This is the first time I am writing about the madness that is the New York City public middle school process. A process you say, what the hell is that? Don’t you just go to the middle school in your neighborhood?
The title of this book says it all – “DIRECTORY” of Middle Schools
That seems like the logical thing do right!? I grew up in the suburbs where you had one choice for middle school, the neighborhood middle school, period. If you didn’t like you it, you moved or sent your kid away to private school.
Not so in New York, you get actually have to rank 5 schools you would like your child to attend. And for the record, there are more than 5 schools in my zoned area in which I have to choose from. This past fall, I actually visited 8 schools. Again, did I mention this is public school. And there were more than 8 to visit. I just ruled out the ones, I thought we did not even have a chance of getting into or was too far.
Back to the ranking of the schools. Just because you choose 5 schools in no way guarantees that your child will get into the 5 schools you select.
How is that? Because every other family in New York in your zone is doing the same thing. And for very popular and selective schools, if you don’t rank them number 1, they don’t even bother looking at you. So you damn well better make the #1, the one you want. And again, just because you rank the school #1 does not guarantee a spot because for the schools that are selective and popular, there is actually a second round. First ranked schools require you to submit to an interview which includes the kids taking an English and math test. Again why, there is no humanly nor money wise way the school can interview more than the first choices. Just to give you some hard numbers, these schools can accept from 100-125 kids in the incoming 6th grade and on average each gets over 600 applicants. Yikes!
My mind has been filled with how to rank the schools and which schools would be a good fit for my daughter. A school I had thought my daughter would go to in kindergarten is not even a possibility because ranking that school #1 would be nuts because who knows my daughter could tank the test and then what.
Anyway, the rankings are done. I can even hope and pray we get the our #1 ranked school at this point because I know have to prep my daughter for the interview and tests.
Stay tuned for part 2 – Interview prep.
