2022 Specialized High School Results

We have gotten several inquiries from parents and schools about when they should expect the Specialized High School results and the general high school results. For this year the entire process is still delayed. Considering students took the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) in December 2021, instead of October 2021, and the general high school list has still not yet been submitted, it is understandable that the entire process is behind the typical schedule. Parents are required to submit their child’s final high school list and all essay requirements by March 11th, 2022.

In the past, before the global pandemic, students would have taken the SHSAT during the second to last weekend of October and would have submitted their high school list by the first few days of December. The global pandemic has caused the DOE to adjust the high school admissions timeline for two years in a row. We ask that parents stay up to date with these changes by subscribing to the DOE high school admissions email list and visiting the website frequently.

The most recent update about the high school admissions timeline is on the DOE website. This language was taken directly from the DOE website and is an update on what will happen

“High school and Specialized High Schools results are released in the spring as part of the high school offer letter. For 2022 admissions, testing Specialized High Schools results and offers will be released first in April; the full high school offer letter will be available in June..”

Visit the link to learn more. Click here.

5 Steps Parents Can Take to Support Their Child From Home Each Week

Use this resource to find out how you can help your child perform to the best of his/her ability on the SHSAT!

What Colleges Look For

Greetings parents,

We get a lot of questions around college admissions and I wanted to give some perspective to parents and prospective students. There actually is a formula you can follow to make sure you stand out. Many of these tips also apply to scholarship applications and internship applications as well. Let’s make a commitment to begin with the end in mind. Recommenders typically have to comment on the questions down below. Would a recommender be able to check off the boxes all the way to the right for your child? You can see the characteristics even from right now and begin to develop them in advance of high school.

There are two elements you should focus one when applying to college:

1. Previous academic success is a great predictor of future academic success, which in turn predicts career success. When you apply for a job, the behavioral interview aims to assess what your past behavior was when dealing with professional circumstances. The idea here is that how you dealt with situations in the past is likely how you will deal with them in the future. The same thinking applies in this scenario. Do you thrive academically? Are you willing to take on new challenges? Do you succeed when doing so? The evidence of these answers based on past performance is the biggest predictor of future performance. So, make good choices in high school

2. Personality traits that lend itself to becoming a next generation leader are preferred: integrity, leadership, curiosity, creativity, empathy, perseverance, motivation, ambition, collaboration, confidence, and others. You don't need to be perfect in all dimensions, but some of these should apply strongly to you. See below to see an example of what a rating scale could look like. This is what a recommender would have to fill out on your child’s behalf.
   

One last question to meditate on as you position your child to become the type of candidate that colleges/universities and competitive companies are looking for is this: What are the first words that come to mind to describe this student?

Think about that parents and be honest with yourselves. Then think about what you want those answers to be. See above for the characteristics schools are looking for. Then, think of experiences your child can get involved with and what their role should be that will support them in getting the world to see them in this light.

I get asked to write recommendations for students all the time for admission into college. These are the kinds of questions I have to answer. The except below is taken directly from a recommendation platform where I had to submit on behalf of a student.

We offer the following questions as possible guidelines to your comments:

• What motivates this student academically?

• How did this student stand out compared to classmates, either academically or personally?

• How was this student able to work effectively and respectfully with those with different perspectives or from different backgrounds?

• Is there anything else in your knowledge of this student that you would like to bring to our attention? In particular, if this student has had to overcome particular adversity or challenges, or any limitations on the curriculum or extracurricular involvement, please feel free to share that with us.

What is the SHSAT Discovery Program?

The Discovery Program, is a summer program that offers admissions to low-income, 8th grade students who score just under the cut off score. These students are given the opportunity to “work off” the remaining points that may stand in their way.

By the end of 2020, 20% of seats at each specialized high school were reserved for Discovery Program participants. In addition, the expansion targets students from high poverty schools across the City:

To be eligible for the Discovery program, a Specialized High Schools applicant must:

1. Be one or more of the following: a student from a low-income household, a student in temporary housing, or an English Language Learner who moved to NYC within the past four years; and

2. Have scored within a certain range below the cutoff score on the SHSAT; and

3. Attend a high-poverty school. A school is defined as high-poverty if it has an Economic Need Index (ENI) of at least 60%. You can see a school’s historical ENI by visiting the School Performance Dashboard and selecting the school from the list.

