NYC’s 2021 Kindergarten Application is Now Open

EDITOR’S NOTE (1/19): The Kindergarten Application deadline has been extended to Friday, January 22, 2021. See our latest Kindergarten Application-related post right here on The Morning Bell.

Have a child who will turn five years old in 2021?

Then we have great news: New York City’s Kindergarten Application is now open!

From now until January 19, 2021, families with children born in 2016 can apply for fall 2021 admission to kindergarten at City public elementary schools (Grades K–5). Every five-year-old City resident is guaranteed a seat in a NYC public school kindergarten program.

Families can use MySchools to explore their elementary school options, save their favorites, and submit their applications. Don’t worry if you do not have a MySchools account—it’s easy to create one and get started.

Who can apply for kindergarten this year?

• City families with children born in 2016 (who will turn five in 2021);
• Children new to NYC schools;
• Current Pre-K students (Pre-K Centers, NYC Early Education Centers, district, charter, private, and parochial schools);
• Students who move to the City during the admissions process;
• Students with disabilities;
• Multilingual learners;
• Students in temporary housing; and
• LGBTQ and gender noncomforming students.

Want to learn more about kindergarten and elementary school admissions? Visit our Kindergarten webpage for more details, including admissions priorities, and register to attend one of our virtual Elementary Admissions Events—be sure to indicate your language preferences, as interpretation services will be provided according to demand.

On behalf of the NYC Department of Education, we wish all of our families success with their kindergarten applications!