High School Admissions

Join Jessica McInnis on Wednesday, October 25 at 9:15am for an Informational Meeting about the High School Admissions Process. (Zoom information will be sent to 8th grade families) We will discuss MySchools, screened admissions criteria, building a balanced HS application, submitting auditions and materials, and more.

MySchools Account

www.myschools.nyc/en/

MySchools is your HS application portal. If you do not have a MySchools account, please email Jessica McInnis. If your child is new to our school this year, welcome! Please provide us with their final 7th grade report card so we can enter their grades into the system and get you set up with MySchools.

You need a MySchools account to register for the SHSAT, apply to high schools, submit additional application materials, see your child's group number, view your child's high school results, as well as a number of other functions. 

The MySchools website also includes a calendar (myschools.nyc/en/calendar/) with dates for various admissions events, such as open houses, timelines, and information sessions provided by the enrollment team. 

Please make sure your contact information is correct in the Guardians section of NYCSA so that your mailing and email addresses will feed smoothly into MySchools.

Application Information

SHSAT Registration & LaGuardia Auditions

On October 3, your HS application will be available in MySchools. In your account, you will be able to register your child to take the SHSAT, sign up for LaGuardia auditions and begin saving a list of schools of interest. SHSAT and Specialized School preferences are due by October 27. More information about Specialized High Schools is here.

Screened Admissions Groups

Students fall into a screened admissions group based on the average of their final seventh-grade core course grades (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies). This average must fall into the top percentage of students citywide or at a student’s school in order to fall within a certain admissions group.

Open House Information

Please stay on top of open house events. Many of them require registration and they tend to sell out quickly. This information can be ascertained on school websites, the MySchools calendar, and the live Open House document that I update (not an inclusive school list).

Private/Parochial School  

An overview of the application process for non-DOE schools is on our website under the 'For 8th Graders' tab here (updates will post there this week). Students applying to private and/or parochial schools will need letters of recommendation as well as transcripts. Our deadline for requesting this information is December 1.

Join us for one of our upcoming virtual information sessions about high school admissions in New York City! All NYC families with eighth graders (as well as interested families of first-time ninth graders) are encouraged to attend.

During these sessions, you will learn how to explore high schools and build a balanced application, how to register for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), how to audition for arts programs, including LaGuardia High School, and how offers are made. After each presentation, we will respond to your questions. The High School Application and SHSAT registration will open on Tuesday, Oct. 3. 

SCHEDULED DATES:

• Wednesday, October 4 (6-7pm) - The Testing Specialized High Schools: How to register for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and how offers to these schools are made. Interpretation availablein Chinese (Cantonese), Haitian Creole, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL). 
• Wednesday, October 11 (6-7pm) - High School Admissions General Event: An overview of the admissions process, from how to access your MySchools account to the best strategies for completing your application. Interpretation available in Bangla, Spanish, Urdu, and ASL.
• Friday, October 13 (3-4pm) - High School Admissions General Event: Interpretation available in Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian Creole, Russian, and ASL.
• Thursday, October 19 (6-7pm) - High School Admissions General Event, in Spanish
• Tuesday, October 24 (6-7pm) -High School Admissions General Event, in Chinese (Mandarin)
• Thursday, October 26 (6-7pm) - High School Admissions General Event: Interpretation available in Arabic, French, Korean, and ASL.

HOW TO JOIN ANY EVENT:

• Join us on Zoom by clicking https://bit.ly/2023FallHSEvents at the start of each event.
• Webinar Id: 971 5924 2580, Passcode 123456 or
• Call in at US: + 1 646 558 8656
• Conference line: 97159242580#
• Passcode: 123456#