Waitlists

Happening Now

  • Middle school and high school waitlists are open! Middle and high school waitlists will close on Friday, September 12. This is the last day that a waitlist offer can be made. 
  • Families who missed the 3-K, pre-K, or kindergarten deadlines can add their child to waitlists using MySchools. These waitlists will close on Friday, September 19. This is the last day that a waitlist offer can be made. 

Learn About Waitlists

Waitlists are a way for programs or schools to fill any open seats after offers are released. Being on a waitlist means your child does not have an offer to that program, and not all students on waitlists will receive a waitlist offer.

  • Your child's offer letter will include information about any programs where your child is waitlisted. They are automatically on the waitlist for any program(s) listed higher on your child's application than the program where they got an offer.
    • For example, if your child got an offer to their third-choice program, they would automatically be on the waitlist for their first- and second-choice programs.
    • If your child got an offer to their first-choice program, they would not be on any waitlists.
    • If you would like to remain on a waitlist, there is nothing else you need to do.
  • After offers are available and when waitlists open, you can also use MySchools.nyc to
    • Add your child to additional waitlists (this is optional)
    • See where your child is on any waitlist
    • Add or remove your child from waitlists
    • Accept or decline a waitlist offer, if you receive one
  • Schools will contact you directly if they are able to make your child a waitlist offer. 

Questions? We're here to help! Contact a Family Welcome Center to set up a MySchools account or get support with waitlists.

Click or tap on the sections below to learn how and when waitlist offers are made for specific admissions processes, and how to accept or decline an offer.

  • Families who missed the 3-K, pre-K, or kindergarten deadlines can add their child to waitlists using MySchools.

How Children Get Waitlist Offers

If a program has an open seat, that program will use their waitlist to make additional offers. Waitlist offers are based on the same admissions priorities used to make original offers. Learn more about admissions priorities:

  • For 3-K, see the "Learn How Children Get Offers" section of the 3-K page.
  • For pre-K, see the "Learn How Children Get Offers" section of the Pre-K page.
  • For kindergarten, see the "Learn How Students Get Offers" section of the Kindergarten page.

If You Get a Waitlist Offer

A school or program will contact you directly if they are able to make you a waitlist offer.

Please note that you can only have one accepted offer. Accepting your waitlist offer means declining your child’s previous offer: you must choose between them within the timeline provided.

Accepting Offers and Waitlist Offers

  • Even if you hope to receive a waitlist offer from another program, be sure to accept your offer and pre-register by the deadline provided—this will secure your child's seat at that program. Doing so will not affect their chances of getting a waitlist offer to a program you prefer.
  • If your child gets a waitlist offer, accept and pre-register for that offer by the deadline provided.
  • Use the checklist at the bottom of the 3-K, Pre-K, or Kindergarten page to learn what documentation you'll need to pre-register for any offer.

Please read the following answers to frequently asked questions, which apply when waitlists are open.

What are waitlists? 

Middle and high schools use waitlists to fill any open seats after offers are released. Being on a waitlist means your child does NOT have an offer to that program. 

  • Not all programs will have available seats, so not all programs will make waitlist offers.
  • Not all students on waitlists will receive a waitlist offer.
  • If a program can make you a waitlist offer, they will contact you directly.
  • Unlike all other middle and high school programs, the Specialized High Schools do NOT use waitlists.

Which middle and high schools have waitlists? 

Every program that you can list on your application has a waitlist, but many middle and high schools will not have any open seats and therefore will not make any offers to students on their waitlist.
 
Please note that the nine Specialized High Schools do not have waitlists. 

I’m on a program’s waitlist. Does this mean I will get an offer to that program? 

Not necessarily. Schools will only make waitlist offers if they have open seats to fill. Being on a waitlist means your child does not have an offer to that program, and not all students on waitlists will receive a waitlist offer. 

Where am I automatically waitlisted? 

Your child is automatically on the waitlist for any program they listed higher on their application than the program where they received an offer. For instance, if you receive an offer to your third-choice program, you will be automatically waitlisted at your second- and first-choice programs. If you’ve received an offer to your first-choice program, you are not automatically on any waitlists. 

