Nearly 8,000 high school applicants were rejected at all the high schools they chose in the main round of acceptances this week. If you are one of them, don’t despair. Some good schools still have seats available in the supplementary round. And if you eventually are assigned to a school you didn’t choose, you can appeal later in the spring.

First, you should attend the supplementary round high school fair on Tuesday, April 5 from 6-9 p.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr.high school complex located at 122 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. Talk to principals and students. Check out the schools’ profiles on Insideschools.organd take another look at their listing in the high school directory. Call schools that interest you to see if it is possible to tour. Remember, supplementary round applications are due back to guidance counselors by Friday, April 15. You'll learn where you were matched by May 27th. If you are unhappy with your match, you may appeal by June 3. You'll hear whether your appeal is granted June 24. The good news: in recent years, a large proportion of appeals have been successful.

Here are some schools we like that still have seats. (after the jump<!--more-->

Schools for high-achieving students

In the Bronx, consider the selective program at Marble Hill High School for International Studies.  The Cinema School, which opened in 2009 with great fanfare and lots of press attention, is another good bet for incoming 9th and 10th-graders. The Macy Honors Gifted Program at DeWitt Clinton has a good record of getting kids into top colleges. There are openings for 10th-graders at Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science where students have the opportunity to earn college credit  in a school with a graduation rate far above the city average.

In Brooklyn, consider Millennium Brooklyn, modeled after the successful Manhattan school of the same name, which is opening in Park Slope.  Also look at Abraham Lincoln High School’s Honors Institute for American Studies and Institute for Professions in Science. Clara Barton’s selective Gateway health program, a well-respected program for students interested in medical careers, also has openings.

In Manhattan , the Frank McCourt High School, opened on the Upper West Side in 2010, is particularly strong in the humanities. Thurgood Marshall Academy, a small, traditional school in Harlem with an excellent graduation rate, has openings.

In Queens , Queens Collegiate is a promising school in a wing of Jamaica High School. Also consider the new Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences, previously the most successful program at Jamaica High School and the long-successful George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences. A few of the  large high schools have openings in their honors programs, including the Humanities Academy at Hillcrest High Schooland the selective programs atLong Island City High School and Martin Van Buren.

On Staten Island, the large neighborhood high schools, Curtis,New Dorp, Port Richmond, Susan E. Wagnerand Tottenville, all have slots open for programs designed for strong students.

Other options: Specialized High School Discovery Program

Did your child take the specialized high school exam and just miss the cut-off for acceptance? You may be eligible to apply for the summer Discovery Program. Talk to your middle school guidance counselor about which specialized high schools are offering a Discovery Program and how to apply. Also, check out page 17 of the 2010 – 2011 Specialized High Schools Student Handbook for details about the program and eligibility requirements.

Schools for middle-of-the-road students.

In the Bronx, check out the Holcombe Rucker School of Community Research, a small school with a strong administration. FLAGS (Foreign Language Academy of Global Studies), has a good staff that works hard to get kids into good colleges.

In Brooklyn, The School for International Studies in Cobble Hill caters to a range of students in a welcoming and supportive environment.  Gotham Professional Arts Academy, modeled after the popular Urban Academy alternative school in Manhattan, might be a good fit for students who do well in a less-traditional setting with less emphasis on test prep. Brooklyn College Academy, which has openings for 9th and 10th-graders, offers the opportunity to learn on a college campus

In Manhattan, consider Language and Diplomacy, a new school in the Washington Irving building near Union Square. It formed as a partnership with the Asia Society and students learn to speak Chinese. The High School for Economics and Finance, has a highly diverse population and gets high marks for its friendly atmosphere and business internships.

In Queens , consider the new Maspeth High School, opening next fall. Unlike many of the new small themed schools, it bills itself as a "comprehensive" high school and will get a new building in 2012. Queens Metropolitan, which opened in 2010, is another option in Forest Hills. Robert F. Wagner Jr/Secondary School for Arts & Technology, in Long Island City,  has a friendly atmosphere and attracts students with a wide range of abilities. Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, is another good midsized option.  Recent immigrants might consider Newcomers High School, which ranked 6th in the nation in the 2010 US News and World Report’s annual survey of America’s Best High Schools.

On Staten Island,  the Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning Schoolis a great option for students interested in hands-on learning who want to avoid the huge zoned schools.

Popular neighborhood schools

Seats are still available in a few of the popular zoned high schools: In the Bronx, consider TrumanHigh School.

In Brooklyn, take a look at Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, James Madison, New Utrecht, and Fort Hamilton.

In Queens, consider Bayside, Cardozo, Francis Lewis, Hillcrest, Long Island Cityand Forest Hills.

In Staten Island, Curtis, New Dorp, Port Richmond, Susan E. Wagnerand Tottenvillehigh schools all have seats available.

Art-focused

For creative students looking for an arts program, there are options throughout the city.

Wings Academy, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Musicand Theatre Arts Production Company School(TAPCO) are strong choices for the arts in the Bronx.

In Brooklyn, look at the Brooklyn High School of the Artsand Brooklyn Theatre Arts. Abraham Lincoln High Schoolhas a well-respected photography program

In Manhattan, High School of Fashion Industries andArt and Design High School, two large successful schools have openings.

In Queens, consider the Theater Arts program at Hillcrest High Schoolas well as Long Island City High School’sOpera Institute and Orchestra Academy.

On Staten Island, there are openings in both the Visual Arts and Performing Arts programs at Curtis High School,  the Performing & Visual Arts program at Port Richmond, and the Theater program at Wagner.

Career and Technical Schools

For students who like to tinker or want to get hands-on experience and professional certification in technology or the trades, take a look at George Westinghousein Brooklyn, Queens Vocational High Schoolin Queens and the pre-engineering program at Gompers in the Bronx. As an alternative to the large, traditional vocational schools, consider a new small school such as the Urban Assembly School of Green Careers.

What did we miss? Share your advice and school picks in the comments below.