Evening workshops about the high school admissions process for 8th graders and their families begin this week. Enrollment officials from the Department of Education wll lead information sessions and answer questions about the types of high school programs offered and how to apply. All sessions run from 6:30-8 p.m. Insideschools will be there too!

The first workshop is Tuesday, July 16 at Prospect Heights High School in Brooklyn; on Wednesday, July 17, there will be a workshop at New Dorp High Schoolon Staten Island and on Thursday, July 18, the Manhattan info session will be held at Fashion Industries High School.

Next week, it's the Bronx and Queens:Lehman High School on Tuesday, July 23 and Forest Hills High Schoolon Wednesday, July 24.

Workshops about the city's nine specialized high schools, which admit students based on an exam or audition, also begin next week. The first session is at Staten Island Techon Wednesday, July 24, followed by Brooklyn, at Prospect Heights, on Thursday, July 25. The following week, the specialized workshops will be at Fashion Industries onTuesday, July 30; Francis Lewis in Queens on July 31 and the final one at Lehman High School on Thursday, Aug. 1.

Summer specialized high school test sign up & prep

Specialized high school handbooks, including a sample test, will be available at the information sessions. Most students do some prep work or take a course before sitting for the 2 hour and 30 minutes test, which is given in October to 8th and 9th graders.

Some community organizations offer free test prep. One such group is La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem, which is working with a local tutoring company to offer a 20 hour preparatory course, according to the DOE.  For more information, email info.lacasaazul@gmail.com with “Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT)" in the subject line. Include the parent's name, e-mail and phone number, as well as the child’s name, grade and school in fall 2013. Space is limited so check with your local community organizations to find similar courses.

Incoming 9th and 10th graders who moved to New York City after last fall's specialized high school exam may sign up for the August 26 SHSAT exam, and the audition for LaGuardia High School, beginning on July 15 at enrollment offices. The last date to sign up is Aug. 21. See more information here.

Wondering where/how to begin your high school search? Check out our "how to apply to high school" video series.