I have heard but I am not positive that there is a high school affliated with Kingsborough Community College, which is in the Manhattan Beach section of Brooklyn. I think that this High School is specialized. There is also Morrow H.S. that you must also apply to.

You should also think about Queens, Forest Hills and Bayside High School have always had excellent reputations. Forest Hills has tons of co-ops/condos and high rise apartment buildings. If you decide on Queens, you would be better off working in uptown Manhattan or a hospital on Long Island.

Lower thru Midtown would work if you lived in Brooklyn. Also remember that Brooklyn is huge, it used to be said (I don't think that it is true anymore) that if Brooklyn was a city, it would be the nation's fourth largest.

Think about whether you will have a car here. How important is accessible parking to you? Believe me that can make or break a neighborhood for me. Many people live in the NYC without cars; a lot of people rent a car for the few times they need it and take cabs and car services everywhere else. For some this is actually cheaper than owning a car in the city.

Also, think about the suburbs. I don't really love NJ, but I live here as a compromise with my DH. Many suburbs have cheaper rents and Manhattan is very accessible, and many have excellent school systems.

Here is a list of "noteworthy" high schools in NYC:
http://insideschools.org/fs/school_s...mh_results.php

Just because they are noteworthy, does not necessarily mean they are good, BUT all the good schools are on this list. You have to then click on the school name from this list to see some basic stats and info about the school. The stats include things like attendence and graduation rates. These rates should be high for the school to be good. It also list demographics and has some parent/student comments as well as some general information. You can also check more details stats on the board of ed website.

If you look at a school like Stuyvesant, Hunter or Bronx Science, you will see that the stats are very good, but those are among the most selective schools. Also note some of the schools listed are selective, but selection criteria does vary.

You should look through this list, cross check stats with the board of ed website and even try calling the schools directly explaining that you'll be moving to NYC, etc. From there you may get an idea of what kind of options you have. As already mentioned, some schools, like Hunter do not admit any more students after the 7th grade entrance exam, and the specialized science schools (the 3 big one, and now there are 3 smaller ones) only take students into 9th and 10th grades, based soley on the entrance exam given in Oct (and I think Aug for new students moving to the area). If your son is artistically oriented, visual or performing (drama, dance, music, etc) LaGuardia is another selective school worth looking into.

NYC is a mixed bag of schools. There are some great ones and some awful ones with several in between. It is important to do your research, see what may be available, and if possible take a tour of the school (most schools hold tours in the fall).

I believe LaGuardia only takes students into 9th grade with applications/auditions in 8th grade.

Agree Hunter is not an option - this is a high school for gifted children (based on grades and standard tests taken in 6th grade - and those candidates invited have to score in the 98th percentile nationally) - or did when I was in city schools. And you are invited ONLY in the 6th grade for starting in the 7th.

You need to do more research on several interlocking factors:

Your child's abilities and interests (and realize that this is the NYC school system - with more than a million kids - so there is a LOT of competition for better schools)

Where you will be working (you 'll want to iive within a reasonable commute to both your job and his school)

How the NYC transit system works (some places in the outer boroughs are more than 1.5 hours into the city)

Based on some of the things that you said you might be better off in the suburbs - where kids go to schools in their own district and when you buy/rent there you know what school they will go to.

There are some MAJOR medical centers - and great schools - on LI - and housing costs are much lower than Manhattan.

denisem

Have you been to NYC?

How well do you know the NY hopsitals?

denisern, some hospitals offer housing for nurses. New York Presbyterian has a new building for employees: http://www.1330firstavenue.com/

My husband did his residency and research at NYP when it was still The New York Hospital. We lived in one of the hospital-owned buildings at below market rent. A good friend of mine was a nurse, and she lived in one of the hospital buildings until her children were out of h.s. and her husband wanted to move out of the city.

I agree that you should find and secure a job first. Housing availability and assistance are an important part of the job package. Good luck!

