For Fall 2026 admissions, screened programs will admit the top-performing applicants from across each middle school and citywide. Students are placed into screened admissions groups based on the average of their final seventh-grade core course grades (English Language Arts, math, science, and social studies). To be in a group, a student’s average must fall within the top percentage of students citywide or at their NYC Public school.
Applicants are admitted in group order, starting with Group 1. If there are more applicants in a group than available seats, offers within that group are determined by a random number assigned to each application.
Citywide Grade Averages for Fall 2026
To learn what average grades are needed to fall into a group at your child’s NYC public school*, please contact their current school after the application period begins. To fall into the top percentage citywide, students need at least:
To fall into the top __% of applicants citywide… | An applicant needs average core course grades of at least: |
Top 15% (Group 1) | 94.33 |
Top 30% (Group 2) | 90.25 |
Top 50% (Group 3) | 83.33
|
Top 70% (Group 4) | 76.67
|
Minimum Grade Requirements:
Students must meet minimum averages to qualify for each group:
- Group 1: 90 or higher
- Group 2: 80 or higher
- Group 3: 75 or higher
- Group 4: 65 or higher
Even if a student ranks in the top percentage at their school, they cannot be placed in a group if their average is below these minimums.
How Seats Are Filled
If all Group 1 applicants can be accommodated, Group 2 applicants are considered next, and so on. When there are more applicants than seats in a group, offers are made randomly within that group.
Additional Details
- Charter and Non-NYC Public School Applicants: Charter school students are eligible for a group based on the citywide averages. If a charter school provides grades for all students, charter school students could also be eligible based on their school average. Non-NYC Public School students qualify based on citywide averages only.
- Viewing Your Group: When the high school application is open, families can see their child's group in MySchools under “Edit profile.”
- Tenth-Grade Seats: Ninth-grade applicants for tenth-grade seats are grouped based on their final eighth-grade course grades.
How are offers made to screened programs that participate in Diversity in Admissions (DIA) and do not require an assessment?
At screened programs with DIA and no assessment, offers for DIA seats are made in group order:
- Students in Group 1 who are DIA-eligible are considered first for DIA seats.
- If seats remain, DIA-eligible students in Group 2 are considered next, and so on until all DIA seats are filled.
Where can I find out if a screened program requires an additional assessment?
A small portion of high schools may also require applicants to complete a school-based assessment, such as an essay. A list of these schools is available at our Assessments for Screened Schools webpage.
How does screening work for Students with Disabilities (SWD)?
Each screened high school program reserves a portion of seats for students with disabilities (SWD). These seats are filled in group order: SWD applicants in Group 1 are considered first, then Group 2, and so on.
Why aren’t screened admissions groups calculated separately for SWD students?
Admissions groups are based on academic performance, not on whether a student is in general education (GE) or has SWD status. Students in the top 15% of their school or city qualify for Group 1, regardless of GE or SWD status.
This means higher-performing SWD students are placed into reserved SWD seats first. Once all SWD applicants in a group have been accommodated, the next group is considered.
Using the same scale for all students ensures consistency and flexibility. If a student’s IEP status changes during the process, their admissions group remains the same.
My child's school does not use numeric grades. How is my group calculated?
The DOE converts non-numeric grades based on the below table.
| Score | Numeric Equivalent |
|---|
| 1 | 55 |
| 2 | 62 |
| 3 | 85 |
| 4 | 95 |
| 1- | 53 |
| 1+ | 58 |
| 2- | 60 |
| 2+ | 64 |
| 3- | 83 |
| 3+ | 88 |
| 4- | 93 |
| 4+ | 98 |
| A | 95 |
| A- | 93 |
| A+ | 98 |
| B | 85 |
| B- | 83 |
| B+ | 88 |
| C | 75 |
| C- | 73 |
| C+ | 78 |
| D | 65 |
| D- | 60 |
| D+ | 68 |
| E | 95 |
| E- | 93 |
| E+ | 98 |
| F | 55 |
| G | 85 |
| G- | 83 |
| G+ | 88 |
| IB1 | 55 |
| IB2 | 65 |
| IB3 | 72 |
| IB4 | 79 |
| IB5 | 86 |
| IB6 | 92 |
| IB7 | 98 |
| CA | 70 |
| CE | 100 |
| CM | 85 |
| CN | 55 |
| CR | 65 |
| MA | 85 |
| MB | 55 |
| ME | 95 |
| MP | 65 |
| MT | 75 |
| N | 65 |
| N- | 60 |
| N+ | 68 |
| NC | 55 |
| NS | 55 |
| S | 75 |
| S- | 73 |
| S+ | 78 |
| U | 55 |
| P | 65 |