Parents of prospective kindergartners in some New York City neighborhoods tour elementary schools the way families elsewhere visit colleges, (although they may not bring their 4-year-olds along).

Discovering and keeping track of what schools to visit when can be a challenge. Robin Aronow of SchoolSearchNYC has done preliminary research and compiled information about tours at some Manhattan schools. We've posted those dates on our new District 2 and District 3 pages and we'll add information about schools in other districts if we get it.

Joyce Szuflita of NYCSchoolHelp, has compiled a list of tours in Brooklyn districts 13, 14, and 15 which we have posted on district pages.

If you are a pre-school parent who hasn't even thought about the big "K" yet, don't panic. Middle and high school admissions are in full swing, with applications due in early December, but the timeline is later for elementary schools. In 2011, kindergarten applications were due in early March. For charter schools, the due date is early April. Tours generally begin in November and will go into 2012, although a few schools are beginning in October.

One deadline is upcoming: If you are planning to have your child tested for a gifted and talented program, you must register for the test by Oct. 28.

Don't know where to start? Take a look at our videos How to enroll in a NYC public school and What to look for when you choose a school.

And, as always, please share your information and insights in comments below.