NYC’s Specialized schools are training centers established for the academically brilliant and artistically gifted students. The school is run and managed by the New York City Department of Education to help guide and nurture intelligent students.
These schools are like no others, they are not much compared to the public schools in New York City.
To enter the school, you must be gifted artistic and also possess a great mind for studies. The Admissions Test must also be passed unless you are vying for a place at LaGuardia whose admission requirements are a bit different. Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School can be very difficult to enter even for gifted students. To get in, you will need to go through extensive audition processes.
There are Nine (9) specialized schools in New York City, they are Stuyvesant High School, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Staten Island Technical High School, The Bronx High School of Science, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, The Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School, and High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College of New York.
In this post, we will be discussing extensively the Top 9 Specialized High Schools In NYC, the admission processes, and other things you should know.
WHO CAN APPLY AT THE NYC SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS?
If you can apply at any secondary school in the City, then you are eligible to apply for admission into these specialized schools Additionally, you must also be living in NYC and also a current eighth-grade student or first-time ninth-grade student.
Whatever schools you are applying for, academic records of students are often considered and normally used in determining successful applicants.
Moreover, To be admitted into any of the specialized schools, Students must pass The Specialized High Schools Admission Test (SHSAT). Applicants are allowed to apply to all schools on the list to up their chances.
NEW YORK CITY’S SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS ADMISSION PROCESSES
It usually starts with knowing the schools you want to apply to. This involves knowing the number of students allowed in a session, and the acceptable grade points.
Prospective students can also use the available time to study for the Specialized Public High Schools Admission Test (SHSAT). You will need to familiarize yourself with the syllabus. Registration commences in September for most schools, so you will need to prepare harder for any eventualities even when you have already covered the various possible test questions.
September is usually the time registration begins. Register for the test through your high school counselor. While going through this stage, this is not a period to relent on your preparation, you could also take the time to research, attend school fairs, know at least one or two students in the various high schools you want to apply to, and more. Also, it would be okay to talk with some staff to know if the school is worth giving your 4 years as a student.
As already stated, only 8 specialized schools in New York City (NYC) accept SHSAT while the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts only requires auditioning in acceptable talent areas and school records.
October is normally the period you get an audition or SHSAT ticket. Ensure you confirm well that all Infos are accurate. The ticket is to be signed by your parent or guardian which gives you access to take the test or audition.
March is the month that results are out for all students. A letter will also come as regards the status of applications into the schools you have applied to which could be either “Accepted” or “Rejected”
List Of Specialized High Schools In NYC
1. Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
The Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts remains the only school without unusual requirements for students to gain entrance. Unlike all NYC specialized schools, applicants do not need to take SHSAT, but an audition in an acceptable talent area they are good at.
The talent areas include dance, drama, instrumental, music, vocal music, arts, and technical theatres. The school has some famous people who were once students of the prestigious learning environment, including Nicki Minaj, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Aniston, Tony Roberts, Amy Adler, James Bama, James Burrows, Gloria Davy, and Robert Brustein.
Although the standard is set so high, it is still one of the best specialized high schools known for its overall success and ability to get the most from students.
- Address: 100 Amsterdam Ave New York, NY 10023.
- Phone number: (212) 496-0700.
- Fax: (212) 724-5748.
- Website: www.laguardiahs.org
2. The Bronx High School of Science
Another specialized school for academically sound individuals in New York City is The Bronx High School of Science. The school was established by the order of the Board of Education of the City of New York in 1938 and was originally a male-only school when it was founded, but began to accept females in 1972.
It is very difficult to become a student of the school. Due to being the choice for many, the bar has been raised so high that students will need to be exceptionally brilliant to have a chance of being admitted.
To aid their performances, students must be willing to go all the way to acquire the knowledge and understanding needed to pass the entrance exam. They could make use of private tutors, past SHSAT questions, and also attend classes that deal with possible questions.
Famous people from the highly ranked school, Bronx High School of Science include Leslie Lamport, Mark Boal, Jon Cryer, Rose Marie Bravo, Joseph Greenaway, David Adler, and Emanuel Azenberg.
- Address: 75 W 205th St, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
- Phone number: (718) 817-7700
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.bxscience.edu
3. Staten Island Technical High School
Staten Island Technical High School began as a center of learning under Ralph R. McKee Vocational-Technical High School in 1982. It was in 1988 that it became an independent high school after necessary documentation by the New York City Board of Education through the support and efforts it received from staff, parents, students, and all stakeholders. The school is fondly called SITHS or Staten Island Tech.
