In New York City public school admissions, a random number (sometimes called the lottery number or RAN) is a computer-generated number assigned to every student’s application. When multiple students have the same admissions priority – for example, zoned, sibling status, grades, or test score – and there are more applicants than available seats, the RAN determines who gets an offer first. The number acts as a tie-breaker.

The RAN is a long string of numbers and letters, which families are able to see once they start their application in MySchools. It can appear indecipherable at first, but remember: only the first two digits count! 

The numbers are compared left to right, in increasing order: from 0–9 then a-f. This means that the first character is enough to give you a rough idea of how good your number is. Students with lower random numbers are offered seats before those with higher numbers when other priorities are equal. So, a number that starts with 0 is in the first 6.25 % of applicants and one that starts with F in the last 6.25 %

Does the RAN Matter for All Public Schools? 

The RAN is the determinant for students applying to non-zoned elementary and middle schools, after all other priority groups are accommodated. For high school, the RAN is all that is considered for “open” admission offers, and it serves as a tie-breaker for schools that consider a student’s group number, which is based on their grades. The RAN is generally not considered by schools requiring an audition or by screened schools that require an additional assessment such as an interview, essay or exam.

If a student is waitlisted at any school above the school they are matched with when public school offers are released, they will be assigned a new RAN for the waitlist process.

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How Can I Find Out My Child’s Odds at Their Top Choice High Schools?

Amelie Marian, a computer science professor at Rutgers University, has written an extremely helpful guide to the RAN system, which is updated annually and includes data on likelihood of admission, based on a survey of 8th grade applicants from the previous year. Though this is not an official DOE survey and generally includes students applying to schools that get the most applications, it can be very helpful in determining the likelihood of placing at your child’s top choice schools. Marian determines percentages based on the first two digits of the random number.