It's time for a new crop of  4-year-olds to begin applying to pre-kindergarten! The admissions process  for the 2010/2011 school year begins Monday, March 1 with  applications due by April 9.  All children who turn four  in 2010 are eligible for public pre-K, although they are not guaranteed a seat. Programs are housed in public schools or at  community-based organizations and the application process differs slightly depending on where a program is housed.

Public schools

There are two ways to apply for pre-K programs housed in public schools: by mail or online. To apply by mail, you must acquire a paper application and reply-envelope from this year's pre-K directory. The directory will be available at all borough enrollment offices on Tuesday, March 2 and all elementary schools by March 8.  According to the DOE, the online application will be posted on the NYC Department of Education's website on March 1.You may apply for a number of schools in one submission and rank those schools by order of preference.

Students with siblings who attend a school receive first priority; of those, families who live in the school zone receive first dibs in most cases. (There are a few places where this is not the case, such as Manhattan's District 1 which has few zoned schools.)  Students without sibling preference are also ranked according to whether or not they live in the zone, or district. Admissions priorities are detailed  on the DOE's pre-K information website.

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)Applications for pre-K programs housed by CBOs are not handled by the DOE, although they are listed in the directory.   You must apply for each CBO program separately and deliver that application to the program's site (no mail or online submissions) . The CBO will then contact you directly to let you know whether your child receives a spot.Applications are available at all CBOs now. They will also be available online -- for printing -- through the DOE's website starting March 1.<!--more-->Priority policies at CBOs vary: some are similar to those at public schools, while others have unique clauses. For example, some CBOs reserve seats for children already enrolled in their program as three year-olds so fewer spots may be available. It is important to contact, and ideally visit, each CBO program before applying, to learn where your child stands and whether this would be a good fit for him or her.

There is no guarantee of placement in a pre-K program, and pre-K placement at a school does not ensure a spot in kindergarten at the same school. Applications must be submitted online or mailed in by April 9.

At public schools, pre-registration will take place between June 7-18. CBOs will notify families when pre-registration will take place.Pre-K information sessions, sponsored by the DOE, will be held in each borough in March. Dates and locations can be found on the DOE's website.

Are you applying for pre-K this year? Have you in the past? Feel free to post questions -- or advice -- for other parents in the comments. Let us know how the process is working for you...