Your independent guide to NYC public schools

High school students who are new to New York City or who are re-entering city schools after a time away, may register at special enrollment centers opened on Aug. 28 in all boroughs. The centers are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Sept. 14, with the exception of Labor Day.

Elementary and middle school students who have zoned neighborhood schools have to wait until the first day of school, Sept. 6, to register at the school.  In areas where there is middle school choice or no zoned schools, families should go to a registration center.

The centers are designed for new students and students who aren't yet assigned to a school but in the past, enrollment staff has  been able to help some students who needed a transfer or different school placement.

All special education students who have a current IEP (Individualized Education Plan) may enroll directly at their zoned schools on Sept. 6.  Those without an IEP need to go to an enrollment center or to a special education site.

Students must be present to register. And, paperwork, including proof of address is required. See the Department of Education's website for all the details.

See GothamSchools rundown on what's happening at the centers this week as parents rush to register their children before opening day.

Here's a list of the centers:

Bronx:

Theodore Roosevelt Campus
500 East Fordham Road

PS/IS 194
1301 Zerega Avenue (enter on Parker Street)

Brooklyn:

Brooklyn Tech High School 
29 Fort Greene Place (use the South Elliott Place entrance)

Clara Barton High School
901 Classon Avenue

FDR High School
5800 20th Avenue

Manhattan:

A.Philip Randolph High School
443 West 135th Street

The High School for Fashion Industries
225 West 24th Street

Queens:
Thomas Edison Career & Technical Education High School
165-65 84th Avenue

Long Island City High School
14-30 Broadway

Staten Island:
Michael J. Petrides School
715 Ocean Terrace, Building C

Dear Judy,

I'm in 10th grade going into 11th and i would REALLY like to transfer out my school. The school isn't challenging enough, there are a lot of gangs involved, and the curriculum is horrible. There have been MANY deaths in my school. So I would like to know if it's possible i can transfer out before school starts and if so, what do I need to make it happen.

Y

Dear Y,

First, I have to tell you, it is not easy to get a transfer. You will need to be very persistent. Keep in mind the saying: "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." You must apply for a transfer at the nearest enrollment office.

According to an email from the central enrollment office at Tweed: "Families can visit an enrollment office over the summer to speak with a counselor about a high school transfer (through August 23). They do not have to wait to visit a temporary registration center at the end of August."

You need a very good reason for the change-- usually health, safety or travel hardships. You said there is violence and there were deaths at your school, so that would seem to be a safety concern, but usually they want a person to be the victim of crime in order to grant a safety transfer. However, you should try. Also explain your need for a better more challenging curriculum -- that might get their attention. Chancellors Regulation A-101 covers transfers on pages 7-9. 

The fate of 24 "turnaround schools” keeps turning around. Now the Department of Education says they will keep their original names. This is probably good news for neighborhoods used to Herbert H. Lehman High School (did anyone ever say the H part?) or John Dewey High School. They are now spared mouthfuls like Throggs Neck High School at the Lehman Campus or Shorefront High School of Arts and Science at John Dewey Campus.   Remember what Skip Card had to say back in May?

But it is confusing news for those using the current Directory of NYC High Schools for their high school search and applications. It’s the new names that appear there. Insideschools has a solution: if you type in the new name on our school search feature, the old one will show up! (And here's an idea: what about limiting school monikers to three words or less the next time around? What's wrong with naming a school after a respected public leader?)

More guidance for the affected schools will be forthcoming. According to a letter to principals from Elaine Gorman, the DOE official in charge of the initiative: "In regard to the High School Directory, please know that you will receive further direction on next steps. We will work closely with you and the Office of Student Enrollment to ensure that information about your school is accurate and distributed appropriately."

We're not convinced that students won't be confused!

Read all about the current status of the 24 schools in GothamSchools.

Q: Are college admissions people really going to judge me on the type of e-mail address I have? 

A: Yes! Often little things in a college application can create an impression, and it might not be the kind of impression you ought to give. Your e-mail address is one of these. An address you set up for yourself when you were 10 or 12 might be perceived as childish, such as: carebear26@gmail.

Likewise, e-mail addresses that reflect a devotion to any one band or TV show will also create an impression that could color a reader's impression of you. Avoid such monikers as "9inchnails@yahoo" or "jerseyshoregirl@hotmail."  Clearly you shouldn't have any address that refers to sex, violence, politics or religion.

And no, you will not win points if your address reflects a devotion to a college's team, e.g. "DukeBlueDevilsRule@yahoo" -- this falls into the category of "trying too hard."

Old School New School, a website about high school choice created by public school students went live this week. With colorful graphics and funny videos, it gives pointers to 8th graders about how to apply to high school, never an easy task in New York City.

City teens are invited to the launch party on Saturday, July 28 at The teens worked with the Resilience Advocacy Project, teaching artist Douglas Paulson and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. They also interviewed Insideschools staff to see what we look for High school students investigated the public high school application process and created a website to help other teens understand the complicated admissions system.

