The Bronx High School of Science, one of the most famous schools in the country, has a proud history of training not only scientists but also authors, business executives, and academic leaders. Its graduates have won seven Nobel prizesmore than any other school in the country. The school inspires an astonishing loyalty among its alumni, who contribute $1 million a year to keep the education at Science at its best. Many of the faculty members are Bronx Science alumni.

Bronx Science is a stressful, highly competitive place, with large classes and a demanding, traditional curriculum. Kids are chronically sleep-deprived from hours of homework and long commutes. But the administration has taken steps in recent years to make the school more welcoming and, while some students still get lost, the school seems to be less of a sink-or-swim kind of place than it was even five years ago. "We're the smallest big school you are going to find," said Assistant Principal Fred Levy, who gave us our tour. Freshmen are assigned "big sibs," older students who are charged with ensuring that the first year students adjust. There is a freshman orientation before school starts, and summer school to help students who scored very high on the math portion of the entrance exam but not so well on the verbal. Students may attend a "club fair" to find out about the more than 80 clubs and after-school activities, which range from debate to crew and cheerleadinga way to make friends and create a sense of community in a large school. Many of the students come from Queens and, to make it easier for their parents to be a part of the school, the PTA sometimes has parent meetings in that borough.

The quality of teaching is, overall, very good. Principal Valerie Reidy, former assistant principal for biology and a teacher at Science for 30 years, has concentrated on staff development to improve instruction in every departmentand it shows. Moreover, the school has long had hiring practices designed to attract a good staff. Unlike most New York City schools which until recently hired teachers according to the seniority provision of the teachers' contract, Bronx Science has followed what is called "school based option." That means new teachers are interviewed and vetted by a faculty committee, rather than being assigned according to seniority.

Opened in 1938, Bronx Science moved to its current location in 1959, a pleasant but ordinary building. Students enjoy taking their lunch outdoors on a patio area outside the cafeteria. However, the area immediately surrounding the school is unattractive. To get to the nearest subway stop, students must walk across a bridge over railyard. Subway connections to Manhattan are speedy. Private bus service is also available from Manhattan and Queens.

Special education: The building is wheelchair accessible. A handful of students receive special education services.

After school: The school has a wide array of clubs and sports.

Admissions: There is one open house in the fall. It's crowded, but well worth attending. Students offer tours of the building in the evening, and both students and staff are available to answer questions. Admission is based on the Specialized Science High School Admissions test (SSHAT) given in the fall. Many students take private test prep classes before taking the exam. Others take free courses offered by the city Department of Education called the Specialized High School Institute. (Clara Hemphill 2006. This school is featured in NYC's Best Public High Schools: A Parent's Guide.)

"My daughter has just finished her sophomore year, and we've been extremely pleased with BxSci. She's a mathy kid, and they've placed her well; we know non-mathy kids who are placed well, too. The English teachers both years have been super. One of the good things about a big school is that there's a niche for everyone. We haven't seen much competitiveness; the kids are amazingly supportive of each other. Intelligence is admired, and the place is much more accepting of quirkiness and creativity than the more Type-A Stuyvesant."

"My cousin was recently wrongfully accused by one of this school's teachers for cutting his class. It was a simple attendance keeping mistake on the teacher's part and my cousin had quietly served the detention. Yet, when my aunt went up to speak about the matter, not only was no apology offered, but the teacher scoffed at her for taking time off from her work for this "trifle" matter. If you believe in subjecting your child through such a cold and careless teacher, please send your child to this school."

The Daily News reports that Bronx High School Of Science is one of nine NYC public high schools to rank among the top 100 high schools in the nation, according to US News and World ReportLINK.

"The teachers don't seem to care," writes a student. "The principal does not care about the students...just cares about the school's reputation and does not give individual attention to the students." (September 2005)

In response to the above comment, Principal Valerie Reidy writes: "It is unfortunate that this student feels this way. My door is always open to any student who wishes to discuss issues." She notes that there are several venues for students to express their grievances, including an "aggressive" student organization with " a million subcommittees." There are also deans, guidance counselors and teachers. She adds: "I may not have time to talk to parents, but I always make time to talk to kids." Uncertain as to the specifics of this students' complaint, she encourages this student to approach her or any staff member, because she would like to rectify the problem. (September 2005)

A reader writes to tell us that six Bronx Science graduates are Nobel laureates. She lists them as follows (as appears on the Bronx Science website) with their current, or most recent affiliation, if retired:
Leon N. Cooper '47, 1972, Brown University;  Melvin Schwartz '49, 1988, Columbia University; Sheldon L. Glashow '50, 1979, Boston University; Steven Weinberg '50, 1979, University of Texas at Austin; Russell A. Hulse '66, 1993, Princeton University;H. David Politzer '66, 2004, Cal Tech. (June 2005)

"Bronx Science indeed gave students a huge workload, and the competition was extremely fierce, but even now, 25 years later, it is one of the most important parts of my resume," an alumna writes. (January 2004)