You cannot apply to the discovery program, you have to be selected. Students who are eligible to attend the Discovery Program will be notified in the Spring.

How to Use a Feelings Wheel to Support Your Child

In our years of supporting students on their journey to being on the pathway to success and walking in their God-given purpose, we notice that many students have not developed the ability to tap into and identify their feelings. This is important because students need to know how to advocate for themselves and make the necessary adjustments and requests in real-time to maximize their ability to show up as their best selves.

So what is a feelings wheel? A Feelings Wheel is a tool used to help recognize and communicate feelings. Although it may seem unnecessary, a Feelings Wheel is a way to work smarter, not harder, with teenagers when identifying and managing emotions. To get a better picture, a Feelings Wheel is a circle that at the center has “core” or basic emotions (emotions that are more easily identified or expressed) and more complex or “secondary” emotions on the outer edge. See an example down below.

The more specific your student can be in labeling their emotions, the more understanding you will have for them and they will have for themselves. This is about allowing students to operate from a place of compassion toward themselves and toward you as parents. My go-to feeling when I was a teen was “anxious.” It was my answer when I was overwhelmed, worried, insecure, disappointed, or powerless. But really, it was my answer to explain my negativity without having to be vulnerable. Aren’t those other secondary emotions more honest and accurate though?

A Feelings Wheel supports us on our journey to opening up, being vulnerable and practicing authentic living, instead of hiding behind what is the easy or standard answer. Increased relief and true authenticity comes with increased specificity in identifying our emotions and empathizing with them.

Use these four tips to implement the use of the feelings wheel with your children.

1. Use it frequently.

When students come to visit our test prep center or we begin one of our test prep classes, we typically ask the standard question, “how are you doing? or How are you feeling today?” Students typically respond by saying, “I’m good Ms. Tai. or I’m ok.” I always require more detail from our students but I notice that they don’t always have the language to express themselves more accurately. So, I use the feelings wheel as an additional support. The Feelings Wheel can be added to conversations about the highs and lows of each person’s day with the students at the beginning of our class. Parents can also use it with the whole family at dinner or in the car. This allows greater insight into what your teenager’s day has been like as well as normalizes talking about real emotions instead of using just the easy or go-to answer. When you participate in using a Feelings Wheel, you are modeling appropriate ways to process and communicate emotions as well as giving them an opportunity to share without feeling targeted or in the spotlight.

2. Use it before the breakdown.

During a session I had with a student, I could tell he was under a lot of pressure to be successful in the high school admissions process. Specifically, his parents wanted him to work even harder to get into a Specialized High School by scoring a high score on the practice exams and on the homework assignments. The high expectations started to have a negative impact on the student and it became apparent during sessions where the content was more difficult that the student began to have a physiological response to the pressure. For some reason, even thought I noticed the shift in his disposition and that his energy level changed, he would never speak up about it. He would allow the session to continue which was causing his internal turmoil to become more severe. I asked him how he was feeling and he just said I’m ok. But I was clear that he wasn’t. Before the breakdown happened, I pulled out the feelings wheel to supply him with the words to express himself and he was able to say that he felt stressed. In times like this, you have a good opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with your teen so you can bring light to whats really going on and better support your teen to understand when and why their energy and emotions shifted. Use the feelings wheel to help them identify the emotions they are feeling in that moment. Typically, when we hold our emotions in, they eventually explode. Being able to talk prior to an explosion can be preventative by allowing them to take care of their emotions before they are forced to. Emotions demand to be felt. You can choose when to take care of them, or they will choose for you.

3. Use it during a breakdown.

Your teenager may or may not be the “blow up” type, but that doesn’t mean all is well inside. If you notice a shift in their academic performance, behavioral issues, capacity to eat food, motivation and discipline, something deeper could be going on. If your child seems more quiet or isolated, it can be helpful for you to pursue a conversation with them and check in to see how they are doing on the inside. Referencing the Feelings Wheel can help them see what they may be experiencing and is a beginning to understanding it better. Sometimes they might not even realize what is going on inside of them until they are given the words, especially since there may be situations in which some feelings and expressions of those feelings seem similar to one another. 

