Our Insights
What’s Special
Small progressive school that welcomes both 9th graders and transfer students
The Downside
Foreign language only offered for two years, limited advanced course offerings
Humanities Prep, a small progressive school in the Bayard Rustin Educational Campus in Chelsea, provides an academically challenging and welcoming alternative to traditional high schools. Humanities Prep enrolls both 14-year-old 9th graders and older teens who may have struggled in a typical high school.
Academics and Instruction: Classes include group discussions and debates, with 17 to 24 students per class. Instead of Regents exam prep, students focus on research, writing and critical thinking. The only required Regents is English. Students show their learning through PBATs (performance-based assessment tasks) in math, English, science and social studies. They pick a topic, write about it, and present their work to a panel. The graduation rate is high, and most graduates are prepared for college.
Teachers highly recommend the school on the NYC School Survey. They shape courses that go beyond the typical Regents curriculum. Advanced math students, for instance, take a course on proofs, exploring problems in depth. In "Food Chemistry," students study chemicals in food with a focus on health and social justice.
Courses, like "Awkward, Angry, or Invisible," examine literature from a teen’s view. Other options include invasive species, “monsters in literature,” and Chinese and Japanese literature. The school has full-time visual arts and music teachers. French and Arabic are offered but only for two years due to the school’s small size.
Humanities Preparatory Academy offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses in research, seminar, US history, environmental science and art history.
Culture and Environment: The school uses restorative justice. Students who break rules meet with a "fairness committee" of teachers and peers to resolve the issue. For example, a student who storms out of class may need to apologize to their peers and take on a leadership role.
Students have the choice to eat lunch in the cafeteria, classrooms, or at round tables in the hallway. The school is inclusive and often accepts students who transfer after being bullied.
Teachers and students use first names. Each teacher leads an advisory four days a week, staying with the same group for their entire time at the school. The atmosphere is casual, with hoodies and hats common, but respect is key, and cliques aren’t allowed.
Student-led activities include clubs for ecology, debate, jewelry, cooking, theater, robotics and finance (Bank of America).
Parents get daily attendance reports. Staff may visit homes of students with chronic absences, often due to anxiety, and assure them there are no negative consequences for returning to school.
Special Education and English as a New Language (ENL): The school has three full-time special education teachers, including one for math. Students with disabilities are in classrooms with both a general and special education teacher (integrated co-teaching).
There is also one full-time ENL teacher. Some English learners have separate classes, while others get individual support during the day. All ENL students have passed the English Regents.
Building and Facilities: Humanities Preparatory Academy shares its building with five other high schools. The gym is shared. A swimming pool in the basement is expected to open in 2026.
College and Career: About one-third of students take College Now courses at Baruch and Hunter Colleges (CUNY). Students start planning for life after high school in advisory groups. The top 10 percent with the highest grades work with a private college counselor, funded by the school. There is also a full-time college counselor on staff.
Admissions: Most students enter in 9th grade via the main high school admissions process. Roughly 30 percent of students transfer from other high schools. Transfer applicants should contact the school for guidance. (Dashiell Allen, web reports and interview, October 2024)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Not offered in 2021-21Computer Science
Not offered in 2021-21Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
Not offered in 2021-21AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryHumanities Preparatory Academy (M99A)
Program Description:
Develop intellectual and civic leadership through self-discovery and challenge, with an emphasis on writing, science and math, public speaking, the arts, technology, and community action.
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
Spanish
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Art History, AP Environmental Science, AP Seminar, AP United States History, Chemistry (Advanced Science), Comp Sci/Math Tech (Advanced Placement), Physics (Advanced Science)
Boys PSAL teams
Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls PSAL teams
Basketball, Bowling, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
351 West 18 Street
Manhattan
NY
10011
Trains: to 18th St; , , , to 14th St
Buses: M11, M12, M14A-SBS, M14D-SBS, M20, M23-SBS, M55, M7, SIM1C, SIM33C, SIM3C, SIM4C
Contact
Other Details
This school shares the Bayard Rustin Educational Campus with five other schools
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