The school occupies the second position in New York State and 15th in the country. A position that makes it one of the most sought schools in the US. To get admitted, applicants must have an acceptable pass mark in the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
Famous people to graduate from Staten Island Technical High School include Ingrid Michaelson, Jamie Lynn Macchia, and Brian Esposito.
- Address: 485 Clawson Street Staten Island, NY 10306, United States.
- Phone Number: +1 718-667-3222
- Website: www.siths.org
4. Brooklyn Latin School
Brooklyn Latin School is one of the Top Specialized High Schools In NYC and officially commenced operation in Sept. 2006.
Like most schools in the same league, applicants are to go through the entrance exam, otherwise known as SHSAT. 30,000 students take the test and less than 600 students are admitted to Brooklyn Latin School every year. The test is always based on math and verbal reasoning.
Unlike other Schools, students have uniforms which they are to don in the Citadel of learning. The school has been strongly claimed to be one of the schools anyone would love to graduate from.
- Address: 223 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206, United States.
- Phone number: +1 718-366-0154
- Website: www.brooklynlatin.org
5. Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, also known as Brooklyn Tech, is a specialized high school in New York City that is into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The school is highly ranked in the United States and considered among the best selective high schools.
Established by Albert L. Colston in 1922. Compared to most average high schools, you need to have a very decent score in SHSAT to gain admission. It is always tough for students, which means you have to be sound in your studies to scale through even when you are finally admitted. By the time you are done, it will be almost difficult for people who go to other average high schools to beat you, especially in areas of technology and industry.
Also, you might be doing a lot of homework which means there is no slowing down here even after the class lectures and only the prepared ones graduate.
- Address: 29 Fort Greene Place Brooklyn, New York 11217, United States.
- Phone number: +1 718-804-6400
- Website: www.bths.edu
6. High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College
High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at City College is also considered one of the best Specialized High Schools in New York City. This would not have happened without the collaboration and support received from Dr. Mathew Goldstein – the Chancellor of The City University of New York and NYC Schools’ Chancellor Harold O. Levy. Randy Asher was the first principal in the school.
The school has enjoyed success over the years and was even recognized and tagged by the New York Times as the most diverse school in NYC. While in school, students are tasked with various activities needed for them to be ready for what to come after their days are over in the learning environment. To get in, an entrance exam will take place, and only the best open the doors.
- Address: 240 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031, United States.
- Phone number: +1 212-281-6490
- Website: www.hsmse.org
7. Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College was founded in 2002 and the only specialized high school in Queens, New York City. The New York City High School is run by the New York City Department of Education and offers only Maths and Science.
Students, staff, and parents mostly called the school by its abbreviations, QHSS or QHSSYC. It normally does not take in many students, and in any academic session, it is rare for the students to surpass seven hundred in numbers. Not many have the privilege and those admitted would often talk about the high standard that the school operates on.
Admission is always determined through an entrance examination, otherwise known as SHSAT. The school also works hand in hand with York College, a move that allows the students to use their facilities.
- Address: 94-50 159th St, Jamaica, NY 11451, United States.
- Phone number: +1 718-657-3181
- Website: www.qhss.org
8. Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School is a school you want to graduate from if you are looking for a good NYC specialized high school. It was initially established as an only boys school in 1904. In 1969, the policy was reviewed and started accepting females.
It has amassed several praises from various dignitaries and consistently ranked as a top public high school in New York City, United States. SHSAT is also needed to have a chance of securing a place in the school aside from the basic requirements.
Famous people from Stuyvesant High School include Lisa Randall, General Eric Holder, Tim Robbins, Louis Ozawa Changchien, and Jonah Meyerson.
- Address: 345 Chambers Street, New York, New York 10282, United States.
- Phone number: (212) 312-4800
- Fax: (212) 587-3874.
- Website: www.stuy.enschool.org
9. High School of American Studies at Lehman College
Anyone who has passed through the specialized school will agree that the High School of American Studies at Lehman College is outstanding with a high level of dedication towards training students to be better versions of themselves.
The specialized school was founded in 2002 and is also known as Lehman, HSAS, and American Studies. The school only takes a small number of applicants, not more than 110 every year, and the number of students within a calendar year is about 410 making it one of the toughest public high schools in the country to gain entry.
Being a highly competitive school, you must score high to have a strong chance of getting admitted into the prestigious and top specialized schools in NYC.
- Address: 2925 Goulden Avenue Bronx, NY 10468.
- Telephone: (718) 329-2144
- Fax: (718) 329-0792
- Address: www.hsas-lehman.org
