1. Introduction to Middle School Admissions
Tip: Look for tip boxes like this throughout the presentation!
Office of
Student Enrollment

2. Applying to Middle School (Timelines from the 2017-2018 School)
All schools your child may apply to will be printed on your child’s application.
YOUR CHILD
Receive personalized MS Application from guidance counselor.
Optional Step:
New Schools Round: If new programs are opening, eligible students may apply in March.
November
Complete application by ranking up to 12 programs in order of preference. Return to counselor.
December 1
Students will receive a letter from their counselor with their middle school match; students who were accepted into a new schools program may have two matches.
April
1 Match
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3. What schools will be on my application?
All schools that your child may apply to, including the following:
Your Zoned School*
*not all students have a zoned middle school
Learn if you have a zoned middle school at schools.nyc.gov/ schoolsearch
District Schools
If your child lives and goes to school in different districts, your child may apply to middle schools in both districts.
Boroughwide Schools
Citywide Schools
What schools will NOT be on my application?
School-Based Application Schools
Charter Schools
Contact these schools directly to learn how to apply.
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4. Middle School Programs
You can think of programs as “doorways” through which schools accept students.
If a school has multiple programs, students may apply to one program, or more than one program at that school.
Programs at the same school may have different Admissions Priorities and Methods. You may choose to apply to a particular program at a school because of how it does its admissions or because it has a particular theme.
Program #1
Program #2
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5. The Application: Receive and Review
What to review:
Student Information: Make sure all information, including address, is correct.
Zoned Middle School: See if your child has a zoned middle school. Look up this school in the directory to learn how being in the zone affects admissions.
Academic Information: These will affect admissions to some programs.
Tip: Not every student has a zoned middle school.
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6. The Application: How to Complete It
Families should rank programs in order starting with the one they most want to attend. Do this by writing the number “1” next to you top choice and continuing. Families may rank up to 12 programs.
Once you have ranked programs, sign and return application to your child’s guidance counselor by December 1.
Tip: After ranking your favorite programs, rank other programs you’d prefer over your least favorite programs. Remember, if you do not match to a program you’ve ranked, you will be matched to a program with availability in your district.
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7. A good application lists programs of interest to your child.
Use the MS Directory as a starting point. When exploring, think about…
location
School performance
COURSES
size
Activities
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8. How is my match determined?
Student Factors
Program Factors
Admissions Priorities
Choices on Application
The order in which applicants are considered.
The programs ranked on the application AND the order in which they are ranked.
Admissions Methods
Match!
How programs consider and match with applicants.
Student Information (For some programs)
Student’s academic record and/or address.
Seat Availability
The number of seats available for applicants.
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9. How is my match determined? Choices on Application
Families should rank up to 12 programs in order starting with their top choice.
Do not write in choices.
Tip: Rank programs you’d prefer to your zoned or continuing school ahead of your zoned or continuing school.
The first factor affecting your match are the choices on your application.
Read bullets
This is your only opportunity to apply to middle schools when there is complete availability. Ranking fewer schools does not increase your likelihood of getting a match to a top choice.
Read tip box
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10. How is my match determined?
Admission Priorities
Admissions Priorities determine the order that applicants are considered for placement.
This means that students are considered in groups. All students in the first priority group will be considered first. If seats are available, students in the second priority group will be considered next.
If your child does not fall into any of the priority groups, he/she is not eligible to apply. Remember: there is no sibling priority in Middle School Admissions.
Admissions Priorities:  Priority to students and residents of the District  Then to students and residents of Brooklyn.
Means that
The next factor that affects matches is Admission Priorities.
Read bullets
Admissions Priorities can be based on where your child lives or goes to school, if you signed in at a school fair or open house, and if you are a continuing student at a K-8 school.
Here is an actual example of Admissions Priorities.
Read example: Reminders: You keep your priority to your zoned or continuing school no matter where you rank it on your application.
All students who live or go to school in the District that list this program on their application will be considered before other Brooklyn students who list this program on their application.
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11. How is my match determined?
Admission Methods that DO NOT see applicants’ academic information
An Admissions Method is the way a school program considers and matches with applicants. Remember that students are first grouped by Admission Priority and then evaluated by Admission Method.
Zoned
Based on address.
Unscreened
Random selection.
Limited Unscreened
Random selection, but students will move into a higher priority group by signing in at a school event.
Talent Testing
Based on student’s exam performance in specified talent areas.
The last factor is Admissions Methods.
Read bullet on the top of the page.
Programs each use an Admissions Method. Your child’s academic record may affect which programs you choose for the application. It’s a good idea to have programs with different admissions methods on your application to help make sure you match with a program you’ve ranked on your application.
Here, you see the Admissions Methods used by programs that do not see the academic information of students who have applied. Notice that programs with a “Limited Unscreened” admissions method give priority to students who have signed in at a school event. It’s especially important you visit these programs if you’re interested.
Read tip box.
Tip: If applying to a “Limited Unscreened” program, visit and sign in!
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12. How is my match determined?
Admission Methods that DO see applicants’ academic information
An Admissions Method is the way a school program considers and matches with applicants. Remember that students are first grouped by Admission Priority and then evaluated by Admission Method
Screened
School ranks students based on fourth-grade attendance, state tests, and grades. Additional requirements may exist.
Composite Score
Students are admitted based on a score that’s calculated using fourth grade report cards, state ELA and math exams, attendance, and behavior.
Screened for Language
Based on students’ English language skills
Here, you see the Admissions Methods used by programs that DO see the academic information of students who have applied. Remember that in the Middle School Directory, these programs provide information on what they look for in applicants. Again, your child’s academic record may affect which programs you choose for the application.
Read tip box.
Tip: Before ranking a program on your application, please check all details about that program’s admissions in the MS Directory!
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13. How is my match determined? Seat Availability
To learn about how competitive a program is, review the number of available seats in a program, and the number of applicants for those seats.
Program with Lower Demand
2015
Seats
Applicants
150
250
Program with Higher Demand
2015
Seats
Applicants
150
1,170
Tip: Don’t only rank programs that have high demand.
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14. Looking Ahead September - November December 1 March April May
Middle School Open Houses
Contact each school directly to learn when to visit.
December 1
Middle School Applications Due
March
New Schools Round
If there are new schools in the district, you may
apply to new programs you are interested in.
April
Notification Letters Distributed
May
Appeals
You may submit an appeal to your guidance counselor.
You may appeal to up to three schools for any reason.
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15. Fall 2018: Applying to Middle School Online
Good Evening! Welcome to the middle school fair. (Please introduce yourself.)
Today I’ll be talking about how you and your child will apply to middle school this fall. I’ll also be giving you tips on how to apply successfully. Keep an eye out for the tip boxes that appear throughout the presentation.
Today I’ll only be talking about applying to Department of Education middle schools. Charter schools, private schools, parochial schools and a few schools throughout the city that run their own admissions process are not part of Middle School Admissions.

