1. High School Application Process
Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy MS/HS 141
October 3, :00PM
Mrs. Aponte-Acosta, Guidance Counselor
or ext. 2301

2. Agenda High School Application and Admissions
Specialized & Audition High Schools
Private Schools
Notification Timeline
Q & A

3. Admissions Process Timeline
September 22nd & 23rd and October 13th & 14th - High School Fairs
October 11th - Deadline to register for Fall SHSAT and LaGuardia HS Auditions
October 17th – Online release of SHSAT Ticket and LaGuardia High School Audition Ticket
October 20th & 21st – SHSAT for all current 8th grade students (students will be assigned a test date) and first-time 9th grade students
November 3rd or November 18th - SHSAT for ELL students, or students with disabilities who have an IEP or approved 504 Plans, or for make-up test requests (by permission only).
December 3rd - High school application due online
*All dates subject to change.

4. NYC High School Directory
Directory contains extremely valuable information about schools
Inside cover contains important dates and web sites
Each borough is presented in a different color
Translations
has updated info and HS Directory

5. High School Admission Methods
Audition- students ranked based on audition, grades, test scores and attendance
Educational Option (Ed. Opt.)- half of students match randomly, the other half are matched from among candidates ranked by the school
Screened- students ranked based on grades, test scores, attendance and in some cases other criteria
Test- Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) required
Screened Language – English Language Learners
Zoned- priority to students who live in the geographic zone of the high school
Open – 100% of offers are to students who are randomly selected.

9. When selecting a school, consider the following:
Location & Travel Time
MySchools.nyc
Student’s Career Interests
Student’s Capabilities
Test or Audition Requirements
Interview Requirements
Special Programs & Student Support Services

10. Visit the School Open Houses Tours or Appointments
Physical Building Characteristics
Overall Impression

11. Questions to ask when visiting a school:
Where is the school located? What is the travel time?
What are the eligibility requirements for the school?
How many students attend the school?
What academic programs are offered?
What extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports are offered?
What after school academic support is available to students?
Does the school provide any assistance in transitioning students into high school?

12. Please go to RKA’s website to register.
RKA’s Open House
Please come join us on:
November 19th or 20th
Please go to RKA’s website to register.

13. HS Application All students apply on-line
Rank up to 12 school programs in order of preference
Do not include specialized high schools or La Guardia HS
Students are matched to the highest ranked school that accepts them
Prioritize very carefully
Be sure that every school listed on the application is a school that your child wants to attend
Due December 3, 2018

14. Specialized and Audition High Schools

15. Specialized High Schools
8 specialized HS that use SHSAT exam + La Guardia which requires audition= 9 total
Students must acquire a ticket to take the SHSAT or audition for LaGuardia
Acceptance depends on student’s test score and priority order of schools
Students must rank the schools they want to attend
Students who receive testing accommodations (IEP, 504) & ELL students will test on separate date
One make up date and documentation required

16. Sample Audition Ticket

17. Sample SHSAT Ticket

18. Specialized HS Admission Process
The process is designed to match students based on their SHSAT scores and how they ranked the Specialized High Schools.*
Acceptance to a Specialized High School is based first on the student’s test score, then on the priority order in which the student placed the Specialized High Schools in Grid 6 of the answer sheet and on seat availability.
All scores of the students taking the test are ranked from highest score to lowest score.
The student with the highest score is placed in his/her first choice (highest prioritized school).
* This process was implemented beginning with the entering class of September 2003.

19. Specialized HS Admission Process cont.
Starting from the highest score on down, each student, in turn, is placed in his/her highest prioritized school in which seats are still available. Therefore, if all the seats in the student’s first-choice school have been offered to students who scored higher, he/she is placed in his/her second-choice school if seats are available. If all the seats in his/her second-choice school have been given to students who scored higher, the student is offered a seat in his/her third-choice school if there are still seats available, and so on. This process continues until there are no seats available in any of the eight Specialized High Schools.
From year to year, the number of offers and projected seats for each Specialized High School may be subject to an increase or decrease based on school enrollment.
* This process was implemented beginning with the entering class of September 2003.

20. Private Schools

21. Catholic Schools
including Open House info & application
TACHS exam will be administered on November 2nd
Applicant Record must be printed by the family from the TACHS website
Students must have “portion A” completed before handing it into Ms. Aponte-Acosta
Deadline for submission to individual schools by the family is December 14, 2018
HS acceptance letters are mailed on January 16, 2019

22. Other Private Schools
Check with individual schools for their admission practices
Staff are available for recommendations, but please provide reasonable time with requests

23. How will families be notified?

24. Round 1 (last year – late March)
Every student will receive a match to a regular HS
Students who applied for SHSAT and/or LaGuardia
May get an offer from a SHS if they qualify, AND/OR
May get an offer from LaGuardia AND
Will get an offer from a regular HS (i.e. RKA)
Families wishing to appeal their regular HS match must do so quickly (They enter Round 2)
No appeals for Specialized Match

25. Round 2- Submit Application after Round 1 (Late March)
Round 2 provides an opportunity for students unhappy with
their Round 1 match to re-apply.
All high school applicants can participate in Round 2 but if
you receive a match in Round 2 it will take the place of your
Round 1 match
To apply in Round 2, you must submit an application on line around March of As with Round 1, you will be matched to your highest possible choice subject to Admissions Methods, Admissions Priorities, and seat availability.
By the end of Round 2, all students will have a high school match.

26. For more information… Stay Engaged with Admissions
Website: schools.nyc.gov/high
schools.nyc.gov/SHS
schools.nyc.gov/Connect
Explore High Schools and Apply
MySchools.nyc

27. Get Help Family Welcome Centers:
Visit a Family Welcome Center to get help with your application- locations and hours are listed on the website.
Schools.nyc.gov/WelcomeCenters
For online support, please contact or the High School Enrollment office at