Free Spreadsheets to Help You Choose NYC 3-K, Pre-K and Kindergarten Programs
How NYC 3-K, Pre-K and kindergarten applications work for fall 2027: key dates, zone priority, siblings, and free spreadsheets of up to 50 programs.
Choosing a first school for your child means weighing the commute, the length of the day, before- and after-school care, and what kind of place feels right for your family. In New York City, admissions priorities add one more thing to keep track of.
Leto has built two free school fit score spreadsheet tools for families with a young child: the NYC 3-K and Pre-K Fit Score and the NYC Kindergarten Fit Score. Each builds an editable spreadsheet of up to 50 programs from the city's directory, organized around the things your family cares about.
When are NYC 3-K, Pre-K, and kindergarten applications due?
Kindergarten. For children starting kindergarten in September 2027, the application opens December 9, 2026 and closes January 22, 2027. The city's calendar lists offers on March 30, 2027.
3-K and Pre-K. For September 2027, children born in 2024 apply for 3-K and children born in 2023 apply for Pre-K. The application opens January 13, 2027 and closes February 26, 2027. The city's calendar lists Pre-K offers on May 11, 2027 and 3-K offers on May 18, 2027.
Check MySchools to confirm the dates before you apply. You can also see the current dates and rules on the NYC Public Schools pages for early childhood programs and kindergarten admissions.
How long is the 3-K and Pre-K day, and what does it cost?
For 3-K and Pre-K, the length of the day matters. The School Day runs 6 hours 20 minutes, September to June, and is free for every child. Longer days run all year. Some longer-day seats have rules about family income and need. Others give priority to certain families. An Extended Day and Year seat is confirmed only after a separate Child Care application on MyCity.
Programs also differ in where they are: public school buildings, community centers and, for 3-K, a provider's home. Your spreadsheet shows which kind of seat each program offers, so you can see which ones fit your family's schedule before you rank anything.
Zone, sibling and other admissions priorities
Programs list their own admissions priorities, such as for children who live in a zone or whose brother or sister attends the school.
- Zone priority. Children who live in a school's zone have priority at that school's programs that list a zone priority. In both spreadsheets, Leto names your zoned elementary school only when the city's own address lookup and Leto's copy of the zone map agree. When they don't, the spreadsheet says why and points you to the city's Find a School lookup.
- Siblings. The city's kindergarten page says: "Elementary schools prioritize applicants whose siblings attend the same school." Some details of that rule for the 2027 round are not yet confirmed by the city, so check MySchools before you apply. In the kindergarten spreadsheet you can name up to 4 schools a brother or sister will attend, and the spreadsheet shows what the city's directory says about siblings at those schools' programs.
- Children already in 3-K. For Pre-K, the city gives children already in 3-K at the same place priority at many programs.
The spreadsheets show these in their Zone Priority at This Program and District Priority at This Program columns and, for kindergarten, when you name a school, a Sibling Priority at This Program column. They help you see which programs list a priority. MySchools shows which priorities apply to your child, so check it before you submit your application.
Which kindergarten programs are included?
The kindergarten spreadsheet includes zoned and non-zoned programs at public schools in the city's directory, along with dual language and STEM Discovery programs. Charter schools are not included.
Gifted & Talented programs are not scored. If you ask, they are listed on their own tab, described in the city's own words, so you can read about them without them affecting your Fit Scores.
How the free school fit score spreadsheet tools work
Each tool asks for your home address and a few choices:
- For 3-K and Pre-K: whether you are applying for 3-K or Pre-K, how far from home, the length of the day, the kind of place, early drop-off, late pick-up, language support, a dual language class, meals, outdoor play space, and staying through kindergarten.
- For kindergarten: how far from home, the kind of program, smaller classes, early drop-off, late pick-up, an after-school program, whether a uniform is required, language support, a dual language class, and being at the same school as a brother or sister or your child's pre-K.
Each program gets a Fit Score based on what matters to your family. A Fit Score is not a quality rating. It does not predict admission, and it does not tell you what to rank first.
The tools are free and there is no account. Leto asks for your email and adds you to its email list; you can unsubscribe anytime. Neither tool asks for your child's name or birth date. Your address is used to measure distance and to find your zoned elementary school. Only its ZIP code is kept. The street address is deleted within about 15 minutes of your request, whether or not the spreadsheet could be built.
Build your 3-K or Pre-K spreadsheet · Build your kindergarten spreadsheet
What's in a spreadsheet
Each spreadsheet lists up to 50 programs from the city's directory. The programs come from the city's directory for last year's admissions round, and the spreadsheet says when Leto read it.
You can edit your priorities and your scoring settings, and the Fit Scores recalculate. The list of programs stays the same. To change which programs are on the list, or to count something you left Neutral, build a new spreadsheet.
Use it to decide which programs to look into first, not to decide for you.
How to use your spreadsheet with MySchools
Start with the programs at the top of your spreadsheet. Visit a few if you can, and talk with your family about what matters most. Keep a few things in mind:
- A Fit Score reflects your preferences. It is not a rating of how good a program is.
- Distance is straight-line distance from your home (for a 3-K program in a provider's home, from the center of its ZIP code), not travel time, so think about the actual trip each morning.
- Check priorities, deadlines and program details directly in MySchools, the authority for current programs, priorities and deadlines.
- List programs on your application in your true order of preference. The spreadsheet's order is for exploring.
Why Leto built these tools
New York City's early childhood and elementary programs each list their own hours, languages, size and priorities, and the details live in different places.
Leto helps parents keep up with school email: it reads the school emails in your inbox and pulls out what you need to do and when. Leto also builds practical, free tools like these, so parents have the information they need to decide.
If you have a child starting 3-K or Pre-K in fall 2027, build your 3-K or Pre-K spreadsheet. If your child is starting kindergarten, build your kindergarten spreadsheet. Then share them with another family working through the same process.