Queens Technical High School

At Queens Vocational and Technical High School, students may specialize in visual arts, pre-engineering, computer technology, cosmetology or take part in an exploratory program through the many majors available. Most of the programs offer certifications and licenses, so students are ready for employment after graduation.

The different majors at this large career and technical education school are meant to provide students with hands-on experience through coursework and internships.

In 9th grade, students in the Exploratory program rotate through all the majors and take introductory courses in business, plumbing design, cosmetology, advertising and design, and computer science. Students applying directly to the graphic arts, computer technology and cosmetology programs should be aware that those programs are screened, and it is recommended that all applicants apply to the Exploratory program, as there will be the opportunity to specialize in the upper grades.

Although the focus is on technical training for employment, the school in recent years has done a better job preparing students for college. Students may take college courses at LaGuardia Community College and Queensborough Community College.

Students also generally feel that the school community is inclusive of students with disabilities, according to NYC School Survey results. Students with disabilities also graduate from this school at well above the citywide average.

The school is housed in a spacious building with state-of-the-art equipment, workshops and labs. The building has high speed wireless access to support the many engineering and technology based classes. The school day can be long, with periods before 8 am and some after 4 pm.

Admissions: The Exploratory program has Educational Option admissions, meaning the school seeks a range of low-, middle- and high-performing students. The pre-engineering, cosmetology and computer technology programs accept a limited number of students who meet admissions criteria. The graphic arts program requires an audition. All programs are open to students citywide. (Melanie Quiroz, web reports and DOE data, November 2018)