FAQs and Waitlist Information
2024 NYC Public Schools Virtual information session about high school offers:
During each session, NYCPS will discuss how high school offers were made, how waitlists will work, and next steps for families. They will also take time to answer questions from attendees. Each event will cover the same information.
- March 12, 6pm to 7pm | Event in English and American Sign Language (ASL). Interpretation provided in: Arabic, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole.
- March 14, 6pm to 7pm | Event in Spanish.
- March 15, 3pm to 4pm | Event in English and American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation provided in: French, Russian, and Urdu.
- March 19, 6pm to 7pm | Event in Mandarin.
- March 20, 6pm to 7pm | Event in English and American Sign Language (ASL). Interpretation provided in Bangla, Korean, and Spanish.
How to join:
- visit schools.nyc.gov/HS and click on the “Attend Admissions Events and Open Houses” (halfway down page)
Can’t attend or want to learn more? A captioned recording will be posted on our website, schools.nyc.gov/HS by the end of March.
Previous FAQs and Waitlist Information
Students Automatically on Waitlists
Students are automatically on the waitlist for each program listed higher on
their application than their offer. For example:
- A student who gets an offer to their 3rd choice program is automatically on the waitlists for their 1st choice and 2nd choice programs.
- A student who gets an offer to their 1st choice program is not automatically on any waitlists.
- A school like Townsend Harris could have over 9,000 students on their waitlist
- MySchools (for families) will show the programs where the child is on the waitlist.
Waitlists Information will be coming from the DOE:
Waitlists will open in early June
More Offers Than Available Seats:
When offers are released in March, the NYC DOE Enrollment office makes more offers than available seats at each program.
- To account for expected attrition.
- Programs will not necessarily make waitlist offers whenever a student with an offer goes elsewhere (opts out, discharged, chooses a Specialized High School offer, etc.)
It is possible that a screened school like, Townsend Harris High School will not be using their waitlist. If we do use our waitlist we will be contacting students after high school decisions are due, after May 15, ,2020. We will not be making any waitlist offers before that time.