4. Empathize.

We all respond to situations differently, and our emotional response is no exception. By being specific in how we use our emotions we can pinpoint a common shared experience that will us to understand what each other may be feeling. If we empathize with where they are, it allows them to feel accepted even if you do not agree. (That is a conversation for another time!)

Again, this may seem like a completely different shift from your family’s norm and may even be a little awkward at first, but can you imagine what it would be like for your family to have the freedom to communicate with each other how you are actually doing? This could be a brand new avenue for each person in the family not only to be able to understand each other but to know how to take care of each other as well. This would continue to make your home the safe haven everyone runs to the best part being that everyone becomes involved in making it happen.

Reading Comprehension Questions For Parents to Ask

Just a heads up, the goal is always to move students up the bloom's taxonomy levels of learning and they have to evolve from level one, which is REMEMBER, to level six, which is to CREATE. Let's make sure we are fostering a learning environment where they can slowly but surely get to the highest level of thinking, being and doing. Here is a quick reference so you can understand what Bloom’s Taxonomy is.

After reading with your child each night, help them understand the book by asking some questions. It is important students read the book independently, and then discuss the book after reading. Here are some questions to help facilitate discussions and understanding. We got this from the Pennsylvania school district and found it very helpful. Here is the original link for your convenience.

1. Could this story be true? Why or why not?

2. Where is the setting of this story?

3. Who is this story about? Tell about him or her.

4. What words would you use to describe the main character?

5. Do you like the main character? Why or why not?

6. Does the main character have a problem? What is it?

7. How is the problem solved? (What is the solution?)

8. What is the scariest, funniest, saddest, most interesting, or most funny

   part of the story? Read it aloud.

9. Do you like this story? Why or why not?

10. Do you know any real people who are like the characters in this story? Who are the people? How are they the same? How are the different?

11. Did anything in the story happen that has happened to you? Tell about it.

12. Who is telling this story? Is there a narrator?

13. Why do you think the author chose the title for this story? How does it

    relate to the story?

14. Would you like to be a character from the story? Why or why not?

15. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Higher Level Comprehension Questions

Knowledge

1. Identify the characters in the story by making a list of all the characters.

2. When and where does the story take place?

3. Tell what the story is about.

4. Locate facts in the story and list the main facts.

5. Find the two most interesting sentences in the story.

6. Make a list of the words in the story you do not know.

Comprehension

1. Describe the characters in the story.

2. Describe how you think the main character feels in the beginning of the

   story. Describe the main character’s feelings at the end of the story.

3. Explain the main idea of the story by retelling it in your own words.

4. Summarize the main facts in the story and discuss how they relate to the

   main idea of the story.

5. Locate sentences or phrases in the story you do not understand and infer

   the meanings.

Application

1. Give an example of someone you know who is like one of the characters in the story.

2. If you could have a conversation with one of the characters in the story, which character would you choose and what would you talk about?

3. Has anything in your life happened that is similar to the things that happened in the story?

4. What events in the story could not happen in real life?

1. Construct an illustration that shows the main characters in the story in a real life situation.

2. Find words or phrases in the story you do not currently use and write a short story using these words or phrases.

Analysis

1. Explain what part of the story was the most exciting to read and why.

2. Explain what part of the story was the funniest or the saddest and why.

3. Compare and/or contrast the facts in this story to facts in another story.

4. Examine and analyze the main character(s)’ feelings at the beginning,

   middle, and end of the story.

5. Classify and/or categorize these feelings as the same or different.

6. Write a critique of the story, and highlight the main facts or main idea of

   the story.

Synthesis

1. What changes would you make to the story?

2. Predict how your changes would transform or change the story.

3. Generate a new title for the story. Explain your new title.

4. Create a new ending for the story.

5. Combine two characters in the story in order to invent a new character,

   and write a short story with this new character as the main character in

   your story.

6. Rearrange or change one main fact in the story. Does this change the

   entire story? How?

