A neighborhood, or zoned, school guarantees a place for all students who live in a designated area. Zones are set by the district, and your address determines which zone you belong to. Zoned neighborhood schools are your first option when looking for a school. Call the City of New York at 311 to find the name of the school for which your child is zoned; if they can't tell you, call the central Office of Student Enrollment Planning and Operations at (212) 374-2363.

Most elementary school students attend their zoned schools and may register directly at the school. (When the school is too crowded, however, the borough enrollment office should direct new students to another school in the district.) If you live in an area without a zoned elementary school you will need to go to the borough enrollment office to get a school application. If your neighborhood school is uninspiring, you may also want to look for an alternative.

Many areas of the city no longer have zoned middle schools. If you live in an area without a zoned middle school, you'll need to fill out an application to apply to schools in your district, so it's a good idea to find out about the different options ahead of time. If you are new to public schools, go to the nearest enrollment office for placement.

All 8th grade students must fill out an application for high school. Not all boroughs and neighborhoods have zoned high schools, and, in general, a student may apply to schools anywhere in the city. With more than 450 high schools in the city, you'll want to research your options before filling out the application. If you are zoned for a high school, that school will be indicated on your application form, but if you want to attend the school you still have to apply. Zoned schools, or programs within zoned schools, give preference to students who apply and live in the school's geographical zone.

Ninth graders who are unhappy with their current placement may also reapply for another school for 10th grade. Older students will need to apply for a transfer to switch high schools.

Below you can read about the different options for each academic level.

On this page: Elementary and middle school | High school

Elementary and middle school options

If the zoned elementary or middle school is not an option — or a poor one — you may want to look for an alternative, such as applying to an unzoned school or program outside of your neighborhood. Here is a list of possible options with descriptions below:

• Charter schools
• Dual language immersion programs
• Gifted and talented programs
  
• Magnet programs
• Selective schools (middle school only)
  
• Unzoned schools
  
• Homeschooling

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of the local districts under a "charter" from the state Board of Regents, the State University of New York (SUNY) or the chancellor. Charter schools receive an allotment of taxpayer funds for each child. They are required to admit students by lottery and must give the same standardized tests as other public schools. They must give priority in admissions to students who live in the district in which they are located but they are free of most other school district regulations. The staff of a public school may vote to become a charter school, and several schools have already made the transformation. Charters are issued for five years and can be revoked if the school fails to perform as promised. For more information, see our section on charter schools. You may search for charter schools in our Find a School section. See also the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence.

Dual language immersion programs have classes in which half the students are native speakers of English, and half speak another language (Spanish, Chinese or French, for example). Classes are taught in each language on alternative days or weeks, and the children are expected to become fluent in both. These programs shouldn't be confused with bilingual or English as a Second Language classes, designed to teach English to non-English speakers. For more information, see our page on dual language programs. You can search for dual language programs in our Find a School section.

Gifted and talented programs: Many districts offer programs for students they have identified as gifted and talented (G&T). Some of these are separate classes within neighborhood schools. Others are whole schools dedicated to the education of gifted children. Still others offer after-school enrichment or special classes for part of the day. There is a standardized assessment for elementary G&T programs throughout the city. For more information about specific programs and how to apply, see our page on G&T, and search for these programs in our Find a School section.

Magnet programs are designed to foster racial integration. They receive federal or state funding for special programs (such as art, drama or law) to make the school attractive to children of different races who might not otherwise attend, and they admit children from outside their immediate neighborhood. Call your district office to find out if there are any magnet programs in your district.

Selective schools: We use the term "selective" to refer to middle schools for gifted students. Some selective schools have an entrance exam. Others don't have an exam, but do have minimum requirements in terms of scores on standardized tests. Some require a written application and an interview. Some have auditions, and accept children with artistic or musical talents. Some zoned neighborhood schools have an accelerated track called "special progress" for high-achieving students. Call your district for details or search for selective schools in our Find a School section.

