Only in New York City can kids choose from a menu of 400 public high schools — many with amazing offerings for every academic interest or career goal — and list their top 12 choices.
But navigating the city’s byzantine admission system is a challenge nearly as daunting as applying to college.
Get a jump start with some great advice — and warnings — from Clara Hemphill, author of “New York City’s Best Public High Schools” — and a mom whose kid attended one of them.
Here are key tips for picking and getting into the best school for you:
* Big or small? The Post’s Top 50 includes huge, overcrowded schools where kids can find a niche in sports and clubs. along with cozy, nurturing schools where you get a lot more personal attention but not a vast selection of courses and extracurricular activities.
* Close to home or far away? Give the trip a trial run during rush hour. Can you manage leaving home at 6 a.m. and taking the subway to a school 90 minutes away? Don’t wait until it’s too late to change your mind.
“The DOE gives you a very hard time if you want to transfer,” Hemphill said. “If it’s an hour-and-a-half each way, they consider it a reasonable commute.”
* Fast-track or relaxed pace? How much homework can you handle? Most top schools demand three or four hours a night, leaving less time for sports, music, art and volunteerism. At the other end, beware of schools that require little or no homework — no way to prepare for college. Some schools let kids rack up lots of credits at local universities, but not everyone’s ready for that.
“You should think of high school not just as a way to get into college, but a time to make friends and explore a lot of different subjects,” Hempill said. “Part of high school is going to soccer games, singing in the glee club, going to the senior prom.”
* Well-rounded or specialty? “It’s very easy to get caught up in the groovy themes of schools,” Hemphill said. She cites a girl at the HS of Fashion Industries who decided to become a math teacher, but the school didn’t give calculus.
“Make sure they offer four years of math and four years of science, if you want to go to college,” she says. Not all schools offer four years in a language.
* Consider a career and technical school. The city has some cutting-edge schools where you can acquire high-level skills while preparing for higher learning. At the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School on Governors Island, kids sail boats and scuba dive to study marine science and aquaculture — farming fish. Grads earn industry credentials that can help them land a good job after graduation or while going to college.
* Look beyond the graduation rate. A recent study by the state Education Department found just 21 percent of students ready for college or careers after four years in NYC high schools. That’s based on Regents exam scores below 75 on English, and 80 on math. The Post guide gives each school’s “college ready” rating — the % of students who met or exceeded that bar.
* Investigate admission rules. The most competitive schools admit kids whose grades and test scores often exceed their minimum requirements. Seek help from a veteran guidance counselor who knows the ropes.
* List the maximum 12 choices. “The kids who run into trouble put down just two or three completely unrealistic schools,” Hemphill said. Include a bunch likely to admit you –but none you don’t want to go to. In many cases, a computer picks applicants at random. But you can appeal a placement. “A lot of kids have good luck on appeal,” Hemphill said.
* Do your homeworsk. Visit schools, go to the citywide and borough high school fairs. Peruse the telephone-book-sized 2011-12 directory of NYC high schools, also found online. Read reviews and comments at Insideschools.org, an independent guide to NYC public schools. Good luck.