District 28 CEC President Quentin Medsoton opened a virtual High School Admissions Fair and welcomed families to an evening of presentations from about 15 Queens public high schools and an Office of Student Enrollment overview of application tools.

The fair was designed to help families navigating the MySchools application during the high school admissions cycle. Presenters — mostly principals and guidance staff — summarized program emphases, college-credit pathways, CTE offerings, screening or audition requirements, and supports for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and English learners.

Quentin Medsoton, president of District 28 CEC, thanked staff and school leaders for participating and told families the event materials and presentation decks will be posted on the CEC website for later review.

Several small and specialty schools highlighted early-college and career pathways. Jim Harrell, principal of Queen's Collegiate, described a small-school model with college-preparatory classes, co-teaching supports for English learners and students with IEPs, and a graduation rate he said is “about 90 percent.” Michael Cassell, assistant principal at BTEC Business Technology Early College (school code Q58A), noted that BTEC students can graduate with an associate’s degree through Queensborough Community College and cited seniors earning up to 35 credits.

Career and technical education and employer partnerships were recurring themes. Moses Ojeda, principal of Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School, outlined 13 CTE programs — including cybersecurity, robotics and architectural drafting — and described College Now and external training partnerships. Maria Argyris and Northwell-affiliated presenters described the Northwell School of Health Sciences’ simulation labs and guaranteed interview opportunities with Northwell Health for eligible graduates.

Large, comprehensive schools also outlined multiple academies and dual-enrollment options. Paul Wilbur, principal of Forest Hills High School, highlighted LaGuardia and St. John’s dual-enrollment links and a wide range of AP and CTE pathways. Donna Grasmick, assistant principal at Francis Lewis, described a multi-session schedule, extensive guidance staffing, and dual-enrollment or university partnerships including Georgetown and Farmingdale for some programs.

On admissions mechanics, Christian Barnes of the Office of Student Enrollment walked families through MySchools features and the OfferChances tool, saying “it’s called OfferChances,” and explaining that the tool aggregates an applicant’s random number, prior-year applicant counts and priority groups to display a low/medium/high indicator of admission likelihood. Barnes described the random number as a tiebreaker and urged families to add multiple program choices to applications rather than rely on a single option.

Presenters repeatedly noted supports for students with IEPs and English learners: several schools emphasized co-teaching models, ICT settings or dedicated staff. Speakers also reminded families about audition or screen requirements at selective programs (e.g., Townsend Harris and other auditioned programs), and multiple presenters posted QR codes and contact emails for follow-up and open-house scheduling.

The fair closed with thanks from the CEC leadership, an instruction that presentations and decks will be posted on the CEC website, and an adjournment announced by Quentin Medsoton at 8:30 p.m.

What happens next: families may revisit the posted decks and the MySchools event calendar, follow up directly with schools using contact details provided in the chat, and complete or refine their high school applications before the district’s published deadlines.