Dear Judy,

We are in the process of applying for middle schools in District 15. Almost every school we have looked at says (1) they are highly selective with many more applicants than spots and (2) will only consider kids who rank them first or second. Are the middle schools (unlike the high schools) really informed as to where we rank them? And if so, should we avoid listing any of these schools in any spot other than one or two even if we would far prefer them to other schools in the district? Along the same lines, should we avoid listing any schools other than those we really like or by doing this are we risking not getting placed at all?

Brooklyn Mom

Dear Brooklyn Mom,

The Department of Education consistently responds to questions about the middle school application process by saying that each district has different rules, so we asked around in several districts. Wanda Barbot, middle school director at the Brooklyn Secondary School for Collaborative Studies, said that the schools in District 15 do not see how kids rank schools on their applications. On the other hand, Walter Friedman of the District 3 enrollment office said yes, the middle schools do know how you rank them on your application.

My advice to you, and to all parents and kids about to submit their applications to middle school, is that regardless of rankings, be savvy — don't waste your first and second choices on schools where you don't have much of a chance. Make your choices realistic with an eye to how your grades, attendance, and lateness will stack up against other applicants. To avoid total misery, do not list schools that you would hate, but be sure to list a good number of choices because the middle school guide contains this ominous phrase: "If an application is not completed or if a student does not rank sufficient choices in numerical order, he or she will be placed in a middle school in the district in which he or she resides or attends elementary school based on available space."

Don't forget the option to apply to schools that have a separate application process and may be open to students citywide. Look in the back of the district directories; there are 11 such schools in Brooklyn (every borough has them). Also search for "unzoned" schools in our Find a School section. There are Manhattan schools for gifted and talented kids that you test or audition for, and ICE (Institute for Collaborative Education) which does not test but asks for a personal essay. Remember, these individual applications will not compete with the ranked-list application.

Be sure to follow the directions in the middle school handbook: make sure that the information supplied by the school is correct, and that you are applying to schools for which you have a reasonable chance to get in. Finally, check our section on Applying to middle school for more tips.

Good luck!

Judy