We publish 33 in-depth prep guides covering 18 selective enrollment and competitive admission schools in New York, including Bard High School Early College Bronx (BHSEC Bronx), Bard High School Early College Brooklyn (BHSEC Brooklyn), Bard High School Early College Manhattan (BHSEC Manhattan), Bard High School Early College Queens (BHSEC Queens), Brooklyn Technical High School, Catholic High Schools — Archdiocese of New York & Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens (TACHS schools), High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College (HSMSE), High School of American Studies at Lehman College, and 10 more — covering essays, exam strategy, and application timelines.
Queens High School for the Sciences admitted roughly 116 students from nearly 17,000 applicants in a recent cycle — with a 2026 cutoff score of 531. This guide covers the SHSAT format change, QHSS's new Hillside Avenue campus, and how to build the STEM critical thinking skills needed to clear that cutoff.
Regis High School's HSPT is one of the most competitive Catholic school entrance exams in New York City — and your son gets exactly one shot at it. This guide covers the 2026–2027 exam dates, what the Quantitative Skills and Mathematics sections actually test, and how STEM critical thinking practice gives Regis applicants a measurable edge.
The Regis High School application essay is one of the most overlooked parts of the admissions process — and one of the most revealing. This guide covers what Regis is actually evaluating in your son's essays, the Jesuit values that should shape every response, and how timed essay writing practice can build the skills that move applicants from the HSPT round to the interview stage. More than 1,500 boys compete for 145 spots. Here is how to stand out on paper.
Staten Island Technical High School admits fewer than 2% of SHSAT test-takers. The math section's multi-step reasoning questions are where most students lose ground. This post shows exactly how STEM Critical Thinking practice — not formula drilling — builds the analytical skills needed to hit the 527+ cutoff and earn a seat at one of NYC's most competitive STEM high schools.
Getting into Staten Island Technical High School means hitting a 527+ SHSAT composite score — and in 2026, doing it on a brand-new computer-adaptive test. This guide covers the exact SITHS cutoffs, the updated digital format, and the STEM critical thinking skills that separate admitted students from the rest.
Beacon High School switched to a timed, in-person handwritten essay for the 2026–27 admissions cycle — and most families don't know what changed or why. This guide covers the new format, the two published prompts, how the rubric scores responses, and exactly how to practice so your child walks in confident on essay day.
Beacon High School's admissions essay counts for roughly 50% of your score — and the format may have changed for the 2026–27 cycle. This post breaks down exactly what Beacon's published rubric rewards, shows annotated strong vs. weak response examples, and gives you a week-by-week prep plan for before November.
Choosing between Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, and Brooklyn Tech is one of the highest-stakes decisions an NYC family makes in middle school. This guide gives you current SHSAT cutoff score estimates, a school-by-school culture comparison, and a ranking strategy built around your child's actual score target — so you submit the right list on day one.
The Brooklyn Latin School admits students on one number: their SHSAT composite score. This guide explains exactly which critical thinking and logical reasoning skills drive that score — and how the new 2025–2026 digital format, including Tech-Enhanced Items, changes what your child needs to practice.