The admissions process — a complicated algorithm used to “match” students and schools — is akin to what medical school grads go through when applying to residency programs. The system may be designed to give more choice, so students aren’t tethered to poorly performing neighborhood schools, but it’s incredibly stressful for families.
“I spent hours and hours researching schools,” said Leah Archibald, of Park Slope, who wants her daughter at a small school. “It’s intellectually and emotionally draining and extraordinarily time-consuming.”
She was one of several parents surprised and disappointed when only two Brooklynites matched during this month’s specialized round at Millennium High School, a small Lower Manhattan school whose current student body is one-third Brooklyn. Department of Education officials said there were more qualified Manhattan students, who get first priority.
“It feels pretty random,” Archibald said.
“It’s intentionally opaque because they don’t want people to game the system,” said Brooklyn College education professor and former president of the