A Special Note for Parents

The nine specialized high schools in New York City are Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts;
Bronx High School of Science; Brooklyn Latin School; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Math, Science and
Engineering at City College; High School for American Studies at Lehman College; Queens High School for the Sciences at York
College; Staten Island Technical High School; and Stuyvesant High School. The Specialized High Schools Admission Test
(SHSAT), administered once a year, is required for admission to all of these schools except for Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
of Music & Art and Performing Arts. If a student is applying only to LaGuardia, then admission is based on an audition and a review
of academic records. However, if a student is applying to LaGuardia and any of the other schools, he or she must take the SHSAT.

Approximately 30-40,000 applicants apply for about 2,000 spots at just three of the specialized New York City schools each year
(Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, and Bronx Science).

You have the opportunity to play an important role in your child’s preparation for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
The SHSAT is difficult and the stakes are high, so your child may be feeling quite a lot of stress. You are the best judge of how much
supervision and structure he or she needs in order to prepare. Similarly, since you know how your child handles stress, you are the
best person to reassure and motivate your child during his or her preparation.

Much of the information that follows can be found elsewhere in this book. However, the information most salient for parents has
been summarized here so that you don’t have to search for it.