All NYC families of students entering middle school in fall 2024 were invited to virtual information sessions about creating a MySchools.nyc(Open external link) account, exploring school options, and applying to middle school. If you missed our information sessions, a recording of the presentation is posted below.
Visiting a school in person or virtually can help you learn if it may be the right place for your child. It’s also a great way to see how long the trip is from home.
Many schools will list their open houses and tours in the centralized MySchools events calendar.(Open external link)
Additionally, schools may provide information on their own websites for prospective families, such as a schedule and links to any live or recorded events (or links where families can register), videos and/or other media, and contact information for families who want to speak with or write to school stuff.
Most NYC students apply to middle school during their fifth grade year, or if different, their final year of elementary school. Families apply by submitting a middle school application. Additionally, some arts-based middle school programs hold auditions.
During the application period, you can access your child's personalized online application. When you're logged in to your MySchools account, you can see and explore every middle school program where they are eligible to apply. From these options, you can add up to 12 middle school programs to your child’s application. Add the programs that interest you and your child the most and rank them in your true order of preference in the application.
Consider adding the programs where your child has an admissions priority or guarantee, such as their zoned school(s) or continuing school. You do not have to place any of these programs as your first choice to keep your priority.
Make an appointment to talk to your child's school counselor. Discuss your child's middle school application choices and how you plan to rank them.
Use MySchools to explore your child's middle school options. Be sure to check the "Selection Criteria" section of each program's MySchools page to see if there are any additional admissions requirements, such as an audition.
During the application period, you can apply one of three ways:
Online at MySchools.nyc(Open external link) or
Through your current school counselor (for public DOE and charter school students)
Through a Family Welcome Center (for private or parochial school students)
You can apply in English, Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, or Urdu in MySchools(Open external link). If you would like to apply using another language, call us and ask for an interpreter.
Questions? We're here to help.
Talk to your school counselor.
Call us at 718-935-2009
Contact a Family Welcome Center.