Evaluation

1. Was the main character(s) in the story good or bad? Support your opinion with words from the text.

2. What is your opinion of the story? Did you enjoy reading it? Explain.

3. Do you agree with all of the facts in the story? Explain.

4. Compare this story with other stories you have read in the past. Give evidence from the texts.

5. Would you read other stories like this story? Justify your opinion.

6. Rate the story on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest. Defend your rating.

Ask Deeper Questions with Critical Media Literacy

Critical Media Literacy is a framework to help our children become critical thinkers and more empowered Global citizens. It helps students to question the relationships between media and audiences, information and power. We can no longer just accept what the media feeds us. It is crucial that students are armed with the tools to question the world around them. As the world becomes more interconnected, students will need to develop the skills and dispositions to question the information they are hearing, seeing, reading, creating, sharing, and using. Try asking these questions to your children after the next movie they watch, book they read, newspaper article that peruse, etc. These skills are built over time and will help your children to read between the lines in school and in life. #AdmissionSquad

Share, J. (2020) Mediating the Curriculum with Critical Media Literacy. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

Why Attend Stuyvesant High School

Stuyvesant High School is the hardest Specialized High School to get into because that have the highest cutoff score. Some of you may be wondering is it even worth it to shoot that high when I can easily get into Brooklyn Tech and Brooklyn Latin and still be considered a Specialized High School graduate. While that may be true, it is important to understand the unique benefits of attending Stuyvesant High School and why it has the number 1 spot in terms of prestige and competitiveness in the admissions process. Check out the attached resource that we received from a Stuyvesant advocacy group that details some of the tremendous benefits of attending Stuyvesant High School. We hope this document will support you in making a more comprehensive decision.

How to encourage your child to read?

One of the main areas our children need to improve is how to read with deep understanding and how to critically analyze the text that is in front of them. These are skills that are built over time and can be cultivated in the home environment. As a family, we recommend that you begin by reading text together and asking critical questions about the text.

#1. Read.

Simple first step! If we're going to encourage kids to read, we need to do it too. Read for pleasure, information, instructions, connecting with others, and so on. Read. Read a little more than you've been reading lately. Read together as a family. Make it a household norm and value that we are a reading family. We love it and we make it a regular practice.

#2. Explore different topics and find your interests.

Download our Reading List of some of the best educational publications and websites featuring the latest in science, education, and technology news.

#3 Ask deeper questions

Knowing how to read is simply about phonics.Understanding what you are reading and being able to make deeper connections is the foundation of comprehension. It’s not enough to send your child to their room to have reading time and then you never talk about it. I would like to encourage you to ask deeper questions. See this blog post for some examples of questions you can ask your child to get them higher on the bloom’s taxonomy scale. Check out this blog post to learn about some questions you can ask when reading news articles or watching current events videos. It is all about Critical Media Literacy.

We wish you and your child all the best!

SHSAT Results By Race: 2019 - 2021

The moment we have all been waiting for happened in the last week of April of 2021. New York City received the unimpressive 2021 SHSAT results and there were some important insights to note. The unfortunate reality is that these outcomes have been virtually unchanged for the last decade or so. We stand on the fact that the results will remain the same until appropriate action is taken to address the root cause of the issue. We will address this in another post. Here are the 2021 admissions results.

Here are the stats you need to know: In 2021, 3.6 percent of offers to attend the city's eight Specialized High Schools went to black students (down from 4.5% in 2020) and 5.4 percent of the offers went to Hispanic students (down from 6.6% in 2019). While these percentages don’t equate to significant changes in the number of students placing, it is still important to note the decrease. Please note that these numbers do not include the offers extended to the Discovery Program.

For anyone who is asking why this is a big deal, let me explain. Black and latinx students comprise almost 70 percent of students in the NYC public school system yet only 10% of the seats offered at Specialized High Schools. These results are a glaring display of the educational inequities running rampant through our system as well as the need to invest in test prep companies like AdmissionSquad to help rebuild and preserve the talent pipeline. There are also 43,000 fewer students enrolled in New York City’s public schools this year: a 4% decrease which further highlights the challenges we face.

