New York City Extends High School Application Deadline Due to Glitch in New Tool
New York City is extending the high school application deadline to December 9, after officials discovered a glitch in a new tool that tells students their admissions chances, an Education Department spokesperson said Wednesday.
The glitch only affected two schools, but families said that could have had ripple effects on their rankings. The extension came hours before applications were set to close for the city’s eighth graders, who rank 12 or more top choices from an array of over 400 schools.
Error in New Tool Affects Two Popular Manhattan High Schools
The glitch in the new prediction tool, which was developed by researchers affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, affected students applying to Millennium and NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies. This tool gives students a "high," "medium," or "low" chance of getting into a given school based on the school’s selection criteria and competitiveness, along with the student’s lottery number.
Correcting the Error and Extending the Deadline
Officials corrected the error on Tuesday night and emailed roughly 1,600 families who had either applied to one of the two affected schools or selected either as a "favorite" in the MySchools online portal, informing them about the mistake and offering a deadline extension until January 10.
Education Department Response
Education Department spokesperson Jenna Lyle called the glitch an "initial implementation issue," noting "families are finding the tool helpful." "This issue, which only impacts a small percentage of students, has been resolved, and we apologize for this inconvenience," she added.
Conclusion
The Education Department’s decision to extend the deadline for everyone to "ensure all families have enough time to complete their application and have the most accurate information" has been met with mixed reactions from parents. While some, like Debbie Kross, the president of the Citywide Council on High Schools, think it’s reasonable to grant more time to families who received incorrect information, others, like Kim Gabriel, a Brooklyn parent, feel it’s unfair to selectively extend the deadline for only some families.
FAQs
Q: What is the new prediction tool?
A: The new prediction tool, developed by researchers affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gives students a "high," "medium," or "low" chance of getting into a given school based on the school’s selection criteria and competitiveness, along with the student’s lottery number.
Q: How many schools were affected by the glitch?
A: The glitch affected two schools, Millennium and NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies.
Q: How many families were affected by the glitch?
A: Roughly 1,600 families were affected by the glitch.
Q: Will the deadline be extended for all families?
A: Yes, the deadline will be extended to December 9 for all families, and January 10 for approximately 1,600 families who received incorrect information about their odds of getting into two popular Manhattan high schools.
