New York City public school students have recently received high school enrollment reminders from the admissions office, outlining the various admission methods for different types of courses and the application requirements for specialized high schools.
The public high schools in New York City use various admission methods, some based on academic performance, some through random selection, and others requiring auditions or additional assessments. The Department of Education reminds parents to understand the admission criteria for each course before making choices. For specialized high schools, separate applications are required, and students cannot solely fill out the general high school application form.
“Education Option” (Ed. Opt.) Program: Accepts students of different academic levels, divided into high, medium, and low categories based on grades; applicants without academic records are classified under the medium category.
“Open” Program: Admission is arranged based on the priority group applicable to students and random numbers.
“Screened” Program: Students are grouped based on academic performance, and admission is arranged according to group and random order.
“Zoned” Program: Priority is mainly given based on home addresses, but students still need to list the courses on the application form for consideration.
“Language Criteria” Program: Admission is based on whether students meet English learner requirements and the primary non-English language used at home.
“Screened with Assessment” Program: Students must complete the designated assessment of the course, and admission considers both grades and assessment results. Some materials are submitted through MySchools, while others must be submitted directly to the school. Parents should carefully review course requirements.
New York City has nine specialized high schools, with eight admitting students through the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). The registration deadline for the exam is before October 30th. The test dates are in November and December, and when registering, students must list their preferred order of the eight specialized high schools.
LaGuardia High School admits students through auditions. Students must submit a separate application to the school, listing the courses they wish to apply for; all six courses at the school are open for application. Audition materials must be submitted by December 4th.
Other high school programs that require audition-based admissions also demand students to submit audition materials by December 4th.
For inquiries, contact the school guidance counselor or email HSEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov. Information about specialized high schools can be found at: https://shorturl.at/LB2mA.