IF you are interested in having your son take the Specialized High School exam, you better do it quickly, as they will have one last testing for new students soon, since the end of the summer is nigh. There are now 8 specialized high schools (wow, things sure have changed! Who is whose rival now?).

Anyway, am agreeing with those who say that you need to find a job first before you figure out where you want to live.

Good luck!

My head is spinning!! I knew it would be a challange to find a good high school, but never imagined it would be this tough! I am going to seriously rethink the entire idea..I do think that the idea of the suburbs and having a zoned high school may be the way to go. My son going to a good high school is more important than my job..I can get a job anywhere.

kswl..thanks for the link regarding New York Hospital. I will contact them and check out the housing.

You guys have been SO helpful. We will be coming to the city in the fall and hopefully I will have narrowed down the options. As much we want to make this move, the little voice in the back of my head is saying finish high school in Raleigh and then move to the city.

Thanks again everyone!!

Anyone have any info on home schooling in NYC?

ok denise - I know these are huge decisions, but I'm going to play devil's advocate. You said that your son wants to live in a big city. Do you think that a suburb (where many kids know each other forever) will make him happy? Coming into a new HS in 10th grade isn't easy, but in NY many of the kids are fairly new friends. Where would he be happiest socially? When my boys were little, they wished we lived in a house with a backyard, but when they got a bit older, they loved what the city offered and the ease of travel (not needing a parent to drive them everywhere). Look at all the parameters before you decide what is best for you and your son.

And as far as home schooling - people do it, but again, socially, how would that be for your son? You'll want him to connect with other good kids.

I know you have enough to think about, but having grown up in Queens, I'd recommend looking into suburbs like Nassau or Westchester County County. That way you're within an hour of "the city" but not living right in it.

denise, there are lots of colleges in New York. If you decide to wait until your son finishes high school he could start college there. If he is interested in taking a gap year and working on something interesting in NYC---either as a volunteer or for pay---you could establish residency and he would then qualify for in-state tuition.

Home schooling is not for the faint of heart, and ideally it should be a decision made only to provide the best possible education and circumstances for a particular student. I home schooled our third child during middle school, and it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. You may want to check into NY state's requirements for homeschoolers, as they may be more stringent than other states. (I live in GA and our rules are, sadly, too lax.) If this is something you've discussed before and both want to do that's a bit different than homeschooling to make a move more convenient. I don't mean that to sound rude, truly, but knowing how much time it takes, how overwhelming a new job and a move like that would already be---it makes me tired just to think of you adding one more thing on top of it...you do sound like you have lots of energy, though!

One more thing to keep in mind (and this is coming from a Manhattan parent of a 14 year old boy, who has just gone through the HS admissions process) . . you've said your son is athletic - NYC schools are not known for their strong athletic programs, except for basketball and track. Most schools have limited facilities and space - there are exceptions of course. But it's just not the place for high-end sports training through the public schools.

You have gotten great advice from many posters, and www.insideschools.org is the best resource for public schools. There are also a book on city schools, NYC guide to the Best Public High Schools, by Clara Hemphill
and here is the NYC gov site that is very informative:
http://www.nyc.gov/

But if your son is particularly math or science oriented, some of the Specialized Science High Schools do allow some entry in 10th grade - but please be aware this is highly competitive, thru a tough exam only - and the acceptance percentage is lower than Harvard's.

Wow, even with now 8 specialized high schools, the schools still have a lower acceptance rate than Harvard?

Are you trying to tell me we were a bunch of geniuses?

no, there are just so many kids taking the test - almost 23,000 this year . . . for 750 spots at Stuy

The specialized HS admissions test is open to anyone who wishes to take it and that is why thousands take it; it is worth a try. Anyone can apply to Harvard too, but by the time you're a HS senior, you're not apt to apply unless your a strong candidate and your counselor will strongly discourage those who are not.

Sigh...so much for that thought.

Unlike many other state NY does not encourage home schooling. There are quite stringent requirements to do it - and you need to demonstate how you will cover the rquired curriculum.

Also - with home schooling there can be issues in terms of college admissions unless the student's SATs are very srong.