Tips from the trenches

WITH 435 public schools in New York City — and countless programs within them — the high-school selection process may feel like a bewildering maze to parents and their eighth-graders. Whittling all the options down to the application’s final 12 can be dizzying.

To find a path through the labyrinth, your best guides are parents who have already blazed a trail.

Here are some of their best strategies. 1 LOOK BEYOND THE BIG NAMES

A handful of city schools attract huge numbers of applicants each year. “There’s quite a bit of elitism involved,” says Shino Tanikawa, the mother of a Manhattan 10th-grader. Seek a broader horizon: investigate new schools and lesser-known programs, and don’t discriminate based on admission methods. “So many parents just assume that if it’s not a screened school, it’s not good,” Tanikawa said. 2 IDENTIFY PRIORITIES

Pinpoint the factors that matter most to you and to your child, whether it’s athletics or academics, school diversity or travel time. Some kids love the opportunities and options of a big school; others need more intimacy to thrive. Consult teachers for a fresh assessment of your child’s abilities – if he comes alive in history class or shines while doing group work, look for schools that play to those strengths. The Department of Education’s High School Directory and its new School Finder app can help you identify them.

3 BRAVE THE OPEN HOUSES

Many of the most coveted schools require a visit for any shot at a seat. “It’s a cattle call, it’s miserable,” says Kathleen Boyer of Staten Island, who trudged through her share of open houses with her now-ninth-grader. “You only see the brightest students and the happiest parents; you don’t really get an idea what it’s like in that school every day.” This year, more schools are using online registration services, reducing wait times on Open House day – but potentially shutting some families out. Check your target schools’ websites ASAP to snag tickets. 4 THEMES MATTER

Schools powered by an organizing principle or topic can have a cohesion and sense of mission that keeps kids engaged – but only if the theme suits their interests. Tanikawa loved one school with a business theme, “but everybody there has to take accounting,” she says. “My daughter said, ‘No way in hell.’” Look carefully at the program requirements and make sure your student will be on board. 5 DON’T (NECESSARILY) BELIEVE THE HYPE

Some schools proclaim a theme they don’t really live up to, or tout activities no longer there. Make sure all is what it seems. Boyer’s son was intrigued by one school’s relationship with a famous Manhattan museum, “so I called the school and talked to the parent coordinator,” she recalls. “They said, ‘Well, we don’t have that anymore.’ It was just window dressing.” 6 MAP IT OUT

“You’re talking about teenagers, they’re going to have a hard time getting out of bed every day,” Tanikawa says. Plot your target schools on a subway or bus map to make sure the commute is one your child can handle — whatever the weather, and no matter what sports or clubs may be on the schedule. Take advantage of the fall school holidays to test the routes to your child’s top choices. 7 BBE NOSY

To get a true sense of a school, seek out current students and their parents. “Go to a school event, a performance, a basketball game,” Boyer says. “Reach out and network, or use your social media. You never know who might say, ‘Oh, my neighbor’s nephew goes there.’” Too many schools have an undeserved reputation, either positive or negative. Don’t rely on rumor; talk to those in the know. 8 RESIST PEER PRESSURE

An eighth-grader may not admit it, but friends’ choices can have an outsized influence. When the family hashed out the all-important order of her daughter’s 12 school choices, “peer pressure was big in her middle-school life,” Tanikawa says. “I wish I’d been more aware of that.” Boyer’s son, too, wanted to follow friends to a school that she felt he would soon outgrow. “At this age, at 14, you have to guide them,” she said. “It’s about helping them find the environment where they’ll be truly happy.”