The NYC School Admissions Calendar: What's Due When, Pre-K to High School

The thing nobody hands you when you have a kid in New York is the calendar. Not the school-year calendar — the admissions calendar: the set of application windows that decide where your child can go next year. And there isn’t one. There are several, running on different clocks, and the only unforgivable mistake is missing a window, because there’s rarely a make-up round.

This is the year at a glance — what opens when, who it’s for, and where to go deep. It’s the companion to our complete guide to NYC school admissions (which covers how each process works); this one is about when. Bookmark it — we refresh it as each cycle’s dates firm up.

One thing to get straight first

Every window below is a typical pattern, not a date you should write in pen. The city announces exact dates each year, and they move. Use this to know which season to brace for and what to line up; confirm the real dates for your cycle on schools.nyc.gov and in MySchools, the portal most of the public process runs through.

Two rhythms to hold in your head

Almost everything sorts into two clocks:

• The little kids apply in the winter.3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Gifted & Talented generally run their applications over the winter for the following September.
• The big kids apply in the fall. Middle school and high school applications open in the fall of the priorschool year — typically early October — and close around early December, with offers in March. The SHSAT sits inside that fall, and charters run their own parallel clock into the spring.

The year at a glance

• Fall (roughly September–December). Middle and high school applications open and close. SHSAT registration (September–October) and the test itself (late October). High school auditions (roughly October–December). Charter applications begin opening.
• Winter (roughly December–February). Kindergarten applications open (typically December) and close (mid-to-late January). 3-K and Pre-K applications open. Many charter deadlines land here.
• Spring (roughly March–May).Middle and high school offers arrive in March. 3-K and Pre-K offers follow into late spring. Gifted & Talented referral/application activity typically runs in the spring for the following year. Charter lotteries are usually drawn (often April).
• Summer.Waitlists move, second-round options open, and you get your one quiet stretch — a good time to plan next year’s list.

Stage by stage, what’s due when

3-K (the year your child turns 3)

Applications typically open in the winter and close in the spring, with offers later in the spring. It’s an application, not a test or a zone. Full walk-through: The NYC 3-K Guide; browse programs in our early education directory.

Pre-K (the year your child turns 4)

Same winter-open, spring-close rhythm as 3-K, with offers in late spring, and effectively universal across the city. A 3-K or Pre-K seat doesn’t bind your later applications — each cycle is separate.

Kindergarten (the year your child turns 5)

Applications typically open in December and close in mid-to-late January, with offers in the spring. Apply even if you plan to use your zoned school — the application confirms the seat and opens the choice options without costing your zoned priority. Read how zoning works on the zoned admissions method, and go deeper in our kindergarten admissions guide.

Gifted & Talented

The referral and application window typically runs in the spring for the following school year, with eligible children entering a random lottery for limited seats. The rules here have changed repeatedly in recent years, so confirm the current cycle’s process before you build a plan around it — our Gifted & Talented guide covers what to watch.

Middle school (entering 6th grade)

Rides the fall application: typically open in early October, close around early December, offers in March. Different schools use different methods — start with Screened and Educational Option, and read what “screened” really means before you build the list. Our middle school choice guide has the rest.

High school (entering 9th grade) and the SHSAT

The main high school application runs the same fall window (typically early October to early December, offers in March), and it’s a citywidechoice — your zone no longer limits you. Two things sit inside that fall and have their own steps:

• SHSAT. Registration typically runs September–October of 8th grade; the test is sat in late October; specialized offers arrive in March. You must opt in — it’s separate from the main application.
• Auditions. LaGuardia and the arts programs hold auditions roughly October–December, on the same application timeline — serious applicants prepare well ahead.

The full breakdown is in our high school & SHSAT guide.

Charter schools (a parallel clock)

Charters are public and free but run outside the DOE match, on their own applications and deadlines. Most open applications in the fall and draw their lottery in the spring (often April), and deadlines vary by network, so confirm each one on its own portal. You can apply to charters andgo through the regular process — they don’t cancel out. See our charter school lottery guide.

How to never miss the one that matters

The calendar is free knowledge — this page and the admission methods chart are yours to use. Acting on it without dropping a date is where families want help:

• Put every deadline in one place. Our admissions tracker— part of Motley Pro — keeps each school’s steps, documents, and dates together, with a deadline calendar you can subscribe to so the windows land in the calendar you already check.
• Build the list that fills them. Use our school directory and best-of lists, or let Smart Matchrank schools against your priorities — also part of Motley Pro.
• Confirm the real dates.Always check the current cycle’s exact deadlines on schools.nyc.gov and MySchools. The application happens on the city’s portals; deciding which schools, and never missing the date, is on us.

Whatever stage you’re in, start with your front door in the complete admissions guide, then search your block on our school and neighborhood search to see what’s actually around you. We refresh this calendar each year as the cycle’s dates are announced — come back when the next window opens.