We believe that this target population has the ability to gain admission into these highly sought after high schools as long as a concerted effort is made to:

1. Close the information gap causing students from this population to miss out on the opportunity to attend a Specialized High School

2. Provide high-quality test prep to as many highly motivated, deserving students as possible starting from 3rd grade

By addressing these two critical factors, NYC stands to gain access to a talent pipeline that has been overlooked for the past two decades. Believe it or not, there are many parents, grandparents, guidance counselors, teachers, youth ministry leaders, family members, etc. in black and brown communities that know very little about the city's Specialized High Schools and what it really takes to get in. More importantly, the middle schoolers oftentimes cannot see themselves in these schools because of the lack of diversity. I challenge all of us to come together to train our children to become competitive and create a more inclusive environment in the Specialized High Schools. With increased awareness, academic enrichment, access to rigorous test prep and long-term support, these students can secure a seat on the Education to Wealth Pipeline. 

Our work continues! See below for a comparison between 2019 and 2020.

What Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Become Academically Competitive

1) Be an active parent in your child's school and help the teachers and school leadership team to provide a better quality education. Don't just make demands of the schools but HELP them expand. Strong schools have very strong PTA's. Many black and brown schools have PTA's with very low participation. Increasing your engagement can make a huge difference. This includes, writing proposals for grant opportunities, reaching out to organizations for resources to add to the school, and fundraising.
2) Keep your children at least one grade level ahead. Either someone at home needs to work with the child consistently or sign up for an academic enrichment program that will give the child access to advanced learning. AdmissionSquad is a viable option to help your child. Sign up for one of our programs
3) Get informed about your school options. Before signing your child up for a school, do some research to see how strong the school is. What are the average scores. Where do the children typically end up after leaving the school. If your child is already enrolled, how can you help to improve the odds of success for your child and others.
4) [Specifically for African American Students] Support the development of more afro-centered schools and privately run academic enrichment programs/test prep companies owned by black people. AdmissionSquad is a great organization to support. You can support with your donations or by sharing your talents, connections and resources with us. This will allow us to build our own children instead of waiting on other communities to build our children. 
5) Volunteer to teach children. Beyond just your own. Help out another parent and it shall be returned onto you. We must work together to build the youth.

There are many action steps that parents can take to make a difference for their children and others. Parents MUST INVEST TIME, MONEY AND RESOURCES IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. This is what the successful families are doing that every parent needs to model in order to see more success. If you want better outputs, you need better inputs.

2021 SHSAT Cutoff Scores

Here are the 2021 SHSAT cutoff scores for the most recent class of test takers. You will notice that the minimum admitted score has decreased for quite a few of the Specialized High Schools. This point decrease is indicative of a few factors:

1. There was a decrease in the number of students who took the 2020 SHSAT by about 4,000 students.

2. The real reason the cutoff scores were lower this year is because Mayor De Blasio expanded the number of seats for the Discovery Program to 20% (About 1,000 seats). This reduced the number of seats available through regular admission. With fewer seats available, the minimum admitted score was affected.

3. There were multiple versions of the test and some exams included topics not represented in the DOE SHSAT handbooks. This threw many students of.

4. Unusual testing conditions. Students had to wear masks and take the exam in rooms that may not have been comfortable for them.

Please keep in mind that the SHSAT is an academic competition between the approximate 23,500 8th grade students who sat for the exam in January of 2021 of the child’s 8th grade year. Students with IEP’s and 504’s are typically given extended time to achieve success on the exam AND the DOE has selected a few middle schools to host the SHSAT on site removing a travel barrier to students.

How to Read Your Score

The SHSAT is comprised of 114 questions - 57 questions in the ELA section and 57 questions in the math section. You will get a raw score for each section. The raw score represents the number of questions you got correct per section. There is a conversion chart that the DOE uses to convert the raw score to a scaled score out of 400 points for each section of the exam. The two scaled scores are then added for a total composite score out of 800 possible points.

Advice for Prospective Students

1. Get 4’s on your common core state exams and learn content a grade level ahead of your current grade at all times. Staying a grade level ahead will help you to beat out your competition. Even if the DOE does not administer a state exam, still practice and master this content at home.

