Your independent guide to NYC public schools

Preferably more than one, but any will do.

How do you measure top high schools? By those that require an exam to get in? Then choose Stuyvesant, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Tech or LaGuardia depending on your interests...or you could be thinking of schools do not require the specialized high school exam but that are high achieving: Bard, Townsend Harris, Beacon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Millenium Midwood, Francis Lewis....or schools that offer special programs in the arts, science, humanities, vocations.. Schools that have strong student activities, schools that are small and theme based, schools that are in the neighborhood, rather than requiring long hours of travel. You need to have some criteria for developing the list. Take a look at the profiles that we have posted on the website and pick out the top schools that meet your needs!

I'd like to add the Lab School, H.S. 412, to the list. It is at 333 W. 17th Street. They have a caring staff, a collaborative learning process, a nice size (4 classes/grade) and their average SAT score for 2004/5 was 1181.

We, like many parents, have been looking at many different high schools and find that they all have different things to offer but many of them are quite good. But I would be curious to hear from some parents who might have some experience with any of these schools. The issue is this, my daughter likes Murrow in Brooklyn and can be assured of a spot because of being in the top 2% in the ELA. Is there any real reason to give up a sure spot in Murrow for a school like Beacon (which in many ways seemed like a smaller Manhattan version of Murrow) or Bard or Baruch? I would be inclined to say no because there is no guarantee of getting into any of those (which would be high up on our list). Yet I know someone who did that last year and did get into Bard which was his top choice. Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?

If you are interested in facts and figures and the like, Staten Island Tech, Townsend Harris HS, and Stuyvesant HS scored the highest based on test scores.

I see that you asked for "NYC's top high schools." There are several, well-regarded private and parochial schools located around the city. The best of these aforementioned schools embarass the average public schools! However, after all is said and done, the issue is whether the best private schools are "better" than the best public schools...