The New York City public high school admissions results were officially announced on the 5th through the MySchools system, creating a moment of tension for tens of thousands of 8th-grade students. The results for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) were released, bringing a mix of joy and disappointment. According to the score lines published by the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the admission score lines for this year’s eight specialized high schools have generally seen a slight increase compared to last year. Education experts analyze that this may be attributed to the return of the screening mechanism and the autonomy granted to each school district in determining middle school admissions methods over the past few years.
Residing in Flushing, 8th-grade student Xiao Li immediately checked the system upon the release of the results. Upon seeing that she had been successfully admitted to Bronx High School of Science with a score of 570 points, she couldn’t contain her excitement and screamed with joy, joined by her family. To follow her sister’s footsteps, Xiao Li had been attending supplementary classes for two years, finally achieving her goal.
In an interview, Mr. Li, Xiao Li’s father, expressed that his second daughter had been quite anxious during this period. “Because her older sister had already been admitted to Bronx High School of Science. If she didn’t make it, she would feel inferior to her sister and lose face. This school was her first choice.”
Why was Bronx High School of Science chosen as the top preference? Mr. Li explained that the school provides a bus service to pick up students from Flushing, making it convenient for students residing in Queens to commute. Although a score of 570 could also secure admission to Stuyvesant High School, located in downtown Manhattan without a school bus service, requiring a three to four-hour round trip by subway daily was considered too strenuous. “Many students from Flushing would rather choose Bronx High School of Science.”
Mr. Li mentioned that his second daughter currently attends Bell Academy (Q294) located in Bayside but still within the 25th school district. “This middle school is good, and even though it is in Bayside, it enrolls students from Flushing. My child transferred from Q189 middle school in 7th grade, it’s not just a simple lottery admission.”
The minimum admission score lines for Specialized High Schools in 2026 (8th-grade to 9th-grade) published on the official website of the New York City Department of Education are as follows: Stuyvesant High School 561 points (an increase of 5 points from last year), Bronx High School of Science 525 points (an increase of 7 points from last year), Queens High School for the Sciences 531 points (an increase of 13 points from last year), indicating intensified competition. Other schools such as Brooklyn Technical (506 points), HSMSE (539 points), among others, also witnessed slight increases.
Zhu Yating, one of the founding members of the education advocacy group PLACE NYC, stated in an interview with the newspaper that the score lines for admissions from the highest scoring Stuyvesant High School to the lowest scoring Brooklyn Latin High School remained relatively stable compared to previous years. Specific scores may experience minor fluctuations due to the ordering of student preferences.
“The only potential substantial change could be in Queens College High School of Science,” she pointed out. “With the opening of new school districts in September and an expanded admission quota, families in the Queens area are more inclined to choose this school nearby, making it a popular alternative to Bronx High School of Science, consequently increasing the competition.”
Zhu Yating mentioned that since Mayor Adams took office, allowing each school district to independently determine middle school admission methods, the Mark Twain Middle School (IS 239) in the 21st school district has reinstated the screening mechanism. This year, 172 students from the school were admitted to specialized high schools, a significant increase from 92 students last year; the 20th and 26th school districts also relaunched middle school screening, reaffirming the “peer effect” of high-performing schools. She expressed curiosity about the performance of the Manhattan 2nd school district, known as the best district in the city, as it did not reinstate middle school admission screening mechanisms, wondering about the situation this year.
After the results were released, the WeChat group for Bronx High School of Science parents quickly filled up. Mr. Li said, “You can only join the group with the admission notification, as you cannot fish in troubled waters. Some parents of graduates actively left the group or were removed, vacating spots for new parents, and 500 members quickly filled the group!”