2. Instead of focusing on how to exceed the minimum admitted score, a prospective student should focus on how they can be the best amongst the entire group of 8th grade students. Focus on beating the highest admitted score for the school of your choice. Even better, make it a goal to get the highest score possible (800 points) and this is how you can secure a seat in one of the Specialized High Schools.

3. To be on track for admission into all of the Specialized High Schools, students should have a 400 by the start of 7th grade, a 500 by the end of 7th grade and a 600 by the start of 8th grade. The ultimate goal is to score a 650 by your final practice SHSAT before taking the exam. Overall, this means you should get around 47 questions correct in your stronger area and about 40 questions correct in your weaker area.

4. Finally, we believe that ALL students should sit for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). There are 80,000 8th graders in NYC every year, yet only about 28,000 take the SHSAT. Having ALL students sit for the exam could change the cutoff scores and might tell a different story. You never know what the outcome might be and you literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Give it your best shot and start preparing now so you can shine on exam day.

5. Sign up for one of our programs. We have online classes available and would love to support you on this very rewarding journey. Click here

AdmissionSquad offers rigorous test prep to talented middle schoolers looking to gain a competitive advantage on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) and in the high school admissions process.

2020 SHSAT Cutoff Scores

Here are the 2020 SHSAT cutoff scores for the most recent class of test takers. You will notice that the minimum admitted score has increased for quite a few of the Specialized High Schools. This point increase is indicative of two factors:

1. The real reason the cutoff scores were higher this year is because Mayor De Blasio expanded the number of seats for the Discovery Program to 20% (About 1,000 seats). This reduced the number of seats available through regular admission. With fewer seats available, the minimum admitted score was higher.

2. There were more testers this year. So, this could mean that the applicant pool was more competitive.

Please keep in mind that the SHSAT is an academic competition between the approximate 30,000 8th grade students who sit for the exam in October to November of the child’s 8th grade year. Students with IEP’s and 504’s are given extended time to achieve success on the exam AND the DOE has selected a few middle schools to host the SHSAT on site removing a travel barrier to students.

How to Read Your Score

The SHSAT is comprised of 114 questions - 57 questions in the ELA section and 57 questions in the math section. You will get a raw score for each section. The raw score represents the number of questions you got correct per section. There is a conversion chart that the DOE uses to convert the raw score to a scaled score out of 400 points for each section of the exam. The two scaled scores are then added for a total composite score out of 800 possible points.

Advice for Prospective Students

1. Get 4’s on your common core state exams and learn content a grade level ahead of your current grade at all times. Staying a grade level ahead will help you to beat out your competition.

2. Instead of focusing on how to exceed the minimum admitted score, a prospective student should focus on how they can be the best amongst the entire group of 8th grade students. Focus on beating the highest admitted score for the school of your choice. Even better, make it a goal to get the highest score possible (800 points) and this is how you can secure a seat in one of the Specialized High Schools.

3. To be on track for admission into all of the Specialized High Schools, students should have a 400 by the start of 7th grade, a 500 by the end of 7th grade and a 600 by the start of 8th grade. The ultimate goal is to score a 650 by your final practice SHSAT before taking the exam. Overall, this means you should get around 47 questions correct in your stronger area and about 40 questions correct in your weaker area.

4. Finally, we believe that ALL students should sit for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). There are 80,000 8th graders in NYC every year, yet only about 28,000 take the SHSAT. Having ALL students sit for the exam could change the cutoff scores and might tell a different story. You never know what the outcome might be and you literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Give it your best shot and start preparing now so you can shine on exam day.

5. Sign up for one of our programs. We have online classes available and we would love to support you on this very rewarding journey. Click here

AdmissionSquad offers rigorous test prep to talented middle schoolers looking to gain a competitive advantage on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) and in the high school admissions process.

What to Bring to the SHSAT on Exam Day

After studying for months and in some cases, years, it’s time for you to take one of the biggest exams of your academic career and the last thing you need to know is what to bring on exam day. The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is certainly a high stakes exam but as long as you are prepared you will be in a great position to be successful. Make sure you show up at least 30 minutes before the exam and bring the following items listed below. Remember, there are no breaks during the exam so be sure to use the bathroom in advance of the start of the exam and eat a great breakfast the morning of the exam. If you use the bathroom DURING the exam, it will count against your three hours. No parents are allowed in the testing location but they can accompany students up to the location entrance. Be calm, study as much as possible in advance and trust that you have done your very best to get ready for the exam. So without further ado , here are the things you should bring with you on exam day!

