Dear Parents and Guardians,

Selecting a high school is one of the most important decisions students in New York City will make in their young adult lives. As New Yorkers, we are lucky that middle school students can choose a school that matches their needs and interests. As you may already know, making this choice can be an overwhelming and difficult process. To get started, parents/guardians and students should sit down together to discuss the goals you share for the student's high school education. Talk about your student's interests and preferences in a high school. Listen to your student's ideas and think about types of high schools that may be a good fit - with options including small schools, charter schools, private schools, and specialized high schools, students have many options. Most importantly, get started early! The sooner you and your student begin researching, the better chance you will have of identifying high schools that will serve your student's needs and lead to a successful high school career.

ACORN's High School Choice Workshop Series provides students, families, educators, and community organizations and leaders with the information and tools they need to begin this process. Sit down with your student and go over the information available on this website (don't forget to check out our "Find a School / The Index" resource located on the side bar of this page). The information on this site has been extracted from various sources including the New York City Department of Education's website, which we encourage you to visit at http://schools.nyc.gov.

Again, the most important thing you can do now is to start having a conversation with your child about high school. The sooner the better. We hope you find this information helpful and wish you good luck in finding a great school!

Sincerely,
ACORN's High School Choice Workshop Series Staff