School Smarts NYC
By Carolyn DeFir
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Category: Parenting
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Episodes: 75
Description
Your trusted guide to New York City high school admissions, special education support, and finding the best-fit school for your child.
School Smarts NYC gives parents expert tips, guidance, and real talk on navigating the NYC school system—from applications and screened admissions to IEPs, 504 plans, and beyond.
Because student success starts with informed families—and maybe a little humor to get you through it.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Test Day Is Race Day: Your Game Plan for the day of the SHSAT
|
Nov 09, 2026 |
|
Does Your High School Choice Matter for College?
|
Nov 02, 2026 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #17: Urban Assembly Maker Academy
|
Nov 01, 2026 |
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(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #16: Richard R. Green School of Teaching
|
Nov 01, 2026 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #15: High School For Health Professions & Human Services
|
Oct 27, 2026 |
|
Find Your Fit, Rank It Right: Building Your NYC High School List
|
Oct 26, 2026 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #14: Boerum Hill School For International Studies
|
Oct 23, 2026 |
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IB, AP, CTE, Consortium & Early College: What Does It All Mean?
|
Oct 19, 2026 |
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(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #13: Essex Street Academy
|
Oct 18, 2026 |
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The Extra Mile: Essays, Assessments & the SHSAT
|
Oct 12, 2026 |
|
Bonus Episode: SOS! Bad Lottery Number or Screened Group? Now What?!
|
Oct 10, 2026 |
|
NYC High School Applications Open October 6th: Here's What to Expect
|
Oct 05, 2026 |
|
How to Tour a NYC High School: What to Ask, Notice & Remember
|
Sep 28, 2026 |
|
NYC High School Drama Auditions: What Families Need to Know with Dana Berger
|
Sep 21, 2026 |
|
Beyond the Numbers: What NYC High School Scores Can—and Can’t—Tell You
|
Sep 14, 2026 |
|
Your September Game Plan: What 8th Grade Families Should Do Before Applications Open
|
Sep 07, 2026 |
|
Bonus Episode: School Smarts Hotline | We Got a Waitlist Offer…Now What?
|
Sep 06, 2026 |
|
Dear Freshmen: What Upperclassmen, Graduates & Parents Want You to Know
|
Aug 31, 2026 |
|
Beyond the Practice Test: SHSAT, ISEE, TACHS & Executive Function with Molly Levine
|
Aug 24, 2026 |
|
Screened Group & Random Numbers: The Who, What, When, Where and WHY of what Actually Matters in NYC High School Admissions?
|
Aug 17, 2026 |
|
NYC High School Admissions Decoded
|
Aug 10, 2026 |
|
Bonus Episode: School Smarts Hotline | My Child Wants to Transfer...Now What?
|
Aug 08, 2026 |
|
"It's August...What Should I Be Doing Now?" Advice for Rising 8th & 9th Grade Families
|
Aug 03, 2026 |
|
Summer Survival Guide: The Absolute Need-to-Know Timeline for Rising 8th & 9th Grade Families
|
Jun 19, 2026 |
|
Executive Function Is NOT Just Being Organized
|
May 15, 2026 |
|
Two Months of School Left: Grades, Burnout, and Keeping Your Kid (and Yourself) Intact
|
May 01, 2026 |
|
Waitlist Limbo: Why Nothing Is Moving (Yet) & What To Do About It
|
Apr 17, 2026 |
|
You Can Do This Yourself: How to Choose Between High School Offers (and Trust Your Gut)
|
Apr 02, 2026 |
|
What You’ll Actually See on MySchools When The Offers Are Released (and What It Really Means)
|
Feb 26, 2026 |
|
Advice for Curious 7th (& 6th) Grade Families
|
Feb 13, 2026 |
|
So Close… Yet, So Far Away: What to Know One Month Before Offers
|
Feb 06, 2026 |
|
Sensory Diets 101: Not Just for Neurodivergent Kids
|
Jan 30, 2026 |
|
The Deposit Dilemma: Catholic & Private School Offers Without the Panic
|
Jan 22, 2026 |
|
Do Regents Still Matter? A No-Panic Explanation
|
Jan 16, 2026 |
|
Academic Supports in High School: Where to Find Help, Why It Exists, and How to Use It
|
Jan 08, 2026 |
|
Afterschool Activities, Clubs & Sports: Why They Matter
|
Jan 01, 2026 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Intention Setting vs. Resolutions: A Gentler Way to Review Your Year (For Busy Parents of Teens)
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
IEPs & 504s in High School: Planning the Transition from Middle School
|
Dec 18, 2025 |
|
So You Got a Callback… (or You Didn’t): What It Means, What It Doesn’t, and What To Do Next
|
Dec 11, 2025 |
|
Congratulations, You Hit Submit…Now What?
