Benjamin N. Cardozo High School

Benjamin N. Cardozo is a large, successful high school that’s home to several themed programs, including the highly competitive Da Vinci Math/Science Institute and popular options in law, journalism and dance.

Cardozo’s size is its strength, offering a huge range of classes and supports for students of all skill levels, including many advanced and college-level courses as well as ones for struggling learners and beginning English speakers. Foreign language instruction is offered in French, German, Mandarin and Spanish.

Many classes, especially honors, go well beyond the Regents curriculum. Da Vinci students take a challenging load of research, honors and Advanced Placement (AP), but qualifying students from any program can take honors, AP and College Now classes, the latter taught in collaboration with St. John’s University and Queens College. Students may also take courses for free at Queensborough Community College.

Students who do best here find their niche among the wide selection of clubs, activities and athletic teams. Art and music classes as well as bands, an orchestra and choir keep musically inclined students engaged. There are academic teams such as debate, moot court, mock trial, model UN, science Olympiad, robotics and math, and more than 30 PSAL sports teams and an impressive range of clubs.

The sprawling building is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood and is surrounded by extensive outdoor facilities more commonly found at surburban high schools, including sports fields, handball courts and a full-size track.

Like most large schools, there isn't a lot of hand-holding in the college office, but counselors do their best despite huge caseloads. Guidance counselors visit classes to guide 11th-graders through the college admissions process. Parent volunteers pitch in to help process college applications. Graduates go on to CUNY and SUNY schools as well as highly selective private colleges and universities.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: In addition to SETSS, there are self-contained and ICT classes in many subjects. The school offers a co-teaching model for English language learners in select classes, which are led by both the subject teacher and an ENL (English as a new language) teacher.

ADMISSIONS: Open only to Queens students and residents. Guaranteed admission to students in the school's zone who apply to the zoned program. The Da Vinci Math/Science Institute screens for strong grades, standardized test scores and attendance. Admission to Performing Dance is based on an audition and review of grades, test scores and attendance. The Mentor Law and Humanities program admits students based on the educational option formula, which is designed to admit a mix of low-, average- and high-achieving students. Journalism and Media Studies does not consider grades or test scores but gives priority to zoned students. (Laura Zingmond, April 2015; updated via web reports, February 2018)