Tag: McNair applications

Monthly Update for December 2025! ☃️

Hi everyone! ☺️ Here’s the update for December for all Jersey City Public School students. To see the full calendar for this school year, click here.

December 23rd: Half Day (12:45 Dismissal)

December 24th – January 2nd: Winter Break (9 days)

  • Marking Period 2 ends January 28th! Students can check their grades and schedule on Infinite Campus. For any parents that want to see a step by step guide on how to view your child’s grades on the Infinite Campus website, click here.
  • For anyone wondering about Jersey City Public School Attendance Policy, click here.

For families whose children play winter season sports, you can access the stats and schedule on the nj.com website. 🏒 🏀

Infinity and McNair Applications for Fall 2026 Entrance Now Available

The application process for McNair Academic and Infinity High School is now open to 8th and 9th-grade students seeking admission! The application process is only open to students residing in Jersey City. Online applications can be accessed here. Applications opened on November 26, 2025 and completed applications must be submitted by Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Note that a PSAT score is still a required part of the application. You can view our posts on McNair and Infinity to see how PSAT scores affect how applications are evaluated.

As of now, Infinity and McNair High School’s plan is to begin sending out acceptance letters in late February.

How to Prep for College Before Senior Year

How to Prep for College Before Senior Year

Hi everyone! 😊 Here are four steps to take before the end of junior year to prep for the college application process. It’s never too early to start doing these things so I recommend that freshmen and sophomores also read this! ☀️

Your junior year summer will likely be filled with SAT prep and narrowing down the list of prospective colleges. Thinking ahead now will lighten your load later, and your future self will be grateful you did.

  • Start early with SAT prep. Starting SAT prep during junior year gives you the flexibility to study at a steady pace rather than cramming the summer before senior year and during the first marking period. It also helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. By starting early, you’ll have more time to focus on improving the sections that need the most work, increasing your chances of a higher overall score.
  • Explore your career interests. During your junior year, try exploring careers to discover what interests you. It could be through a part-time job, volunteering, job shadowing, and more. If you enjoy the work, consider joining a related club at your school to keep building on that interest. The earlier you start volunteering or interning, the more time you have to grow in the role—and possibly take on leadership (eventually becoming a club leader, for example), which looks great on college applications.
  • Start exploring prospective colleges. Begin building a list of colleges you might be interested in during your junior year. The summer after junior year is a great time to attend a few college campus tours or virtual info sessions. Niche is a helpful tool to organize and compare the colleges that interest you.
  • Get serious about volunteer hours. As of 2025, students at Jersey City Public High Schools must complete 25 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. Note that this threshold can change from year to year. Students are responsible for tracking their own hours (it can be during the school years and / or the summers), which includes obtaining a letter that lists the hours completed from the organization you volunteered with. I recommend following Jersey Cares if you are looking for volunteer opportunities, and specifically seeking opportunities that align with your interests. The Jersey Cares website features a Volunteer Opportunity Calendar, which can be filtered by location to reveal hundreds of ongoing events near you. Ideally, there should be a theme—for example, if you are in healthcare, you might volunteer at Jersey City Medical Center.

Feel free to comment or email us directly if you have further questions! 😊

Monthly Update for February 2025!

Here’s the update for Februrary, for all Jersey City Public School students. To see the full calendar for this school year, click here.

February 5th: Collaborative PD for teachers (12:45 Dismissal for students)

February 11th: Elementary Schools Parent Conf. 1:30-3pm (12:45 Dismissal for students)

February 12th: Middle Schools Parent Conf. 1:30-3pm (12:45 Dismissal for students)

February 13th: High Schools Parent Conf. 1:30-3pm (12:45 Dismissal for students)

February 17th: Schools closed for Presidents Day

  • Marking Period 2 ends February 4. For a step by step guide on how to view your child’s grades (U.S. Public Schools) click here.
  • For anyone wondering about Jersey City Public School Attendance Policy, click here.
  • For families whose children play winter season sports, you can access the stats and schedule on the nj.com website.

