Families in New York City can use MySchools info to apply to public schools for kids from 3rd grade to 12th grade. Make an account to get started. Then, look at the personalized school choices for your kids and get help with the whole admissions process.
There are more than 1800 public schools in the New York City Department of schooling, and your child will apply to public schools several times during their schooling. So, how do you apply for NYC MySchools, and when do you have to apply for each grade? Read on for an overview of what you need to know about NYC MySchools apps for pre-K, kindergarten, middle school, high school, and specialized high schools.
Making a New York MySchools Account in New York City
NYC MySchools is the best place to start because it has the most up-to-date information about all 1,800 schools in 32 school systems in New York City. You can use the same account for all of your child’s NYC public myschool data applications through high school as long as you make an account and log in.
You can send your child’s NYC MySchools application online, over the phone, or in person at a Family Welcome Center.
How do kids in New York City get placed in public schools?
The placement of students is based on:
Priorities for getting into the schools
These include siblings of current students, students who live in the school’s zone, students in temporary housing, English language learners, and students who apply for free or reduced lunch.
The amount of space in a program or school
What the applicant wants. You can list up to 12 programs in order of choice, no matter what grade or school you are applying to.
The number that was given to the application. Most schools give applicants numbers by drawing numbers out of a hat, but some give numbers based on the student’s grades or other factors.
How to Choose a New York City School
NYC MySchools has information about all 32 school districts, broken down by area, how accessible they are for kids with disabilities, and how to get in. School Quality Snapshots give background information and performance measures for each public school in NYC MySchools. School counselors and Family Welcome Centers can also give you useful information. Also, viewing schools, going to information sessions, and talking to current parents and students can help you make a good choice. You can also use schoolsearch.schools.nyc to look at the schools near you.
How to Apply for Pre-K and Kindergarten in New York City
If you live in New York City and want to send your kids to pre-K or kindergarten, there are a few things you should know. The year a child turns 4, they can apply for pre-K, and the year they turn 5, they can apply for kindergarten.
Some schools also have a diversity program where kids who get free or reduced lunch, are in temporary housing (STH), or are Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLLs) are given priority.
Different Pre-K programs
There are some half-day choices, and some places, like Head Start, provide care for low-income families all year long for up to 10 hours a day. However, most DOE-funded programs run from September to June, five days a week, for the full day.
There are three different kinds of pre-K programs:
NYC MySchools Early Education Centers (NYCEECs) are groups in the community that work with the DOE to offer pre-K programs.
District schools are public elementary schools with Pre-K programs. They are the best choice if your child already goes to preschool at the school, if an older sibling goes to the school, or if you want your child to have a more academic education in an elementary myschool data setting.
Pre-K centers are run by the DOE and are great for kids who already go to preschool or if you want your child to be in a program with only other young kids.
Programs for Kindergarten
There are two kinds of kindergarten schools: zoned schools, where kids who live in the zone get first choice, and non-zoned schools, where anyone in the district or town can go.
Kids can sign up for the Gifted and Talented program as early as kindergarten. The test is given in the spring, and those who do well enough on it can apply to G&T schools. If they are accepted, their families will find out in June. This is different from how most people apply to school.
How to Get into a Middle School in NYC

You finally found out elementary myschool data, but middle school in NYC is a different story. MySchools info changes everything. For example, your elementary school district might be different from your middle school district, and if you live in the Bronx, your child can apply to all Bronx middle schools. Your child can also try to get into a charter school or one of several other options for middle school.
How to Choose a Middle School in New York MySchools
The first step is to find out where your child will go to middle school. This may be different from where she went to elementary school. If this is the case, your child can apply to both areas’ middle schools. Your child may also have a sure or higher chance of getting into the schools in her zone.
Then, you can look through the MySchools nyc middle school list to find schools for your child. You can look for schools by name if you know what’s in your area, or you can look at what each school has to offer. For instance, if your child is really good at science, you can sort schools by which ones have science clubs. You can also narrow down your choices based on what your family needs, like being close to bus or subway lines, having classes that are easy to get to, and more. Remember that some schools have specific rules about how to apply or how to get in.
Trying to get into a NYC middle school
You can apply to up to 12 middle schools, but you have to put them in order of how much you want to go there. The DOE suggests adding your child’s zoned programs to the list, but they don’t have to be his or her first choice. Talking to your child’s present guidance counselor about how your child will rank his prospects is also a good idea. You can get the application in more than one language, and if you call the DOE and ask for a translation, they will send one to you.
How to Get into a NYC High School or a Specialized High School
How could that be? Your kid is ready for high school! You may have already been accepted to a few schools, but now it’s time for the biggest and most difficult one. In New York City, there are more than 700 high school classes at more than 400 schools. Any eighth-grader or first-year ninth-grader can apply to any of them.
If you’ve already gone to public school in the city, you probably have a MySchools nyc account, which is a great place to start looking at high schools. The searchable database has the most recent information about the many programs in the city. The new set of videos from the DOE will also show you how to apply to high schools in New York City.
The first step is to decide if you want to go to a public school, a specialized high school, or a charter school. If you want to go to a charter school, the DOE won’t be involved in the process. You can put your 12 picks in order of preference and send in your application online or through a school counselor.
How Different High Schools in New York City Accept Students

There are many different ways to get into a school:
Educational Option: Schools look at the English Language Arts (ELA) state test results from seventh grade to figure out who did best, who did best in the middle, and who did worst. Half of the students who get into an Ed. Opt. myschool datal will be matched based on their rank at that school, and the other half will be chosen at random.
Screened Programs rank candidates based on the last grade they got in seventh grade and their scores on standardized reading and math tests. Schools may also need other things, like an interview, an essay, or more diagnostic test results, to decide who to let in.
Unscreened programs choose people at random from the pool of people who have applied. Zoned programs give students who live in the high school’s zoned area more attention.
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art, and Performing Arts is a specialized high school where students have to try out for up to six classes, including dance, drama, fine and visual arts, instrumental music, technical theater, and vocal music.
In order to get into the other eight specialized schools, kids must take the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. (You can sign up for the SHSAT at MySchools or by talking to a school assistant.)
The End
Your NYC Schools Account gives you access to family-friendly technology at the NYC Department of Education that helps you support and track your children’s growth in public school. Open an account today to apply to schools, keep track of your children’s progress from Pre-K through high school graduation, and get access to digital material for New York City families that is only available to NYC Schools Account holders.
Opening a NYC Schools Account is the first step to getting more active in your student’s education. Get news about school closings, emergencies, and future events through text messages or emails. Link your kids together and start keeping track of things like their grades, test scores, and attendance.