|
Dec 04, 2025 |
|
Before You Hit Submit: Your Final NYC High School Application Q&A
|
Nov 27, 2025 |
|
Two Weeks to Go: Your Last-Minute, No-Panic Game Plan
|
Nov 20, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #12: Eleanor Roosevelt High School
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #10 Midwood High School at Brooklyn College
|
Nov 14, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #11: New Explorations in Science, Technology & Math (nest+m)
|
Nov 14, 2025 |
|
Hidden Gems: NYC High Schools You Might Not Know—But Should
|
Nov 13, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #9: Edward R. Murrow
|
Nov 10, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #7: NYC iSchool
|
Nov 10, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #8: University Neighborhood High School
|
Nov 10, 2025 |
|
Assessment Anxiety: Helping Our Kids (and Ourselves) Keep Calm and Carry On… to the Test Room
|
Nov 07, 2025 |
|
Don’t Wait ’Til After Trick-or-Treat: The SHSAT Deadline Pep Talk
|
Oct 30, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #6: Baruch High School
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
|
How to Know If It’s a Good Fit — The Art (and Science) of School Matchmaking
|
Oct 23, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #5: The Beacon School
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
|
You Asked, I Answered: The Most-Asked Questions (So Far) Since NYC High School Applications Opened Last Week
|
Oct 16, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #4: Millennium Brooklyn High School
|
Oct 13, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #3: Brooklyn Technical High School
|
Oct 12, 2025 |
|
Now What? The Post-Application is Open Pep Talk
|
Oct 09, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #2: Millenium Manhattan
|
Oct 04, 2025 |
|
(Bonus Episode) Tour Report #1: Bard High School Early College Manhattan
|
Oct 02, 2025 |
|
The Calm Before The Lottery Numbers
|
Oct 02, 2025 |
|
"Applications Open In Less Than 2 Weeks, What Should I Be Doing Now?"
|
Sep 25, 2025 |
|
IEPs, 504s & NYC High School Admissions + Top 10 NYC High Schools for Students with Learning Differences
|
Sep 18, 2025 |
|
Tour Season: The Other NYC Marathon
|
Sep 11, 2025 |
|
"If you don't know, now you know" (Dear 6th and 7th Grade Families)
|
Sep 04, 2025 |
|
How to Research NYC High Schools Like a Pro (with NYC-SIFT Creator Adrian Liang)
|
Aug 28, 2025 |
|
Back-to-School Meets High School Admissions
|
Aug 21, 2025 |
|
Digital SHSAT Deep Dive With Kenny Tan
|
Aug 14, 2025 |
|
What Matters More—Tier or Lottery?
|
Aug 07, 2025 |
|
Does Size Matter? Choosing The Right-Sized High School for your Kid
|
Jul 31, 2025 |
|
“So… Where Do They Go to College?”
|
Jul 24, 2025 |
|
Starting Your High School List (Without Losing Your Mind)
|
Jul 17, 2025 |
|
Screened, Screened+, Essays, and Portfolios and Auditions (oh my!)
|
Jul 05, 2025 |
|
NYC High School Admission Process From Start to Finish
|
Jul 04, 2025 |
|
It's Summer What Should I Be Doing Now?
|
Jul 04, 2025 |