Parents of 8th-graders: Get a jump-start on high school admissions. Come to a meeting tonight of the Citywide Council on High Schools.  Lenny Trerotola, executive director of high school admissions, and Sandy Ferguson, executive director of middle school admissions, will talk about updates to the high school admissions process. They'll join Pamela Wheaton, of Insideschools, and Beverly Marshack, a member of the Department of Education's Parent Ambassador program, in a discussion about how to improve the high school admissions process.

In a break from past practice, this year all 8th and 9th-grade applicants will find out on the same day in February where they have been accepted to high school. Previously students who applied to one of the specialized exam or audition schools found out nearly a month earlier than other applicants where they were matched for high school. All 8th-graders must apply to high school and parents will want to know how the new admissions timeline will affect choices they make.

Tonight's high school admission discussion will start at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room at Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers Street. The CCHS business meeting will start at 6 p.m.

Insideschools has posted several videos to help explain the admissions process. Check out How to Apply to High School and Weighing your options: Long Trip vs Short on our How to apply page. Watch Weighing your options: Large School vs Small on the Insideschools YouTube channel. We'll be adding videos throughout the fall.

Other important dates? The citywide high school fair will be held at Brooklyn Tech High School on Sept. 24 and 25. And, now is the time to start booking tours at schools you are interested in. Some selective schools require auditions, interviews, or exams. Look at individual school websites to make sure you meet the deadlines! And you can pick up fliers, and sign up for schools of interest, at the high school fair. (That's one good reason to brave the crowds and go, along with the chance to meet representatives from most city schools.)

If you can't make tonight's CCHS meeting, please share your thoughts on high school admissions in comments below. We'll present your suggestions to the DOE enrollment officials.