The NYC high school application process designed under Mayor Bloomberg was intended to level the academic field, offering equal opportunities to all students regardless of economics, language, or academic achievement. But as many of my followers may know, this process is anything but equitable and is often a nightmare even for the most savvy parents. Mayor de Blasio just last week called the system “too complicated,” but offered no suggestion for ways to help ease students through the process.
It takes the most experienced parents along with teachers and guidance counselors to help guide students through this complicated quagmire. For those who don’t yet know, here’s how it works.
At the end of 7th grade students are sent home with The NYC Department of Education’s High School Directory—a 600 page book listing over 400 schools with over 700 programs. They are instructed to use the summer to read through the tomb and be prepared to select their top 12 choices, in priority order, by December 1 of their 8th grade year.
That’s a lot! These students are 12 maybe 13 years old. To know surprise, I’ve since learned many books never even make it home.
So what can we do as educators and parents to help our students through this important process. Here are my top ten tips.
- Start early: Using the The Essential Guide to NYC High School Admissions workbook. With adult support, students should ease into
the process in the beginning of 7th grade by simply identifying their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. Starting early gives them time to think, to explore and to ask others for their help. - Find the best SHSAT (Student High School Admissions Test for the 8 of the 9 Specialized High Schools) & TACHS (Test for Admissions to Catholic High Schools) test prep classes for your student. Everybody is eligible to take these tests! Prep courses are offered throughout all 5 boroughs of the city. Do your homework on this. When? EARLY! Your student can begin classes a year in advance. Yes, a year in advance to be able to compete for the best schools in the city to meet their needs and goals. The test is a administered to 8th graders in early fall, so plan ahead. Students just have to tell their guidance counselors they want to to register for the tests to be enrolled. Take advantage of Education Chancellor Farina’s newest initiative to use outreach teams to increase the number of SHSAT test takers from the under represented population.
- Introduce 7th graders to the NYC High School Directory. When? EARLY! Show them how the book is organized and the identical layout of each school page so they learn how to weed through the directory to find the best schools for themselves.
- Explore Charter, Private and Catholic School options. Remember your application to 12 public high schools does not prohibit you from applying to charter, private and Catholic schools also! Take advantage of all your options.
- Get organized: By the end of 7th grade students should have a workspace setup where they can do their research, save materials and prepare their applications. This can be as simple as a shoebox filled with necessary supplies kept in a safe corner of your home. But it’s important that they have clearly defined space that’s theirs where they know they can find their materials when they sit down to work. Remember my mantra: Organization is the key success. And I promise you it is!
- Create a portfolio of your work. Many schools ask for samples of your academic and artistic accomplishments. Begin early saving them in a safe place.
- Attend the DOE High School Family Workshop in your borough in July to learn the latest information. These are helpful informative sessions and shouldn’t be missed.
- Attend School Fairs in September and be sure to sign in when you visit a school table. Just showing your interest in the school in this manner can give you a leg up on admissions.
- Attend City Wide High School Fairs, Borough Fairs, and School Open Houses.
- Make appointments for school visits. When? EARLY! By early, here, I mean the day, the hour their website is open to registering. There are limited spots and they fill up very quickly!
the process in the beginning of 7th grade by simply identifying their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals. Starting early gives them time to think, to explore and to ask others for their help.
prepare their applications. This can be as simple as a shoebox filled with necessary supplies kept in a safe corner of your home. But it’s important that they have clearly defined space that’s theirs where they know they can find their materials when they sit down to work. Remember my mantra: Organization is the key success. And I promise you it is!One extra piece of advice:
Get your copy of the New 2017-18 Edition of The Essential Guide to NYC High School Admissions 
- It is a valuable tool designed to help guide students through this process.
- It begins with simple lessons for students to identify their strengths, weaknesses and goals.
- It guides students all the way through to the completion of public, private and Catholic school applications.
- It prepares students for interviews and auditions.
- It has a sample essay format to follow if needed.
- And it even offers a sample thank you note to write as a followup to school visits, interviews or auditions.
- It includes information about preparing for the SHSAT & TACHS exams.
- It offers important details about applying to Catholic, private and charter schools.
- It lists a host handy resources to help students and families through the complex process.
- It is available through amazon.com at $9.95 and for a limited time at a 40% discount directly from the printer. Just send me an email, and I will be happy to send you ordering instructions and the discount code.