What to bring on exam day…

1. Your testing ticket signed by a parent or guardian

2. Your list of Specialized High Schools in the order of your preference. Make sure you discuss this with your parents in advance. This is a very important step! We strongly advise that you list more than one school. Anywhere from 4-8 schools in the appropriate order of preference is the right move! At the same time, only put schools you can see yourself attending.

3. 4-5 sharpened number 2 pencils with good erasers or bring an extra eraser that does a great job

4. Highlighter if you desire to have one

5. A watch or any other timing device as long as it does not have a calculator function or any technology. You can’t use your phone to tell what time it is and you can’t guarantee that you will have access to a clock in the room in which you are placed. So, having a watch or non-smart timing device will be crucial.

6. Dress for success. Wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable. Be prepared if the room is too hot or too cold. Layers are helpful here.

7. Bring something to keep your energy up during the exam that does not make noise and some water that does not make noise. If it makes noise, it will be taken away. Some ideas include a small piece of candy, some nuts or dried fruit. Students can have their snack before the beginning of the test administration; snacks are NOT allowed during testing time.

What NOT to bring on exam day…

1. Cell phones, calculators, tablets or any smart devices are NOT allowed in the testing area

2019 SHSAT Test Dates

The 2019 SHSAT will take place on October 26th and October 27th. After registering for the exam on MySchools.nyc, students will be assigned a date and location and will have to report to the designated testing site on exam day. All first-time 9th graders will take the exam on October 27th.

When will we receive the SHSAT exam ticket?

Students will receive the SHSAT exam ticket by Wednesday, October 23rd. Please check MySchools.nyc during the week leading up to the exam for your child’s exam ticket. Make sure they bring a signed copy with them to the actual exam.

When do students with special needs take the exam?

These students will take the exam on November 2nd or November 17th.

When do English Language Learners take the exam?

These students will take the exam on November 2nd or November 17th.

What if the exam is being administered at my middle school, when do we take the exam?

There are 55 middle schools where the exam will be administered on-site. For these students and schools, the exam will be held on October 30th.

What if I move to NYC after the November exam dates, when can I take the test?

You will take the exam the end of Summer 2020. Typically in August.

What if I am not a NYC resident, can I take the test?

If you are not a NYC resident, you are not allowed to take the SHSAT or attend one of the Specialized High Schools.

Where is the exam located?

Depending on your child’s school district, home address and a few other addresses, your child will be assigned to one of the following locations: Stuyvesant High School, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Staten Island Tech, James Madison, Sunset Park, Long Island City High School, and Hillcrest High School. It is also possible that your child may attend a middle school where the Specialized High School Test will be administered on October 30th. Please check with your child’s school to confirm.

What if I am sick on exam day, is there another chance to take the test?

Yes! Make sure you notify your child’s guidance counselor as soon as possible and request a make-up date. You must provide documentation explaining that you were sick and unable to test. A doctor’s note can be used here and any photos or additional documents. See below for the information from the Department of Education.

12 Free SHSAT Exams to Start Studying

Although the SHSAT has evolved over the years, the fundamental elements of the exam have remained the same. As a result, students preparing for the exam need to stay up to date about the new exam and any potential changes that may happen but can also use the old exams to practice for the real thing. To assist you in this process, we would like to share 12 practice tests, available in the Specialized High School student handbooks, that are a superb (and free!) resource for preparation. To make this more convenient for you, we have compiled all 12 student handbooks which each include two free practice tests on our website in the Free Resources section, along with notes about how they should be used. 

At AdmissionSquad, we believe that these released tests represent the highest quality study material available so we strongly suggest that you use them carefully. When paired with a good SHSAT preparation course, like ours, students should have more than enough material to take them from here until test day. 

A few more tips...

If your son or daughter is working with a tutor, consult with them about if and when to use this material.

