NYC school admissions process is underway. Here are some changes for middle and high school applications.
NEW YORK -- New York City's high school admissions started earlier this month, and there are some changes that families need to know as they navigate the application process.
Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks, who is set to retire on Oct. 16, announced three changes for middle and high schools this year.
"I am proud to announce changes to decades-old processes, which will allow students to apply to middle schools citywide while still giving preference to district students, open-up the high school application process so that families can apply to as many schools as they like, and use technology to help inform families' application decisions during the high school admissions process," Adams said in a statement last week.
High school admissions opened Tuesday, Oct. 1, and middle schools will open Tuesday, Oct. 15. Middle school admissions were supposed to start on Oct. 9, but were pushed back due to technical difficulties, the Department of Education said.
The admissions period lasts for months, and applications are due on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Here's a closer look at some of the changes.
High schoolers can apply to unlimited choices
New York City students applying to high school will now be able to list an unlimited number of choices. They were previously capped at 12.
Students must select at least 12 schools to complete the application, but they can now add more, as desired.
The city's My Schools dashboard lets applicants filter schools by things like programs and interests, size, proximity to home and subway lines. Programs include specialized high schools, charter schools, performing/visual arts schools, career and technical education schools and more.
Also new this year, there's a tool that tells applicants their chances of getting into a particular school of choice.
"For each program, students will see an icon indicating whether they have a 'high,' 'medium,' or 'low' chance of receiving an offer, based on the applicant's admissions characteristics like district or borough, grades, priority group, and the school's admissions method, such as whether the admission is open or screened," officials explained in a press release.
Middle schoolers can apply citywide
Students applying to middle school also have expanded options this year. They can now apply to schools across the city, rather than just in their district.
"Importantly, students will maintain priority for their home zone and/or district. If space allows, students living outside of a zone and/or district can be admitted to a school, which will strengthen neighborhood schools, where, historically, families who lived on the border of multiple districts were unable to apply for schools that they live within proximity to but were not technically the district in which they reside," the press release explained.
Applicants will find out about their school offers in the spring.
These changes are taking effect as the Department of Education introduces a new schools chancellor and has to meet a state mandate to lower class sizes. The outgoing chancellor previously told CBS News New York one solution may be to cap enrollment at popular schools, like specialized high schools.