It's Time to Apply to High School in New York City

It's officially a very busy time of year for New York City's eighth graders.

The high school admissions season is revving up, and families had a chance to attend the citywide high school fair over the weekend at Brooklyn Technical High School. It's an event where the majority of New York City's approximately 400 public high schools set up tables and answer families' questions.

Beyond the sheer number of choices, there is much to consider — such as how to prep for audition programs or the specialized high school test; whether to attend a career and technical school; or, for students with physical disabilities, figuring out which schools will meet their accessibility needs.

Eli Morton, who attends the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies in Manhattan, said he was at the fair trying to just get as much information as possible.

“At home I have a bunch of different lists and documents just to try to keep things in order," he said. He noted that he was up until two in the morning the night before making those lists. 

Mkayla Crumity, an eighth grader at J.H.S. 145 in Queens, said she was glad for the chance to be at the fair, going table to table.

"It's a relief that you're getting to ask these questions in front of the school you want to go to," she said. "It's like, 'oh wow, they have these programs they want to go to.' It's like, okay I can finally put this on my list."

She asked schools if they had performing arts programs, and whether they put an emphasis on public service and community involvement.

Isabella Cassetta, who attends M.S. 51 William Alexander in Brooklyn, said she feels a bit anxious about the application process, especially during what she expects to be a tough year academically.

"I thought eighth grade was going to be easy until I learned about the Regents, the exit projects," she said. "So that’s more stress for me, adding onto high school admissions."

Cassetta said she hopes to attend a performing arts high school for dance and is prepping for auditions. She also intends to take the specialized high school admissions test.

The city has made changes to the specialized high school test, which will be administered in October. The test will no longer include a logic section known as "scrambled paragraphs." City officials have said the changes are meant to make the test more fair to students who may not attend test prep courses, and to better align the test with what is taught in schools. 

Cassetta attended the high school fair on Sunday with her mother, Toni. It was a warm day, and the un-air-conditioned hallways of Brooklyn Tech were packed with people.

"It’s a zoo, it’s crowded, it’s hot," said the elder Casetta with a laugh. She said she was trying not to stress about the application process.

"I don’t take it too seriously," she said. "She’ll get in somewhere."

The city will hold high school fairs in each borough next month, along with a fair for career and technical high schools. Applications are due Dec. 1.