On a similar note, we have had students come in to take mock exams (we use released exams in addition to our own custom tests) only to find that they have already taken part or all of a specific tests. To avoid this, we suggest that parents inform any mock test center about which tests (if any) their children have been using to study. 

Click the button below to access a complete list of released SHSAT student handbooks that you and your child can use to help them get ready for the exam.

Sign up for the 2019 SHSAT by October 10th

I know by now you are working very hard to get ready for the SHSAT coming up in a few weeks. The one thing you don’t want to forget is to REGISTER FOR THE TEST! This year, for the first time, parents are solely responsible for registering their child for the 2019 exam. The link above gives you all the details.

In this post, I wanted to share some commonly asked questions so everyone is clear:

Who is eligible to take the SHSAT?

All current 8th graders, and first-time 9th graders (regardless of whether you go to a public, private, or parochial school in one of the five Boroughs) can sign up to take the SHSAT. Long Island residents are not allowed to sign up to take the exam.

How do homeschooled students sign up?

Visit your family welcome center for the account creation code so you can sign up.

What about Students with IEP’s, 504 plans or English Language Learners?

Make sure you will apply. You will take the exam on a different day on November 3rd or November 18th.

What if you moved to NYC after November 1st?

You will take the SHSAT in August right before 9th grade. You can register at your local Family Welcome Center.

9th Grade SHSAT Cutoff Scores

The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is offered in 8th grade and in 9th grade. We strongly encourage parents to focus on the 8th grade exam because there are far fewer seats available for your child to gain admission into one of the Specialized High Schools as a 9th grader. For your convenience, we have prepared this table to show you the difference in available seats for students taking the 8th grade exam versus students taking the 9th grade exam. It is pretty clear that your child’s best opportunity to land a seat in a Specialized High School is in 8th grade for 9th grade entry.

Many parents often ask us about the 9th grade cutoff scores. There are no published numbers for what students score year over year to gain admission into a Specialized High School as a 9th grader. What we do know is based on the rigor of the exam and the number of seats available, the score tends to be about 30 points higher than what students need at the 8th grade level. Please visit this blog post to see the 8th grade cut off scores for 2019. So if a student needs about a 560 to get into Stuyvesant High School as an 8th grader, they will need about a 590 to get into Stuyvesant High School as a 9th grader.

Let’s also discuss the content tested on the 9th grade SHSAT. The English Language Arts (ELA) section is exactly the same on the 8th grade and 9th grade exam. If your child was already scoring very high on the 8th grade ELA section of the SHSAT, they are in great shape. However, the math section includes more advanced material that can go up to 10th grade. Some of the topics include functions, especially linear functions, trigonometry, transformations, advanced Geometry, complex exponents and more. Your child would need to achieve mastery on the integrated algebra math regents and gain some additional exposure to trigonometry and geometry math topics to excel on the 9th grade SHSAT. With this in mind, you can see how it is much harder to place into one of these highly sought after high schools at this stage. The other factor is far less social support. There are far fewer students who take the 9th grade SHSAT and far less awareness about the opportunity. Your child would need to be very motivated and diligent to place at this stage.

We encourage all families to try out for the SHSAT and we hope that as many people as possible will focus on the 8th grade exam. If by some chance, your child does not place and would like to take the 9th grade exam, YOU MUST START STUDYING AS SOON AS YOU FIND OUT THE RESULS IN MARCH. This would give you a solid 7 MONTHS to prepare for this rigorous exam. We wish you all the best.

AdmissionSquad does not offer live SHSAT prep classes for 9th graders. However, if you reach out to us we may be able to point you in the right direction.

NYC High School Directory

The Department of Education (DOE) has decided to switch from using the 500+ page High School Directory to using a new website called mySchools.nyc. Parents can now find all of their child’s high school needs on this website. So set up an account as soon as possible. However, you may still use the 2019 NYC High School Directory as a reference post. Just keep in mind that the most updated information will be on the website.

SHSAT Handbook 2019-2020

We wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to access the 2019-2020 Specialized High School Handbook so here it is! Start studying as soon as possible so you can gain admission into one of the most competitive schools in the entire city!