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The NYC Department of Education has released the results for the 2023 Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) cycle. Here is a comprehensive look at the numbers and what they mean for future test-takers.
Testing Overview
In the 2023 admissions cycle, 25,959 students sat for the SHSAT. Of those, 3,994 received offers to one of the eight specialized high schools — an overall offer rate of approximately 15.4%.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total testers | 25,959 |
| Total offers | 3,994 |
| Offer rate | ~15.4% |
| Discovery participants | 767 |
Offers by School
Brooklyn Tech received the most offers, followed by Stuyvesant and Bronx Science. The remaining five schools each extended between 100 and 400 offers.
| School | Offers |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Technical High School | 1,421 |
| Stuyvesant High School | 762 |
| Bronx High School of Science | 731 |
| The Brooklyn Latin School | 388 |
| Staten Island Technical High School | 257 |
| High School for Math, Science, and Engineering at CCNY | 171 |
| Queens High School for the Sciences at York College | 139 |
| High School of American Studies at Lehman College | 125 |
Brooklyn Tech alone accounts for roughly 36% of all offers, making it the most accessible of the eight schools by volume. Stuyvesant and Bronx Science together account for another 37%.
Ethnic Breakdown of Offers
The ethnic composition of offer recipients continues to reflect long-standing patterns in SHSAT admissions.
| Ethnicity | Share of Offers |
|---|---|
| Asian | 53.3% |
| White | 27.0% |
| Hispanic | 6.7% |
| Multi-racial | 3.7% |
| Black | 3.0% |
Asian students received the majority of offers at 53.3%, followed by White students at 27.0%. Hispanic and Black students together received roughly 10% of all offers, a proportion that has remained relatively consistent in recent years.
Discovery Program
The Discovery program, designed to extend offers to economically disadvantaged students who scored just below the cutoff, had 767 participants in the 2023 cycle. Discovery provides an important pathway for students from underrepresented backgrounds to gain admission to the specialized high schools.
Top Feeder Districts
Certain school districts consistently produce a disproportionate share of SHSAT test-takers and offer recipients.
| District | Offers |
|---|---|
| District 2 (Manhattan) | 548 |
| District 20 (Brooklyn) | 452 |
| District 26 (Queens) | 338 |
Districts 2, 20, and 26 are home to many of the city’s highest-performing middle schools and account for a significant share of total offers.
Key Takeaways
- Competition remains intense. With only 15.4% of testers receiving offers, thorough preparation is essential for students aiming for a specialized high school seat.
- Brooklyn Tech is the largest entry point. At 1,421 offers, Brooklyn Tech provides the most seats and is a strong first-choice option for many applicants.
- The Discovery program matters. 767 students participated in Discovery, underscoring the importance of this pathway for students near the cutoff.
- District-level differences are significant. Students in Districts 2, 20, and 26 continue to be well-represented among offer recipients, highlighting the role of middle school preparation.
- Demographic patterns persist. The ethnic breakdown of offers has remained largely stable, with ongoing discussion about how to broaden access to the specialized high schools.
For students preparing for the next SHSAT cycle, these numbers reinforce the importance of consistent, focused practice. The more familiar you are with the test format and question types, the better positioned you will be on test day.