Old School New School went live this week and city teens are invited to the launch party on Saturday, July 28 in Manhattan at the Austrian Cultural Forum at 11 East 52nd Street, from 3-5 p.m.  Middle-schoolers especially will have the chance to view the website and some videos and ask questions from students who put it together.

Six teens worked with the Resilience Advocacy Project, teaching artist Douglas Paulson and the Center for Urban Pedagogy. They also interviewed Insideschools staff to see what we look for on our school visits and how we help parents and students navigate the process with our school reviews and slideshows, blogposts and videos.

The launch event is free and open to teens of all ages. Food and beverages provided. Make sure to RSVP by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 27.

Read more about the site and the launch on GothamSchools.

Rising 8th-graders, who may be spending some of the summer prepping for the specialized high school exam, will have a chance to learn more about the nine specialized high schools at workshops on Tuesday and Thursday nights this week in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Department of Education officials, including representatives from the specialized schools, will give tips on how to prepare for the exam, given in October, and talk about their schools.

These two workshops are the last in a series of July workshops about high school admissions and are the only ones specific to specialized high schools.  Newcomers to New York City may sign up now for the August exam and auditions for LaGuardia, the performing arts high schools.

My son did something last month that is apparently unacceptable among driven and high striving high school juniors these days: He failed.

More specifically, he failed the trigonometry Regents by three points – after taking three Advanced Placement exams, six finals, three SAT sittings (one of them unplanned after a testing debacle) and at least four other Regents.

My reaction has surprised me. I'm relieved.

As the recent cheating scandal involving 71 students at high pressure Stuyvesant High unfolds, I'm a lot less concerned about one isolated failure than I am about a "whatever-it-takes to succeed,'' mentality among teenagers bent on success.

Dear Judy,

We're moving into NYC from out of state with entering 9th and 10th graders. Can they take exams for specialized high schools or is that gate closed?
Newcomers

Dear Newcomers,

Welcome to NYC! Yes – as newcomers to NYC your kids may take the Specialized High School Admission Test (SHSAT) – or audition for LaGuardia High School, provided they meet the following conditions:

• They were not New York City residents before November 1, 2011,
• They entered 8th or 9th grade for the first time in September, 2011,
• They did not take the test when it was given in 2011,
• You will have a New York City residence by August 22.

This last condition is crucial because you must register in person between July 9 and August 22. When you arrive, go to any borough enrollment office. The test for the specialized high schools is on August 27, the auditions for LaGuardia are on August 30. 

Q: I want to take my son to visit some colleges this summer, but he says it's pointless to go since there are no classes and he won't be able to judge what the school is really like. But I have more time off in the summer than in the fall when he wants to go – and anyway, won't that be too late? He will be a senior this fall. What do you suggest?

A: Both you and your son have valid points. There is more time to see several colleges now, although it is true that you won't see them under typical conditions. But at least you could get an idea of where they are, what the surrounding neighborhood or town is like, and the conditions of the campus facilities. Colleges know that for many families, summer is the only time they can travel to distant places. Most admissions offices are open all summer, and they are prepared for visitors with tours and information sessions. Depending upon the size of the campus, libraries will be open, summer classes will be in session, and the neighborhood will be as busy as it is during the rest of the year. But other schools will be nearly deserted. The most lively locations be will be schools that are in, or near, urban centers. Ask before you go.

If your 12-year-old is completing 7th grade this week, it's time for you to start thinking about high school. Here's what you and your rising 8th-grader can do this summer.

Schools are handing out the 2012-2013 directory of high schools (now online) before summer vacation. If your child doesn't bring one home. you can pick one up at the nearest enrollment office. You'll will find information about every high school in the city including: what it takes to get in, what time school starts for freshman, whether there is a dress code, and the number of students who applied and were accepted last year. You can also see the school's graduation rate.

To introduce middle school families to the complex admissions process, the Department of Education enrollment office is offering evening workshops, two in every borough betwen July 12 and 19. Rather than a series of workshops offering different admissions topics, all 10 sessions will present the same information so there's no need to attend more than one. There are two additional two workshops, about the specialized high schools only, on July 24 at Prospect Heights High School in Brooklyn and July 26 at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan.

For parents who have not gone through the high school admissions process, the workshops can be very informative. For most city residents the days of sending your 13-year-old to the neighborhood high school are long gone. Even if you think you know how it works, listening to other parents' questions and answers can be constructive. And, you'll be more prepared when admissions season ratchets up in September for the round of school visits, auditions, and tests.

And for more help, make sure to watch our Insideschools videos: Specialized high schools, How to apply to high school, How to apply to an audition school, Weighing your options: long trip vs short trip, and videos spotlighting individual high schools.

The gigantic high school fair, introducing you to representatives from all schools in the city, will be held on Sept. 29-30; fairs for schools in each borough on Oct. 13-14.  Before you go, be sure to watch our video, Making the most of the high school fairs

What else should you be doing this summer to help prepare your 8th-grader? Check out Liz Willen's posts on High School Hustle about how to study for the specialized high school exam, the perils of choice, the ins and outs of visiting schools, and more. They which include many thoughtful comments and suggestions about schools by parents.