If you applied for a NYC 3-K or Pre-K seat for the 2026–27 school year, this is the month your offer arrives. Most main-round 3-K offers are sent in May, according to NYC Public Schools (NYCPS), with Pre-K offers also released in the spring. Every family that submitted a Pre-K application by the February 27, 2026 deadline receives a Pre-K offer letter.

Here is exactly what to do when your offer shows up, what happens if you miss the acceptance deadline, and how to work the waitlist if you didn’t get your top-choice program.

Where Your Offer Will Land

Per NYCPS, families will receive their main offer through one or more of these channels:

• MySchools.nyc — log in to your account to view the offer online.
• Regular mail — the official offer letter is mailed.
• Email — families who applied online also receive an email notification when results are available.

If you misplace the paper letter, you can print a copy from MySchools at any time.

Accepting Your Offer — Do Not Skip This

The single most important step: you must accept your offer by the deadline printed on the offer letter. If you do not accept by the deadline, the offer can be forfeited and the seat can be released to another family on the waitlist.

You can accept in either of two ways, per the NYCPS enrollment guidance:

1. Accept online through your MySchools.nyc account.
2. Contact the program or school directly to confirm acceptance.

If you cannot find your child’s specific deadline, log into MySchools first — the deadline is listed there. Do not assume you have weeks; some offers have tight turnarounds.

What If You Didn’t Get Your Top Choice?

You can still accept the offer you received and stay on the waitlist for higher-ranked programs. Accepting an offer does not remove you from waitlists at the programs you ranked higher. If a waitlist offer comes through later, you can switch.

If you are unhappy with your offer and a waitlist seat is your goal, the practical move is: accept the current offer to secure a confirmed seat, then monitor MySchools for waitlist updates.

What If You Missed the February 27 Deadline?

The main application round closed February 27, 2026, but late and new applications are still accepted. NYCPS opens a second-round application window after the main round ends, and you can apply at any time through MySchools, by phone at 718-935-2009, or through a Family Welcome Center. Available seats are offered as they open.

The Languages You Can Apply In

NYCPS makes applications and enrollment support available in English, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. If English is not your primary language, you have the right to enroll in your language.

3-K vs. Pre-K — Quick Refresher

• 3-K is for children born in 2023 (turning three during the 2026–27 school year).
• Pre-K is for children born in 2022 (turning four during the 2026–27 school year).
• Both programs are free and admission is not first-come, first-served — applications are processed together.
• No admission test is required for either program.

While You’re Planning: This Sunday’s Free Family Activities

Sunday, May 17, 2026 falls during a big weekend of free outdoor programming. The 20th Annual New York Dance Parade is Saturday May 16, the Queens International Children’s Festival is at Rufus King Park in Jamaica on May 16, and Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Kite Festival also runs Saturday May 16 with arts, crafts, and kite flying from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If Saturday slipped past, NYC Parks runs free play, fitness demos, organized sports, and water games at playgrounds across the five boroughs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., summer schedule, per NYC Parks. Brooklyn Bridge Park’s full summer celebration — open-air movies, ballet workshops, kayaking, and community science — runs May through October with most programming free or low-cost.

Check the official NYC Parks events calendar for what is happening today in your borough.

Monday Morning School Prep

The 2025–26 school year wraps up Friday, June 26, 2026 (the last day of classes for NYC public schools), with Regents Administration scheduled for June 19. That gives you about five more weeks of the current school year. Use the next two Mondays to:

• Confirm any end-of-year permission slips and field-trip forms.
• Schedule your child’s annual physical if you’ll need one for camp or fall school enrollment.
• Begin sorting summer childcare for the gap between June 27 and whenever your summer program starts.
• If your child is moving to a new school in the fall, find out when transition or orientation events are held — many happen in late May or June.

How to Take Action

1. Check your MySchools account today. Visit myschools.nyc and log in. Look for a 3-K or Pre-K offer.
2. Read your offer letter end to end. Note the school name, the start date, and the acceptance deadline.
3. Accept before the deadline. Do it in MySchools or by contacting the school directly.
4. Stay on waitlists for higher choices. Accepting one offer does not remove you from waitlists.
5. If you didn’t apply, apply now. Use MySchools, call 718-935-2009, or visit a Family Welcome Center.
6. Need help? Email ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov or call 718-935-2009.

For more NYC parent resources, see our guides to free summer programs before the June 1 deadline, what to do if you missed the kindergarten deadline, and the NYC Parks Learn to Swim lottery.

This is general information, not legal advice. Always verify enrollment deadlines and procedures directly with NYC Public Schools at schools.nyc.gov or by calling 718-935-2009.