NYC school admissions

Need a school place now?

Enrolling for 2026-2027 is different from applying for 2027-2028. Do not wait for next year's application window if your child needs a place this school year.

If your child has an offer, contact that school to register. For a new kindergarten-through-grade-8 student, check the official address lookup and contact the zoned school, if one is listed. For high school, no zone, or help finding another option, contact a Family Welcome Center. Families already enrolled should ask about the transfer process.

A waitlist is not an offer. Check the current cycle's waitlist dates and contact the school about any offer you receive. Family Welcome Centers can help with enrollment and MySchools, but cannot change waitlist priorities.

• Enroll a new student
• NYC Public Schools address lookup
• Family Welcome Centers
• Current waitlist guidance
• Public-school transfers

For disability-related, language or building-accessibility needs, ask the school and the enrollment team about the support your child needs. Find enrollment support for student needs.

3-K and Pre-K

For fall 2026, NYC children born in 2023 can attend 3-K; children born in 2022 can attend Pre-K. Use MySchools and the early-childhood enrollment team to ask about an available seat now.

Check the program and seat type, not just the school name. School-day, extended-day and year-round seats have different hours and eligibility rules. Charter and half-day Pre-K programs have separate admissions; contact them directly.

Planning ahead. For a later school year, use the age and application cycle on the official 3-K or Pre-K page. The dates for fall 2026 are not deadlines for fall 2027.

• 3-K admissions
• Pre-K admissions
• MySchools

Kindergarten and elementary school

Kindergarten starts in the calendar year a child turns five. For a place now in kindergarten through grade 5, check the official address lookup and contact the listed zoned school. If there is no zoned school, or you need another option, contact a Family Welcome Center.

Kindergarten applications are program-specific. Living in a zone can give priority, but does not promise an offer from a particular school. Districts 1, 7 and 23 have non-zoned kindergarten priorities; this is not an all-grades district rule.

Planning ahead. For fall 2027 kindergarten entry (children born in 2022), DOE currently lists December 9, 2026-January 22, 2027 as the application window. Confirm the published dates before applying; this window is for 2027-2028, not a seat this year.

• Kindergarten admissions
• NYC Public Schools address lookup
• Enroll a new student

Middle school

Apply in the final year of elementary school, usually grade 5. Some schools have different entry grades. Check the programs shown in your child's MySchools account and ask the current school counselor for help.

Families can list middle-school programs across NYC. Zoned, district and other program priorities still matter. A school appearing on a map, or being called a choice school, does not establish eligibility or an offer.

For a new student who needs a place now, contact the zoned middle school identified by NYC Public Schools, or a Family Welcome Center if there is no zone or you need help.

Planning ahead. For the next entry year, check the official middle-school timeline and program requirements. This guide does not carry forward a previous cycle's deadline.

• Middle-school admissions
• MySchools
• Enroll a new student

High school

New students who have finished grade 8 and need a high-school place now should contact a Family Welcome Center. Already enrolled and seeking a change? Use the public-school transfer process.

For next-year admissions, current eighth graders and first-time ninth graders apply to programs through MySchools. Review each program's requirements: screened assessments and auditions can require additional steps.

The eight testing specialized high schools use separate SHSAT registration. LaGuardia has a separate application and audition process. Neither is covered by a generic school-choice or zone label.

Planning ahead. For fall 2027 entry, DOE currently lists October 6-December 4, 2026 for high-school and LaGuardia applications. SHSAT registration closes earlier, on October 30, 2026. Confirm the official timeline and any program-specific requirements.

• High-school admissions
• Specialized high schools and SHSAT
• Family Welcome Centers
• Public-school transfers

Charter and private schools

Charter schools have their own applications. Contact each school for the relevant entry grade, deadline and waitlist. When applicants exceed seats, admission uses a random selection process with applicable preferences; a district match is not an offer.

For a private school, go to that school's admissions office. Ask about entry grades, age cutoffs, required visits or assessments, available places, tuition for the intended year and any financial-assistance deadline. A listing or historical tuition figure is not confirmation of an available seat.

• Charter-school enrollment

Find a school's profile and contact details.

Zones and eligibility

This site's maps do not determine admissions eligibility. A geographic school district is not the same as an attendance zone. Stored zone boundaries may describe an earlier school year; the nearest school is not necessarily the zoned school.

Check your home address in the official NYC Public Schools lookup, then confirm the intended grade, entry year and program with the school or enrollment team. Zone changes can affect incoming students differently from children already attending or those with siblings at the school.

Check your address with NYC Public Schools. Read about map sources and data dates.