Unzoned schools are also called alternative schools, option schools, choice schools or magnet schools. Unzoned schools might serve children from a whole district or even a whole borough. They may be reserved for academically gifted children or be geared to a particular curriculum. Unzoned schools accept children by special application or by lottery. You may search for unzoned schools in our Find a School section.

Homeschooling: Parents unhappy with the public school options in their neighborhood may consider educating their child at home. Before you consider homeschooling, you will need to educate yourself about the specific laws and procedures governing home instruction. See our page on homeschooling for more information.

Find out how to apply to elementary schools or apply to middle schools.

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High school options

On the high school application, you'll get the chance to apply to up to 12 schools. Here's a list of types of programs to consider:

• Arts focus
• Career and technical (vocational)
• Charter schools
• Education option
• Limited unscreened
• New immigrants
• Selective or screened
• Specialized high schools
• Transfer schools
• Unscreened
  

Arts focus high schools select students on the basis of demonstrated skill in fine arts, dance, drama or musical performance. Typically a committee looks at a collection of a student's artwork and asks him or her to complete an on-site task, or it will listen to or view tapes of musical, dance or drama performances and/or require an on-site performance. There may also be academic or attendance requirements.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools, formerly known as vocational schools, offer students training in a trade or career. These schools are also supposed to offer enough academic courses so students are prepared for college should they decide to attend. Some programs lead to professional licenses or qualify students for good jobs.

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of the local districts under a "charter" from the state Board of Regents, the State University (SUNY) or the Chancellor. Schools receive a basic allotment of taxpayer funds for each child. They are required to admit students by lottery and must give the same standardized tests as other public schools. They are free from most other school district regulations. Public schools can vote to become charter schools and several have already done so. Charters are issued for five years and can be revoked if the school fails to perform as promised. There is an increasing number of charter high schools now in the city; you can search for them in our Find a School section. For more information, see our page on charter schools.

Educational option schools, and programs within large high schools, offer some of the most attractive alternatives for kids - as well as some of the most perplexing and aggravating admissions procedures. These schools were designed to ensure that low-performing kids as well as academic stars had an equal shot at admission. To that end, a certain proportion of seats are reserved for high-achievers (16%), for average kids (68%), and for the lowest-achievers (16%). The school administration chooses half the students; half are assigned at random by Department of Education computers. Kids who score in the top two percent on the 7th grade reading exam are guaranteed a slot in an "ed-op" school if they list it as their first choice on their high school application.

Limited unscreened is a term used by the Department of Education for new, small schools which give preference in admission to students who, with their parents, attend the school's information session or open house.

Schools for new immigrants offer an introduction to English to students who need it. Some of these are one-year transitional programs. Others grant diplomas and prepare students for college. Most of these schools are limited to students who have been in the United States four years or less. An increasing number of schools for new immigrants, called international schools, have opened in recent years.

Selective schools or programs, generally called "screened" programs by the Department of Education, use tests or other screening methods to choose their student body. Students may be chosen for their achievement level or specific talent. Admissions criteria is usually set by the school and might include an interview, essay, exam, or a minimum grade point average or score on the 7th grade standardized exams. Selective or screened programs also look at students' past attendance.

Specialized high schools: The city's nine specialized high schools are highly selective and were established under New York State Law (2590 — Section G.) Any student living in the five boroughs may apply. For eight of the schools, students must take a rigorous examination given in the fall of 8th and 9th grade. The admissions test is given in October or November. The Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan requires an audition (in dance, voice, instrumental music, drama, technical theater or a portfolio in studio art) in November and December.

Transfer schools are designed as "second-chance" programs for students who are overage for their grade and far behind in their studies. Most admit students who have already attended at least one other high school. A few admit students directly from middle school.

Unscreened schools refers to programs, mostly new, where students who apply are randomly selected by computer.

Find out how to apply to high schools.

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