No high school match? Here\'s what to do

This year's crop of 8th graders endured a nerve-wracking rite of spring last week – opening letters telling them whether or not they had been offered a seat in a high school. Of the roughly 85,000 8 th graders who applied to high school, nearly half (49.8 percent) got an offer from their first choice school, and 76 percent got matched with one of their top three choices. Overall, 91 percent of students were accepted to one of the schools on a list of 12 they applied to – not much consolation for the nearly 8,000 students who did not get matched to any school.

Students who were not accepted anywhere must reapply, choosing up to 12 schools from a list of about 250 schools and programs within schools that still have seats to fill. Those students are invited to attend information sessions taking place from 5-8 p.m. on April 7 and 8 at Louis D. Brandeis High School in Manhattan where they can meet with school admissions counselors and representatives from many of the schools that still have seats available.

Applications are due back to guidance counselors by Thursday, April 10, and students should be notified where they have been accepted by April 30.

Is the system fair?

With more students applying to high school in New York City than there are residents in many mid-size cities across the country, it's hard to imagine any system that would work without a hitch. But every year thousands of students – including many high achievers – come out of the main round of high school acceptances empty-handed.

For the 180 8th graders at Delta, a highly competitive middle school program on Manhattan 's Upper West Side , it was a bumper year for high school acceptances. Only four students were not matched anywhere, according to guidance counselor Barbara Von Zerneck. Still, many of the accepted students didn't get their top choice. "You wonder why a kid with a 97 average gets a third choice school," she said. "Sometimes the system doesn't make sense to me."

The son of Shari Travers, PTA president of Simon Baruch Middle School in Manhattan , was one of the thousands of 8 th graders who were not accepted anywhere. In a letter to Chancellor Joel Klein that she made public, Travers sums up the collective dismay that many parents and children are feeling as they struggle to choose schools for the next application round. "How is a child supposed to react to his/her friends all standing around asking each other what school they got?" she writes. Of most of the schools that still have seats available, she writes to Klein: "I wouldn't put my child into any of those schools and neither would you." Travers decided to move her family to Bergen County in New Jersey , where her son will attend a local high school.

But for most families, moving is not an option. What should you do if you weren't matched anywhere? First look carefully at the list of available schools as there are still seats available in some selective programs and many neighborhood schools. Check out the schools' profiles on Insideschools and take another look at their listings in the high school directory. Don't apply to any school that you aren't willing to attend. If you do, and you are matched to that school, it will be very hard to appeal the placement.

Schools for high achieving students

Many of the schools on the list are low-performing and even dangerous. But there are a few surprises and some good choices. For high achievers, there are options in every borough.

In Manhattan, Upper Lab was a surprise entry on the list of school with seats available. Frederick Douglass Academy has openings, too. Also consider the NYCiSchool , a new, selective admissions school with two popular school leaders that promises state-of-the art technology, advanced courses and internships for it students.

In Brooklyn, consider the selective STAR Academy on the Erasmus campus, where kids take courses at Brooklyn College , and the Honors Academy at Fort Hamilton High School , a top-notch program at a woefully overcrowded high school.

In the Bronx, seats are available at the Macy Honors Program at Dewitt Clinton High School.

In Queens, consider Bard High School Early College II , a new school opening in September 2008, which promises to offer the same rigorous academics and college courses as the original Bard in Manhattan . There are also seats available at the Scholars' Academy in Far Rockaway, John Bowne High School 's Science Research Program and the Humanities Academy at Hillcrest High School .

In Staten Island there are a few selective programs still open in the neighborhood schools. Take a look at the IB Scholarship program at Curtis High School , the Gilder Lehrman Institute at New Dorp, the Gateway and Collegiate Academy honors programs at Port Richmond and the Scholars' Academy at Susan E. Wagner High School .

Good bets for average students

Some small schools do a good job of delivering solid academics to a broader range of students. Several schools affiliated with Urban Assembly have seats available as do a few of the Frederick Douglass schools. Both networks of schools have a good track record of running small programs with solid academics.

In Manhattan , consider University Neighborhood and East Side Community High Schools. In Queens, Middle College High School and Wagner Secondary School , both located in Long Island City , are two established small schools. The School for International Studies in Brooklyn is also worth a look. There are no established small schools with openings on Staten Island , but Port Richmond 's College Discovery program specifically targets the middle-of-the-road student, offering a mix of accelerated and regular-paced classes.

Popular neighborhood schools

In areas of the city where there are zoned high schools, seats are still available in some popular, albeit overcrowded, schools. One advantage of large neighborhood schools is that they offer lots of extracurricular activities. Also, if you are assigned to a program you're not happy with, you might have luck applying to transfer to another program in the same school.

In the Bronx consider Lehman High School .

In Queens consider Bayside , Cardozo , Francis Lewis , Hillcrest and Forest Hills .

In Brooklyn, there are openings in Franklin D. Roosevelt , James Madison , New Utrecht and Fort Hamilton .

In Staten Island , the neighborhood schools are well regarded and all still have openings.

Arts-focused schools

For creative students looking for an arts program, there are options throughout the city. Gramercy Arts High School , a new school opening in Manhattan , was created out of the former visual and performing arts programs at Washington Irving High School . In Queens, consider the arts programs at Long Island City ; in Brooklyn look at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts . Wings Academy and Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music are good bets in the Bronx .

Career and Technical Schools

For students who would like to get hands-on experience in a trade, Fashion Industries is a perennial favorite. George Westinghouse in Brooklyn, Queens Vocational High School and Ralph McKee in Staten Island are worth a second look.

New small schools

Nearly 200 small schools have opened since 2002, including 21 scheduled to open in September. Though new and untested, many are opening with strong partnerships and might make better options than large, overcrowded neighborhood schools.

How can I appeal?

What should you do if you are not happy with the school to which you are assigned? You can appeal, although there is no guarantee of success. Only students who have been matched to a school may appeal now. If you didn't get a match in the main round, you'll need to fill out and submit a "Supplementary Round Choice Form." Only after you receive a match in this round of admissions can you file an appeal.

Ask your middle school guidance counselor for an Appeal Form, or contact your borough enrollment office . You'll be able to state the reason for the appeal and list up to three programs or schools in order of preference. You'll have the most luck with the following reasons: a change of school location or home address (to at least 90 minutes distance between home and school), the lack of special education services or documented safety issues or medical conditions at the school to which you have been assigned. You may also appeal if a mistake was made in entering the four-digit high school code on your application, or if you want to apply to a new small school which is opening in September.

Appeals are due to guidance counselors by May 8 and will be answered by June 4. It can't hurt to send a copy of your appeal letter to the school you are interested in attending - along with copies of your child's transcript and best work samples.

-Laura Zingmond, April 1, 2008

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