For kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grade, every application submitted by April 6 enters a blind lottery for open seats. Applications after the deadline join the waitlist and receive offers as seats open.

Higher preference goes to families with: a sibling already at Prospect, a parent employed by Prospect, transient housing status, Free/Reduced-Price Lunch eligibility, in-district residence, or a child who may qualify as a multilingual learner.

Two students who share a guardian and a primary household, where one is currently enrolled or holds an active offer at any Prospect school.

Use the quick calculator above — it applies the New York State income guidelines for your household size.

Students living in District 15 (for our Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace schools) or District 13 (for our Downtown and Bed-Stuy / Clinton Hill schools) get a preference. It's based only on where you live, not where your child currently attends school.

The lottery sets the initial order. Families move up if they gain a preference (like a sibling enrolling), and offers are made in order as seats open. Waitlists reset after grades 5 and 8.

The waitlist is dynamic. You move up when families ahead of you accept seats elsewhere — and can move down if a family with a higher preference (say, a sibling) joins the list.

It genuinely varies by school, grade, and year — but movement continues all summer, and many families get offers in June, July, and August. Stay reachable.