High School Fair to be Held at Brooklyn Tech This Weekend Borough High School Fairs, Open Houses, Workshops for Families in October and November
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced a series of events this fall that will assist students and their families in choosing a high school. The Department of Education will host its annual Citywide High School Fair at Brooklyn Technical High School (29 Fort Greene Place) this Saturday, September 20, and Sunday, September 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Families can also attend borough high school fairs on October 18 and 19 and workshops in October and November to learn more about high school options and the admissions process.
“With more high schools to choose from than ever before – 700 programs in all – it’s important for students and their families to take the time to explore their options and find a school that’s right for them,” Chancellor Klein said. “The Citywide High School Fair and the other events this fall will help families learn about schools and get their questions about the admissions process answered.”
At the Citywide High School Fair, staff and students from nearly all of the City’s public high schools will provide information and answer questions about their schools. The fair will also include information sessions about the high school admissions process and separate workshops on how to apply to the nine specialized high schools. Printed copies of the Directory of the New York City Public High Schools, 2008-2009, will be available in English, along with electronic versions translated into eight other languages. Families will also be able to meet with representatives from the Public Schools Athletic League. Interpretation services will be available.
Eighth- and ninth-grade students applying to high school this year are strongly encouraged to attend the fair. Seventh graders who want to start learning about their high school options are also invited.
Individual schools will hold open houses for interested students in the weeks following the fair. Additionally, the DOE will host five borough high school fairs on Saturday, October 18, and Sunday, October 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. These fairs will focus exclusively on schools in individual boroughs. The locations for the fairs are as follows:
- Bronx - Theodore Roosevelt High School (500 East Fordham Road)
- Manhattan – Louis Brandeis High School (145 West 84th Street)
- Queens – Francis Lewis High School (58-20 Utopia Parkway)
- Brooklyn – Edward R. Murrow High School (1600 Avenue L)
- Staten Island – New Dorp High School (465 New Dorp Lane)
The DOE will also offer workshops on the high school admissions process for families in October and November at locations throughout the City. The schedule for these workshops will be available at the Citywide High School Fair, at schools, and on the DOE’s website. In February, the DOE will conduct a series of information fairs for the new schools that will open in fall 2009.
At the end of last school year, this year’s eighth graders received the high school directory and other guides that introduced them to the admissions process and helped them begin to identify schools that match their educational goals and interests. The DOE also hosted workshops on choosing high schools for families over the summer.
Students will receive their high school application in mid-October, and they must return it to their guidance counselor by December 2. More information about the high school admissions process, including a calendar of events, deadlines, and electronic copies of the high school guides, are available on the DOE’s website at www.nyc.gov/schools.