Infinity and McNair Applications for Fall 2025 Entrance Now Available

The application process for McNair Academic and Infinity High School is now open to 8th and 9th-grade students seeking admission! The application process is only open to students residing in Jersey City. Online applications can be accessed through this link starting November 26, 2024. Completed applications must be submitted by December 16, 2024 by 11:59 pm. Note that a PSAT score is still a required part of the application. You can view our posts on McNair or Infinity to see how PSAT scores affect how applications are evaluated.

McNair High School’s plan is to begin sending out acceptance letters in late February. Good luck to you all!

Frequently Asked Questions About Magnet School Applications

When are Infinity and McNair’s applications generally released?

Infinity and McNair open applications every school year sometime in January and information on applications can be found on the respective websites. At school, students may also receive a McNair and Infinity Parent Letter with information on when applications open and close.

2024 – 2025 OLSAT Information (For Middle School Students)

Jersey City Public School students in 5th and 6th grade who apply to AEP and Infinity Institute must take the OLSAT assessment. To see how the OLSAT is weighted in admission criteria, click here. For Infinity Middle School, click here.

We have a page on Tests and Test Preparation. A tutor usually isn’t necessary for the OLSAT because there are practice books that should prepare students adequately. In order to do well on the OLSAT, students often benefit from seeing a similar test format and similar questions. The PSAT is not about pattern-recognition, like the OLSAT is, and has different test material.

The OLSAT date tends to be administered in schools during the week of April 22nd. To see the date, click here. Based on previous years, this is what the process should look like this year.

DateEvent
March 28, 2024Applications are available
April 15, 2024Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET
April 22, 2024OLSAT assessment takes place in schools

Helpful Website for JC High School Applicants

Hi everyone 😊☀️ We are highlighting this webpage because it contains useful information for students applying to selective high schools and high school programs.

JC High School Application Info

The website includes the application timeline (a question we receive often), the steps to apply to Hudson County Schools of Technology (High Tech High or County Prep), McNair Academic, and Infinity Institute, as well as application-based high schools programs.

Recent Updates for March 2024!

  • McNair Academic and Infinity Institute will begin to send out acceptance letters this week.
  • On Saturday, March 23, 2024, the district will hold the annual Spelling Bee at Middle School 7. Students in grades 3-5 will begin competing at 10:00 a.m. and students in grades 6-8 will compete at 1:00 p.m. 

Answering the Top 5 Most-Asked Questions

Please feel free to comment or use our contact us form for any other questions you have. We also do educational consulting.

Transportation

For anyone curious about bus tickets, bus tickets are only given to students who live 2.5 miles or more from the school. If you are going to any Jersey City Public School this upcoming school year, a teacher will usually talk to students about bus tickets and give out bus tickets (if they are eligible) within the first two weeks of school.

When are Infinity/McNair’s applications generally released?

Infinity and McNair open applications every school year sometime in January and information on applications can be found on Infinity or McNair’s website. At school, students may also receive a McNair/Infinity Parent Letter with information on when applications open and close.

How do I look at my child’s grades, schedule, and attendance?

We already have a post on infinitecampus, an app that Jersey City Public Schools use so parents can see their child’s grades, schedule, attendance, and more.

How should I study for the OLSAT?

We have a page on Tests and Test Prep. A tutor usually isn’t necessary for the OLSAT because there are already practice books that should will prepare you adequately. In order to do well on the OLSAT, students often benefit from seeing a similar test format and similar questions. The PSAT is not about pattern-recognition, like the OLSAT is, and has different test material.

What are the magnet schools in Jersey City?

Public magnet schools in Jersey City are different (from regular Public middle schools and high schools) because you have to apply and test to get in. Infinity, AEP, and Academy 1 are the three magnet Public middle schools, which means the schools have an accelerated program with a more advanced cirriculum. McNair and Infinity (Infinity is also a high school) are the only Public Magnet high schools in Jersey City.

Infinity and McNair Applications for Fall 2024 Entrance Now Available

Online applications can be accessed through this link  starting Friday, January 19, 2024. Completed applications must be submitted by February 14, 2024 , at 11:59 pm. Note that the application process is only open to students who currently reside in Jersey City. Applications are online and a PSAT score is still a required part of the application. You can view our posts on McNair or Infinity to see how PSAT scores (from the PSAT taken October 2023) affect how applications are evaluated.