The high school admissions process kicked off in grand fashion this weekend as the two-day citywide high school fair at Brooklyn Tech clogged the streets of Fort Greene with families from all five boroughs. With over 600 programs at more than 400 high schools now open, this year’s 8th graders have more choices than ever — and more schools are sure to open in 2009. Since Chancellor Klein took office in 2002, more than 200 new small high schools have opened their doors.
The kids I spoke to this weekend were optimistic about their chances of winning a seat at their preferred schools, but they expressed anxieties about the increased workload and being lonely once their middle school friends are dispersed across the city. They can take advice from 9th-graders Paige and Dasha, who stopped by The Open Planning Project’s Park(ing) Day spot last week on their way home from Lab in Manhattan.