How do I add myself to waitlists? (Optional) 

When waitlists open, you can also add your child to any additional waitlists of any programs they are eligible to attend by doing one of the following: 

Is there a limit to how many waitlists I can be on?

There is no limit to how many programs’ waitlists a student can be on.

How is my position on a waitlist determined?

Waitlist positions are determined by admissions method, admissions priorities, and when a family added themselves to the waitlist. 

High School Waitlists

At open / education option waitlists:

  • Automatically waitlisted students: students are positioned based on a waitlist random number. This waitlist random number is unique for each waitlist, and is different from the random number used on the application.
  • Added to the waitlist: students are positioned in timestamp order behind those who are already on the waitlist. 

At screened high school waitlists:

  • Automatically waitlisted students: students are positioned in order of screened admissions group, starting with group 1. Within each admissions group, students are ordered based on a waitlist random number.
  • Added to the waitlist: students are positioned within their screened admissions group in timestamp order, behind students who are already on the waitlist.

At audition or screened with assessment high school waitlists:

  • Automatically waitlisted students: students are positioned based on the weighted average of their course grades and assessment score, or based on their audition score.
  • Added to the waitlist: students are positioned within other students on the waitlist based on their weighted average assessment score, or based on their audition score. 
    • At screened with assessment programs, students who didn’t participate in the assessment are positioned based just on their grades. 
    • At audition programs, students who didn’t audition are positioned in timestamp order, behind other students already on the waitlist.

At programs with priority groups:

Students are positioned in priority group order. For example at a high school with a Bronx priority, first students and residents of the Bronx are positioned, then all other students are positioned.

Priorities for a portion of seats are used just for initial offer outcomes and not on waitlists. This includes all diversity in admissions programs where low-income students are prioritized for a portion of seats, and all borough priorities where borough applicants are prioritized for a portion of seats. 

Bard Early College High Schools maintain separate waitlists for their various priority groups. 

Middle School Waitlists

Zone Priority, Zoned and Continuing, and Open Middle School Programs:

  • Automatically waitlisted students: students are positioned within their priority group based on a waitlist random number.  This waitlist random number is unique for each waitlist, and is different from the random number used on the application.
  • Added to the waitlist: students are positioned within their priority group in timestamp order behind those who are already on the waitlist. 

Screened, Audition, and Language Criteria Middle School Programs:

  • Automatically waitlisted students: students are ordered on the waitlist by their score or ranking.  If more than one student has the same score or ranking, students who are automatically added to the waitlist are ordered based on a waitlist random number within that score or ranking.
  • Added to the waitlist:  Students who add themselves to the waitlist are positioned by their score or ranking. If more than one student has the same score or ranking, students are positioned in timestamp order within that score or ranking. 

How do I see my position on a waitlist? 

While waitlists are open, you can log into your MySchools account to see your child’s position on any waitlist, at any time. You can also talk to your child’s school counselor or contact a Family Welcome Center to get this information. 

Are there separate waitlists for general education (GE) and Students with Disabilities (SWD) seats? 

Yes. Each middle school and high school program has seats for general education students and seats for students with disabilities. There is a separate waitlist for each group of seats. This means that: 

  • If your child is in the SWD seat group, they will be on the waitlist for students with disabilities. 
  • If your child is in the GE seat group, they will be on the waitlist for general education students. 

Your MySchools account will show which seat group (and waitlist) your child is in. This is not something you are able to choose or edit. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/Middle and schools.nyc.gov/High. 

What happens if I get a waitlist offer? 

If a school makes you a waitlist offer, you will automatically get an email and see the offer in MySchools. The school will also contact you directly. You will have seven calendar days to accept or decline that waitlist offer. If you accept a waitlist offer, it replaces your child’s current offer. 

Please note that you can only have one accepted offer. Accepting your waitlist offer means declining your child’s current offer: you must choose between them within the seven calendar days. 

Need support with middle or high school waitlists? 

We’re here to help! 

  • Call us at 718-935-2009 with any questions.

Watch our MySchools tutorial to learn how to check your child's position on any middle or high school waitlist, add them to additional waitlists, and accept a waitlist offer. Please note that these functions are only available while waitlists are open.