Learning how offers are made is helpful to know your child’s chances of getting an offer from one of your preferred choices on the application. Children get Pre-K offers based on three key factors:
- Your application choices
- Programs' seat availability
- Admission priorities
Pre-K admissions is not first come, first served, and you can make changes to your application any time before the application deadline.
Admissions Factor: Your Application Choices
The choices that you add to your child's application and the order in which you place them matter!
- Choose the programs that you'd like your child to attend.
- Add them to your application, placing programs in your true order of preference, with your first choice at the top as #1. Some schools offer more than one program at a site location, so be sure to add the correct program—such as a Dual Language program and a Pre-K School Day program—to your application.
Your child will be considered for admissions at each program you list on your application. They will get one offer to the Pre-K program you listed highest that also has an open seat. If your child does not get an offer to a program listed on your application, they will get an offer to the closest available program.
Programs' Seat Availability
Each Pre-K program has a certain number of available seats. Programs vary in size, and many have more applicants than seats. If a program has more applicants than seats, admissions priorities are used to make offers.
Types of Admissions Priorities
Your child has a better chance of getting into some programs than others. When a program can't make offers to applicants, offers are made based on which children have the highest admissions priority to attend that program.
- Children are considered in priority groups, and all students in the first priority group are considered first.
- If seats are available, children in the second priority group will be considered next, and so on.
Program demand varies greatly. Some programs admit applicants from most or all priority groups, while others only admit applicants from their first priority group.
Current Student Priority
If your child is currently enrolled at a program that you apply to, they have priority at that program. If you would like your child to remain at the program, be sure to list the program on your application and indicate that your child is a current student. On the last page of the application, let us know where your child currently attends.
Sibling Priority
If your child's sibling attends a program that you list on your application, they have a higher chance of getting an offer to that program. A sibling is defined as an applicant's brother or sister, including half-brothers, half-sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, foster brothers, and foster sisters who live in the same household. Sibling priority will only be granted in cases where either of the following applies: the applicant's sibling attends the school now and will still be enrolled in September 2025, or the applicant's sibling has an accepted offer for September 2025. This includes siblings enrolled in District 75 programs in the same building. On the last page of the application, let us know if you have a sibling attending a school you applied to.
District Priority
New York City has 32 school districts. Your school district is determined by your home address. Your child may have priority to attend programs at NYCPS public schools and Pre-K Centers in the school district where your family lives.
Zoned Priority
- Most families in NYC have a zoned elementary school. This means that children who live in the zone, or area around a school, have priority to attend that school. If you have zoned DOE public school that offers a Pre-K program, your child will have priority to attend that program.
- You can look up your child's zoned school (if they have one) and your school district at Find-a-School or by calling 311.
- Families living in Districts 1, 7, and 23 do not have a zoned school—children living in these districts have priority to attend all schools in the district.
Diversity in Admissions Priority
NYCPS is committed to creating and supporting learning environments that reflect the diversity of New York City. We believe all students benefit from diverse and inclusive schools and classrooms. Pre-K programs across the city are participating in an initiative to increase diversity by giving admissions priorities for a certain percentage of seats to specific groups of children, such as low-income students, students in temporary housing, Emergent Multilingual Learners, and other groups. The current list of Pre-K programs participating in this initiative, as well as details about each priority, is available on the Diversity in Admissions Page.
Admissions Priorities for Each Pre-K Setting
NYC Early Education Centers
Applicants receive offers to Pre-K at NYC Early Education Centers in the following order:
- Children who currently attend the center's 3-K or other three-year-old program
- Children who will have siblings enrolled at the NYC Early Education Center
- Children whose families currently get free or subsidized social services from the organization running the center's Pre-K program
- All other children
District Schools (Zoned Schools)
Applicants receive offers to Pre-K at zoned schools in the following order:
- Children who currently attend 3-K at the school*
- Children who live in the zone and will have a sibling at the school
- Other children who live in the zone
- Children who live in the district and will have a sibling at the school
- Children who live outside the district and will have a sibling at the school
- Other children who live in the district
- Other children who live outside the district
District Schools (Non-Zoned Schools)
Applicants receive offers to Pre-K at non-zoned schools in the following order:
- Children who currently attend 3-K at the school*
- Children who live in the district who will have a sibling at the school
- Children who live outside the district who will have a sibling at the school
- Other children who live in the district
- Other children who live outside the district
Pre-K Centers
Applicants receive offers to Pre-K at Pre-K Centers in the following order:
- Children who currently attend 3-K at the Pre-K Center (If applicable)
- Children who live in the same district as the Pre-K Center
- Children who live outside the district
*If there are more current student applicants than there are available seats in a Pre-K program, current students will receive offers to that Pre-K program based on admissions priorities in the order outlined in the 2nd-7th priorities for zoned schools, in the 2nd-5th priorities for non-zoned schools, in the 2nd-3rd priorities for Pre-K Centers, or in the 2nd-4th priorities for NYC Early Education Centers.
Watch this animation to learn how children, including Pre-K applicants, get offers to NYC public schools: