Townsend Harris Admissions, Simplified.
See how the 60% grades, 20% essay and 20% video work, the grade groups and every date for fall 2027 entry, all sourced from the school and NYC Public Schools.
EduAvenues results
- 5.0
- Google ratingEduAvenues Google profile, covering every EduAvenues program
- $22M+
- in scholarshipsEarned by EduAvenues college-admissions students in the most recent cycle
- 10+
- years of admissions prepEduAvenues instruction and feedback, across programs
- 100+
- selective high school admits per cycleEduAvenues TJHSST program, each of the last four cycles
These results and reviews come from EduAvenues programs for other schools and services. They are not Townsend Harris admissions results, and no program can promise admission.
Timeline
Key dates for this admissions cycle.
Work backward from these dates and leave time for drafting, filming and uploading.
December 4, 2026
Application, essay and video deadline
This date has passed for the current cycle. New dates appear here once Townsend Harris publishes them.
November 10, 2026
Open house
The in-person open house is Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 5 to 7:30pm. No advance registration is needed.
October 6, 2026
Application opens
The NYC high school application opens in MySchools on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
December 4, 2026
Application, essay and video deadline
The high school application closes on Friday, December 4, 2026.
March 3, 2027
Offers released
High school offers are released on Wednesday, March 3, 2027, after 3pm.
- When materials are read
- The school evaluates all essays and videos after the MySchools application closes on December 4.
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Before you enroll
Questions from parents.
Does Townsend Harris use the SHSAT?
Townsend Harris High School is a public high school in Queens. It admits students through MySchools using grades plus a school-based essay and video, not the SHSAT.
How is a Grade 9 applicant scored?
For Grade 9 entry in fall 2027, the school weighs average course grades at 60%, the essay at 20% and the video at 20%.
What are the essay and video about?
The 2026-27 video is at most 2 minutes. The student introduces themselves, then names two talents, interests, abilities or gifts that would enrich the school and explains how they would leave it greater than they found it. The 2026-27 writing task is a humanities response of 250 to 500 words. It asks whether Townsend Harris students should swear to resist anyone who disobeys the law, using a Theodore Roosevelt passage and two resources the school provides.
When is everything due?
The high school application closes on Friday, December 4, 2026. The essay and video for screened programs with an assessment are also due December 4, 2026, the same day the application closes.
When do families hear back?
High school offers are released on Wednesday, March 3, 2027, after 3pm.
Can my student apply for Grade 10?
For Grade 10 entry in fall 2027, the school admits top-performing applicants from each middle school and citywide, placed by their final 8th-grade core course grades. Grade 10 applicants do not submit an essay or video.
What is the Diversity in Admissions Initiative?
Townsend Harris has a Diversity in Admissions Initiative. Applicants eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch are considered first for 50% of seats, and all students are considered for the other 50%.
How do I find my child's group?
While the application is open, families can see their child's group in MySchools under Edit profile. To learn the averages needed at your child's own NYC public school, contact the current school after the application period begins.
Is TownsendHarrisPrep affiliated with Townsend Harris?
No. TownsendHarrisPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Townsend Harris High School. Check every requirement and date on the school's own website before you apply.
How current is the admissions information on this site?
The admissions facts on this site were last checked against the school's published pages on November 5, 2026. Schools can change requirements and dates at any time.
Free guides
Start with the guides parents ask for most.
Townsend Harris Admissions Overview
Who can apply, how groups work and what the application includes.
Read the guideKey Dates
The application, deadline and offer dates, with a live countdown.
See the datesApplication Preparation
The essay and the video.
Plan preparationSchool Fit
The Ephebic Oath, the open house and what the school expects.
Think it throughParent FAQ
Short answers to the questions families ask most.
Read the FAQThe Townsend Harris essay and video, explained
What the 2026-27 Townsend Harris video and humanities essay ask, how they are weighted, and how families can approach them.
Read the guideTownsend Harris admissions timeline for fall 2027 entry
Every published date for Townsend Harris applicants: open house November 10, application and essay and video due December 4, offers March 3.
Read the guide