We finally finished the middle school application process here that I have written about a bit over on my facebook page (I’m there a lot, it’s the instant gratification thing 🙂 )
The applications were submitted earlier this week and although a sigh of relief is audible throughout the New York school district, the fun is only just beginning.
Sure the parental legwork is done, the school tours and open houses and information nights are done with but now we wait with bated breath for the arrival of ‘invitation to test’ letters from each of the individual schools we applied to which have a testing criteria. That usually happens at the end of January, followed by an interview process which can include portfolio work and teacher recommendations.
It’s serious business this process. It all comes about for reasons of choice, specialised schools leaning toward STEMs or the ARTS … It’s becoming more streamlined.
High school is no different. We went through that last year with Grand Master D.
All the information collected is then processed by the schools who decide if the student is a good match for their offered program and then the schools ‘apply’ for the child.
The DOE has the final say but tries to match each child with one of his or her top 3 choices. It’s a nerve wracking time for families and a busy time for schools… We won’t know the result until early May, yes MAY!
If you don’t get what you’d hoped for when the letters finally come out you can enter the appeals process and reapply and get your results at the end of June. Many children don’t get what they want, but that is mostly due to unrealistic expectations. The elementary schools, in my experience do a good job at advising parents and students which schools would most likely work for them.
There is plenty of information and although the process seems daunting, it’s actually pretty good.
It’s a far cry from the rest of the country and from how it was done when I went to school in Australia, going to the closest school to your home. But this is New York City, the place of unlimited opportunities, why shouldn’t that trickle down to school?
I like the idea of choice. I like the idea of schools competing for their students, it keeps them sharp and they can’t rest on their laurels.
But I also like that it’s over for now.
And if Miss Gremlin gets her first choice, we’ll magically skip the high school process and that would be grand indeed.
Comments 8
Wow. What a lot of rigamarole. But you’re right, it’s a good thing that the kids are kept on their toes and that the schools are vying for the kind of student body they want to be part of their institution. Fingers crossed for you!!
You’re a better person than I am, Molley, that sounds like an incredible series of hoops to jump through! I hope she finds what she wants and you guys are happy with it!
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Well there’s no real choice… You have to do this, so you might as well do the best you can, tour as many as you can so you can make informed choices. I think her grades will help get her into her dream school. Having said that number 2 choice is also excellent so either way we’ll be pretty happy.
It’s not go to your closest school but it holds great opportunities. There’s pros and cons in every system I guess.
Wow, that is very different from what I’m used to. Foreign to me, all of it. This is so much more than just, “Hey where do you live? Okay, you go to this school.”
Good luck to her and I sincerely hope she gets the school she wants the most.
Author
Thanks! I think she has a good chance… but we’ll see
Maybe I’m dumb, or you have to approve comments? I left a comment, but I think it was eated by the internets.
Best of luck to her!
(If did, in fact, duplicate comment, feel free to ignore this one and approve the first.)
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Approved baby 😉
That sounds exhausting. We were only mildly assaulted with application materials in preparation for middle school. It’s interesting to hear how vastly different the options are across the country. Parents are definitely taking a look at their options and those options are becoming more abundant. Good luck to Miss Gremlin! Not that she needs it. 😉