Blog
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How to Write High School Admissions Essays
- February 08, 2021
- Jacob Brucker
A key part of the high school admissions process is writing essays. For me, these essays were the chief part of the application and the thing I placed the most emphasis on. These essays would vary in length, question type, and style, but through my time applying to high school, I found there were three universal steps that helped my writing. I continue to use these three criteria in my normal essays and know they can help you write your high school essays for applications. Here are the three criteria I use for my essays.
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AH! A Test! NYC High School Exam Studying Tips to Help You Conquer Test Stress
- February 03, 2021
- Halina de Jong-Lambert
High school exams can seem intimidating, with more content and weight than most other tests. However, with this guide, you will learn more about them and good test preparation strategies that will help you tackle these exams and your anxiety! New York City has nine specialized schools, all public, eight of which solely determine admission based on your score on their exam, the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). This is a good option for middle school students who feel the test grade would reflect their academic ability better than their transcript.
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My Admissions Story: Oliwia Caes
- February 01, 2021
- Oliwia Caes
When I moved to New York City in sixth grade, I was already beginning to hear stories about “the dreaded” high school admissions process. I had no clue what it all entailed but already felt afraid. I rushed to do more research on the topic to catch up to the many students around me that had already been exposed to some aspects of it, by the sheer fact that they had grown up in New York City. I was quickly overwhelmed by the hundreds and hundreds of schools - specialized, performing arts, private - what did it all mean?
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My Interview Experience at Bard High School Early College Queens
- January 23, 2021
- BHSECQ Student '22
I had the experience of applying to both public and private high schools as an eighth-grader, and because of the vastness of my application process, I had unique exposure to interviews. Over the course of two months, I sat down with representatives from six different schools and was evaluated for my performance. What both intrigued and perplexed me was that I could utter the same phrase at Trinity and have it be received entirely differently than at Beacon. Different schools expected different attire and levels of formality, and some schools had unspoken interview rules, like that you must write a thank you letter to your interviewer to get accepted.
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Academic Teams and Competitions Perfect for Middle School Students
- January 18, 2021
- Oliwia Caes
The advantages that come with involvement in extracurricular activities for middle school students are numerous. While one motivation for joining a club may be for high school applications, there are other reasons to consider joining one too. Academic clubs such as math teams, science teams, and Model UN can be a fun way to learn outside of the classroom and to learn important life skills.
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What to know about public school applications this year
- January 11, 2021
- Halina de Jong-Lambert
Chancellor Richard R. Carranza put out a letter on December 18th, 2020, outlining the changes that will be put into effect and continuities for the admissions process for New York City public high schools, that have been made largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Carranza is also focusing on lessening inequities that were thrown into light by the pandemic, specifically the worse impact that Covid-19 had on students of color and low-income students, as well as keeping the process as normal as it can be, keeping in mind social distancing guidelines.