools.

•  Specialized High Schools: 8 test-based schools (via SHSAT) and LaGuardia (audition-based).

•  Zoned Schools: Students may have guaranteed access to a zoned school but must list it on the application.

• Diversity in Admissions (DIA): Some schools prioritize free/reduced lunch students or borough residents.

• Students with Disabilities (SWD): Apply in the SWD seat group (automatic, based on IEP). Same rubric but fewer applicants per seat.

When a high school applicant starts their application in MySchools they will be able to see their predicted chance of getting an offer in two places: the search page and the application builder. Next to each program, an applicant will see three bars that show the estimated chance of that applicant getting an offer to that program.

The chance each student sees is specific to that student and program!

• A "high” icon showing three orange bars means that a student has a high chance of receiving an offer to this program. A student is expected to have a 99% chance of receiving an offer to a program that shows three bars.

• A “medium” icon showing two orange bars means that the student has a medium chance of receiving an offer to this program. About half of students are expected to receive an offer to a program that shows two bars.

• A "low” icon showing one orange bar means that a student has a low chance of receiving an offer to this program. A student is expected to have a 1% chance of receiving an offer to a program that shows three bars.

Can my child apply to multiple programs at the same school?

Yes. Each program counts as a separate choice. This might be a sample list in order of preference with multiple programs at the same schools: 

• Telecommunications

• Murrow @ Art (Portfolio)

• Murrow @ Open

• Honors Program @ Fort Hamilton

• Dance Program @ Fort Hamilton

• Open (Zone) @ Fort Hamilton

• Midwood

What grades matter most?

• The final 7th grade report card is used for screened programs.

• Only the SHSAT is used for the 8 specialized high schools. 

Can my child get more than one offer?

Yes. You can get ONE offer from your general application list, ONE offer from a specialized high school, and a Laguardia audition offer if applicable. 

I’m in the first priority group for a program. Why do I have a predicted low or medium chance of receiving an offer?

Some high school programs have very high demand, with many more applicants than available seats even in the first priority group. In these cases, the program was not able to accommodate all applicants in the first priority group last year.

Am I guaranteed an offer to a program where I have a predicted high chance of getting an offer?

It is very likely but not guaranteed that you will get an offer. This is why we recommend applying to multiple programs at which you have an expected high chance of getting an offer.