Many families throughout New York City who have applied to public schools are on pins and needles as they await placement notifications. This can feel especially stressful, because there is nothing to be done other than waiting at this point, and waiting without the ability to take any action toward a desired outcome is always hard. However, there is some good news to keep in mind during this time! The data from previous years indicates that the majority of public school applicant families will receive positive results. And, even for those who may initially be disappointed, the waitlist process often allows families to end up at a school they are happy with, as the process works itself out. 

The first results to be released will be high school on March 5th. For families who have applied to both public and independent high schools, this timing allows them to have information on all of their options prior to the ISAAGNY independent school reply date on March 12th. Elementary school results will be released on March 31st, followed by middle school on April 15th, and Pre-K and 3-K on May 12th and 19th. For these grades, independent school decisions will need to be made before families have access to their public school results.

Though the majority of families will likely receive good news, it is important to understand how the waitlist process works, in order to be prepared for all possibilities. Keep reading to learn more about public school waitlists. 

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What are the chances of receiving a desired placement offer?

On March 5, some 70,000 8th graders will find out where they were placed for public high school. If this year’s results mirror the past few years, more than 95% will be matched with one of the schools on their list and more than 75% will get one of their first three choices. About half got their first choice in 2025. And disappointed students will still have a chance of acceptance to their higher-ranked public schools via the waitlist. 

How does the waitlist work? 

Students are automatically waitlisted for all schools ranked higher on their list than the one they are matched with. For example, if a student is given an offer from their sixth ranked school in March, they will be automatically placed on a waitlist for schools they ranked 1 through 5. They may receive an offer from one or more of those schools very soon or before the school year begins in September. Families can see what number they are on the waitlist in their MySchools account. They can also add themselves to waitlists for schools that they didn’t apply to. Families will notice that their position on a waitlist may shift as other students who have higher priority for a school add themselves to waitlists, too. 

Importantly, especially for students who had a poor RAN (lottery) number in the main round, every student will be assigned a new random number for each school during the waitlist period.

What are the chances of a waitlist offer? 

There is no official Department of Education data on how many students get a seat off a waitlist. However, there is an unofficial website — NYC Sift —that uses DOE data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Searching by school name, students can find the number of expected waitlist acceptances based on the previous year’s data. 

Waitlists do move, even at some of the most sought-after high schools, as students accept an offer at a specialized, charter, or private school. 

The nine specialized high schools, including the eight SHSAT testing schools and LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, do not maintain waitlists. Students may apply again the following year for 10th grade if they miss the cut this year. 

Is there anything students can do to influence the waitlist? 

In short, no. The process is handled by the central DOE and is computerized. Families can be proactive by adding themselves to waitlists of schools they may prefer that they didn’t previously apply to.  

What about middle and elementary school waitlists?

As a reminder, placements for public middle school will be sent on April 15, and elementary school letters go out on March 31. 

The waitlist process for both levels is the same as for high school: students are automatically waitlisted for higher ranked schools and they will get a new lottery number for each school.

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