The first few months of 8th grade can be a hectic time for kids and parents, but if you’re organized, you don’t need to stress out. Here’s how InsideSchools can help you successfully navigate high school admissions.

1: Read our high school guides to find out how to apply.

  • Review the nuts and bolts of the high school application process in How to Apply.
  • Learn about the different types of high schools in Your Options to help you find schools that are a good fit.
  • Get tips for how to identify reasonable options in our What to Consider guide.

2: Research your options using our Find a New York City Public School. You can search by location or interest area among the city’s 400+ high schools for ones that may be a good fit for you. Enter your address to find schools close to home or to see if you’ve got a zoned high school. Type in a particular interest, such as engineering, science, theater, television production or animal science, for example, and you’ll get a list of schools that offer those subjects.

3: Use our Action Plan to help you keep track of all the things you need to do before submitting your completed application by the December 1 due date.

4: Read our InsideTools for guidance on specific topics such as taking the SHSAT (Specialized High School Admissions Test), getting organized for high admissions and how to navigate the high school fair.

5: Check our calendar to stay on top of important dates such as the citywide and borough high school fairs, specialized high school open houses and when schools are closed

KEY DATES

Citywide high school fair: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17 from 10 am to 3 pm at Brooklyn Tech High School.

Borough high school fairs: Saturday and Sunday, October 14 and 15 from 11 am to 3pm.

Citywide Career and Technical Education (CTE) high school fair: Saturday, October 28 from 9 am to 2 pm at George Westinghouse High School.

Register for the fall 2017 SHSAT and LaGuardia audition: September 7 to October 12, 2017.

Specialized high school open houses: Staten Island Tech, Oct. 3; Bronx Science, Oct. 4,; Brooklyn Tech;, Oct. 5, Stuyvesant, Oct. 10 & 11; High School of American Studies, Oct. 12;, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering, Oct. 17; Brooklyn Latin, Oct. 18;, Queens High School for the Sciences, Oct. 19, LaGuardia, Oct. 23. See our calendar for details.

More open houses: Check the Department of Education's calendar of high school open houses and tours throughout the city. If you don’t see a school that you’re interested in, check its individual website. Tip: Each school’s profile page on InsideSchools includes a link to that school’s individual website.