The High School of American Studies at Lehman College, one of three highly selective schools opened on City University of New York campuses in 2002, has the intimacy of a small school and the resources of a large college. Housed in a brightly lit, one-story, metal-sided building with just two corridors, the high school is across the street from the grassy quadrangles of the main campus of Lehman College. All the students' lockers, painted light foam green, are lined up along one corridor so students have a chance to socialize with just about everyone in the school in between classes. Students go across the street to study in the Lehman College library, to eat in the college cafeteria, and to take their physical education classes in the vast college gymnasium, the Olympic-size swimming pool, or the racquetball courts. Juniors and seniors may take courses for college credit at the college.

Rather than moving through a curriculum at breakneck speed, teachers at the High School of American Studies emphasize depth in the coursework. "We want the students to take joy in learning and the teachers to take joy in teaching," said Principal Alessandro Weiss, who took over after the school's founder, Myra Luftman, retired in 2006. Classes last 55 minutes, rather than the 43 that is typical in high schools. The longer classes "allow the teachers to feel less stressed and more relaxed," said Weiss.

Students take six semesters of American history (compared to two at most schools). They may spend an entire semester studying colonial America, for example, or four weeks on the New Deal. Students may travel to Gettysburg to re-enact Pickett's charge in the Civil War, walk the Freedom Trail in Boston, or visit Philadelphia to learn about the Constitution. The trips are made possible with the support of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the study of America's past. Students also take two years of global history.

English and math instruction are strong. The science course offerings are limited, with just three years of high school science offered (biology, chemistry, and physics). Weiss said strengthening the science curriculum is one of his main priorities, and he anticipated a fourth-year science course would be added in 2007.

A total of 121 juniors and seniors were enrolled in 50 college classes in the fall of 2006one third of the student body. Courses included Latin, jazz history, the history of the Civil War, computer science, and advanced math. Freshman are escorted by a school safety officer to the library and gym and eat lunch in a separate section of the cafeteria, supervised by a teacher.

About two-thirds of the students live in the Bronx, and the school has a nice racial mix. The administration actively recruits students from Bronx middle schools that have been under-represented at the city's most selective high schools. Many of the students have taken prep courses at the Specialized High School Institute at Bronx Science, one of a number of free 18-month courses offered by the city Department of Education to prepare students at lesser-performing middle schools to apply for the specialized high schools.

One of the advantages of the small size of American Studies is the attention that students receive in the college office, which has two guidance counselors. College counselors meet individually with every student, starting in their junior year. American Studies graduated its first class in 2006, and students were admitted to such colleges as Middlebury, Barnard, Skidmore, Tufts, New York University, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Admission is based on the selective specialized high school exam given in the fallthe same exam given for Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech. Call for information about open houses, generally held on Fridays during the day as well as in the evening. The school has very limited special education services. (This school is featured in NYC's Best Public High Schools: A Parent's Guide. Clara Hemphill, October 2006)

The Daily News reports that High School of American Studies At Lehman College 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 Report.

"As a parent with two kids attending HSAS, I can say without reservation that this is truly a wonderful school. HSAS's small size enables all teachers to know the students. The coursework is rigorous, but the informal, family-like atmosphere keeps kids from stressing out. Students get a lot of support in class and in after-school tutoring sessions. There's a great spirit something I attribute in part to the principal, Mr. Weiss, who is a terrific leader with a deep commitment to public education, a first-class mind, and a healthy sense of humor in his work with teachers, parents, and students. For a small school, there's a lot of choice in after-school sports and clubs enough to engage anyone in at least a couple of things. The connection to Lehman College has been a real strength. The kids love using the facilities. My older child is in the throes of the college-application process right now and I think the school has prepared him very well to succeed in the coming years."

While "thrilled" with the small high school environment and the "high level of academics," a parent tells Insideschools that "the relationship with Lehman [College] is not good." Students who were originally told that they could use the college facilities after school are now being told "it is not for your use." Announcements are made on the loud speaker during the school day telling students not to stay on campus after school, he said, noting that "this is totally against what the school was about."  Among other things, school teams do not have use of Lehman's gymnasium and "practice in an old, dusty gym."  Some of the projects and trips that were planned for his daughter's senior year have likewise not materialized, he tells Insideschools.  (March 2007)