The New York City Department of Education confirmed on August 23 that they are developing a new tool to help eighth-grade students applying to high school assess their chances of being accepted by their ideal schools.
For the tens of thousands of eighth-grade students who apply to their ideal public high schools each year, the process not only takes several months but also requires them to consider over 400 schools with more than 700 programs. Additionally, different schools have different admission processes, with some schools primarily considering GPA, others using a random lottery system, and some requiring essays or interviews. Some schools also have diversity admissions, reserving a certain number of spots for low-income, immigrant, or homeless students. These varying admission methods make the entire application process even more complex.
According to the education news website Chalkbeat, the Department of Education has collaborated with two affiliate organizations of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Blueprint Labs, Clemence Idoux and Viola Corradini, to develop this new tool. The goal is to provide students and families with more information to help them decide which schools to apply to. Once developed, the tool will be available on the MySchools website (https://www.myschools.nyc) under the directory. However, Education Department officials did not disclose when the new tool will be launched, stating that they are still seeking feedback from students and parents, and the specific release date is yet to be determined.