Back when I started High School 411, over 10 years ago, it was remarkably challenging to find information about the high school process. Over the years, there has been more transparency from the DOE and also other places to go to find info—some of it is great, some confusing, some misleading, some overwhelming, sometimes info you might find isn’t true.
As we get started I want to share a round up of places to go for info and what you’ll find:
First, me. I’m here to answer any questions you might have along with sharing out info along the way.
The official Department of Education website: https://www.schools.nyc.gov
This is helpful for how things work, changes that are happening, deadlines, more in depth info that you’ll find in other places. You need to dig a little to find stuff.
At the top click on ENROLLMENT, then ENROLL GRADE BY GRADE, then HIGH SCHOOL. There’s also a tab for SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS. Another helpful tab is HOW STUDENTS GET OFFERS TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
One challenge is that DOE website is updated on a regular basis, especially once the season kicks in, in the fall. Info moves and can then be hard to find or disappears altogether. If you see something you want to keep track of, screenshot the page and also make note of the URL so you can try to find it again.
MySchools: https://www.myschools.nyc/en/
MySchools is going into it’s 5th year and it’s where you research schools, your child’s info shows up, you fill out and submit your application, you sign up for the SHSAT, submit audition videos and some additional materials for screened schools, and get your offers. Whew. There’s a lot going on here.
Right now you can research individual schools and find out lots of basic information like size, graduation rates, AP classes offered, contact info, admissions method and much more.
In the fall you’ll get a code that will give you access to your child’s personal account (if your student has been through the middle school process in MySchools, you don’t need a new code). With access you’ll see your child’s DASHBOARD and from there you’ll be able to see grades, test scores, student ID number, random lottery number (eventually) and much more.
Inside Schools: https://insideschools.org
Inside Schools is an independent organization that used to do write ups of schools but now offer all sorts of things. This is a great resource for finding more about a school than straight up data you’ll find at MySchools. They now have a high school section that’s also a good source of info with a solid overview of things.
If you’re on facebook there’s a group called Applying to High School in NYC: https://www.facebook.com/groups/480785616356239
I share this with a grain of salt. This group has many members and it’s open posting, with lots of people who have a lot to share. There can be solid info in the mix which can sometimes get lost in long threads. Misinformation has also been posted, along with many, many opinions. A hive mindset can be a terrific thing but in a complicated system with real time changes and many opinions that can get overwhelming.