Random/lottery Numbers

Every student is assigned a random/lottery number to be used in the admissions process. The numbers are hexadecimal and have a long string of digits ranging from “0” to “f” - it’s the first 2 digits that can give you a sense of where you stand. Numbers starting with “00” are the best, numbers starting with “ff” are at the bottom.

NOTE: you have one number and it’s used in ALL lottery based scenarios.

Here’s a article a mathematician parent wrote to explain it all: https://medium.com/algorithms-in-the-wild/gaining-insights-from-the-nyc-school-admission-lottery-numbers-42dd9a98b115

And here’s the DOE random number info: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/how-students-get-offers-to-doe-public-schools/random-numbers-in-admissions

Below is a chart put together by the parent above that shows where your lottery number stands within the greater pool of students: