High School of American Studies at Lehman College
| High School of American Studies at Lehman College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
|
2925 Goulden Avenue Bronx, NY United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°52′29″N 73°53′43″W / 40.874834°N 73.895187°WCoordinates: 40°52′29″N 73°53′43″W / 40.874834°N 73.895187°W |
| Information | |
| Type |
Public Specialized |
| Established | 2002 |
| Principal | Alessandro Weiss |
| Faculty | 28 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Number of students | approx. 400 |
| Newspaper | Common Sense Periodical |
| Website |
hsas-lehman |
The High School of American Studies at Lehman College, commonly called American Studies, is a New York City public high school that specializes in social studies, history and English.
Together with the Queens High School for the Sciences at York College and the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, it was one of the three smaller specialized high schools opened in 2002 by the New York City Department of Education, and it is one of the 9 Specialized High Schools in New York City. Admission is granted through a competitive examination known as the SHSAT. As a public school, American Studies has no tuition fee, and only residents of the City of New York are eligible to attend.
The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education. It receives supplementary funding from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
American Studies is located on the Lehman College campus in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx. It is ranked 11th[1] in the country by U.S. News & World Report.[2]
The School
American Studies was designed as a small school for about four hundred students. It was created in 2002 along with Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, and the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College. New York City previously had three specialized high schools, Brooklyn Technical High School, Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant, besides LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. The three new schools were created to provide more opportunities for students beyond the previous three specialized high schools.
Unlike the other specialized high schools, American Studies puts a special focus on history (particularly American History), and all students are required to study U.S History for 3 years. Despite the school's emphasis on history, it also offers a variety of AP classes in other subject areas, such as Calculus. Students are required to take AP World History during their Sophomore year . Some students who excel in math have the ability to take college math courses at Lehman College during their senior year.[3]
History
In 2008, American Studies was awarded a Gold Medal by U.S. News & World Report in its ranking of the Best Public High Schools. The school was ranked 29th, beating its rivals and fellow specialized high schools Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Stuyvesant High School.[4] In 2009, it climbed up 10 spots and was ranked as the 19th Best Public High School, claiming the top spot for all New York City High Schools and 2nd for all of New York State.
In 2014, American Studies has held on to its Gold Medal by U.S. News & World Report and was ranked 32nd out of 22,000 public schools in the nation, making the school #1 in the state.
In 2015, the school was ranked 11th nationally, making it #1 in the state for the second year.[1]
Affiliations with Lehman College
As part of the new Specialized Schools that opened in CUNY campuses, American Studies students are granted permission into Lehman College campus to use the college library, gym, cafeteria, and occasionally the theater if the high school might need it for events such as plays. Students are given CUNY I.D. cards for access to the campus and for verification purposes.
Vallo Transportation
Vallo Transportation is a private bus service offered to High School of American Studies at Lehman College students and Bronx High School of Science students.
Average SAT and College Enrollment
In 2014, the average SAT score for American Studies was 1960 out of 2400 making it above average nationally. Some students from American Studies attend highly selective and prestigious schools such as Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, Harvard University, University of Chicago, Amherst College, and many more. Many students, due to the convenience, go to SUNY and CUNY schools.
Enrollment
Admissions to High School of American Studies is solely based on the SHSAT, a standardized test that permits entrance into Specialized High Schools. In recent years, the cut-off score, or the minimum score needed to gain entrance to American Studies, was 497~508. In September 2011, only 177 out of 16,436 students that applied were admitted into the school, making the acceptance rate a low 1.1%.
References
- 1 2 "Top New York High Schools | Best High Schools". US News. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- ↑ "The High School of American Studies at Lehman College". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
- ↑ "Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2011-2012" (PDF). NYC Department of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ↑ "HS of American Studies on U.S News". www.usnews.com. December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-31.