16. Fall 2018: Blind Ranking
Starting this fall, no middle schools – including those in Districts 1, 2, and 3 – will be able to see how applicants ranked them.
This means:
Families should rank schools in their true order of preference.
Families may add additional choices to their application, and not dilute their chance of matching with a top choice.

17. The DOE Diversity Plan
Create online applications for middle and high school admissions. This will:
 Allow us to create a personalized process for each student, including a complete set of recommended options based on interest, geography, and other factors;
 Save time for families by reducing the amount of information for them to sift through;
 Allow “one stop shopping,” including registration for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, and any school-based assessment for screened and audition schools;
 Ease the burden of data entry on school staff members, allowing them to spend that time on providing guidance to students; and
 Create access to online support.
Programs that evaluate applicants look at certain parts of each applicant’s academic record. This is called a program’s selection criteria, and might include things like the fourth grade academic record or New York State test scores. Each program’s selection criteria is listed on its page in the MS Directory.

18. Elementary School Staff
Will continue to provide guidance to families
On MS Admissions, selection criteria, timeline, etc.
On school options
Will see and review family choices in SEMS
Need to support families in using the online application
Backpacking instructions and information on how to access the application
Make computers available upon request
Turnkey presentations and/or key information

19. Stay Connected Admissions Resources schools. nyc
Stay Connected Admissions Resources schools.nyc.gov/middle Office of Student Enrollment (718)
Sign up for Updates schools.nyc.gov/Subscribe
Find Your Zoned School schools.nyc.gov/SchoolSearch
Office of
Student Enrollment