Middle School Guided Search

If you answer a few questions, we’ll help you sort through hundreds of schools to find the best options for your child. Let’s get started.

Show me schools that admit children in 5th grade

Some middle schools, including many charter schools, start in 5th grade, and fill most of their seats with applications from 4th graders. If you click this, we will show you schools that start in 5th grade, and charter schools that have admitted students by lottery in 5th grade.

Show me schools that admit children in 6th grade

Most middle schools begin in 6th grade and accept applications from 5th graders. Applications are due the first week of December for the following school year (except for charter schools, which have a lottery in April). A few middle schools start in 7th grade.

The city is divided into 32 school districts, and children are guaranteed a seat somewhere in their district (but not necessarily the school closest to home). A few districts have zoned schools; most offer school choice. You may also apply to schools outside your district.

What is your home address?

I do not have an NYC address

You may not apply to middle school unless you live in New York City. However, you may explore your options on this website. If you move to the city in the middle of the year, you may enroll in school at a Family Welcome Center. Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK for more information. If you are homeless, you are entitled to enroll in a school near your temporary housing without showing proof of residence.

Where does your child attend elementary school?

In my home district

Your child is eligible for schools in your home district as well as schools that accept children from an entire borough or the entire city.

In another NYC district

Why this matters

Do you want to consider charter schools?

Yes No What are charter schools?

Are you interested in citywide schools?

Yes No What are citywide programs?

What boroughs are you interested in? (optional)

Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island

Do any of these special situations apply to you?

I have an IEP. Show me schools that serve children with disabilities well

Students with disabilities are entitled to apply to any school, and all schools are required to provide special education services. However, some are more welcoming than others, and some are more successful working with students with disabilities. If you click here, we will only show schools recommended by special education advocates and InsideSchools staffers. This list is not exhaustive and we welcome additional suggestions.

I need a wheelchair accessible school I speak a language besides English

All schools offer English as a Second Language. However, some schools give preference to children who speak another language. If you click here, we will only show you programs that give preference to children who speak Spanish, Chinese, French or another language. These include dual language programs, with instruction in English and another language, as well as programs geared to new immigrants.

None of the above What is an IEP?

What is most important to you?

I want a school close to home. Show me schools ranked by distance from my home. I want a school where children make the most progress. Show me schools ranked by “impact.”

The city’s “impact” score, taken from the School Quality Guide, is a measure of student progress. It compares each school to others with similar students, taking into account incoming student test scores. Some schools accept students with low test scores and prepare them well for high school, while others are unable to help similar students make progress.

I want a school with high test scores. Show me schools ranked by “performance.”

The city’s “performance” score, taken from the School Quality Guide, shows how well students perform on state tests–compared to all other schools in the city–without adjusting for student characteristics.

(You may change the way your results are sorted on the next page.)