Month

What’s happening in the high school selection process

September

• Counselors distribute high school application forms, directory, and materials.
• District holds High School Expo – this year it is September 25-27.
• Non-public students can obtain materials at the Expo or from the Office of Student Placement.

September - October

• Families research schools.
• 8th grade counselors may hold meetings with parents and students to help them choose schools and fill out the application form.

September - March

• Some high schools allow prospective applicants to visit and shadow students. Families should contact schools directly to learn about visiting opportunities.

by October 30

• Students return application form to counselors, having selected up to 5 schools. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian.
• The 8th grade counselor enters information from application form into a networked computer system (additional paperwork is prepared for special ed and ELL students).

November

• Selective high schools begin to evaluate applications.
• Selective schools begin to conduct interviews and auditions.

November - January

• At some schools, auditions/interviews are by invitation only. Only students who are invited will receive a notification letter. No rejection letters are sent out.
• At some schools, auditions/interviews are open to all who apply. Some schools in this category send these letters to the counselor rather than the student’s home.
• Some schools schedule interviews/auditions while others expect students to call to schedule their own. If a student cannot attend his/her scheduled interview or audition, s/he should call to reschedule.

January - March

• Special admission schools decide which students to approve, disapprove, or put on a wait-list.
• Citywide schools choose the students who will be entered into the admissions lottery for their school.
• The District Office of Student Placement runs three lotteries (general education, special education, ELL) to determine which students will be accepted to each citywide school and to each neighborhood school with outside applicants.

March

• First round of notification letters is sent to students who were accepted to more than one school. Letters state where students have been approved, wait-listed, or disapproved.

March - April

• Students who receive multiple acceptances are expected to choose from among their options within two weeks and submit a form with their choice to the 8th grade counselor.

April -
September

• After “multiple acceptance” students make decisions, new spaces open up and students who were originally wait-listed or disapproved are reconsidered for admission. Second- and third-round lotteries are conducted.
• Parents, counselors, and principals advocate on behalf of students who were wait-listed or disapproved by calling high schools and/or sending recommendation letters.
• Additional letters are sent to remaining applicants, informing them of subsequent admissions decisions. In this round of letters, students are admitted to only one school.