SHSAT PrepRank by preference, not by cutoff
If the student would rather attend school A than school B, put A above B. That remains correct when cutoffs move, when the exam becomes adaptive, and when a neighbor's cousin has a theory.
A lower-cutoff school listed first is not a safer strategy. If the student is high enough for that school, they will be offered it and they will not be considered for a school listed below it. Rank the commute, the program, and the building the student would actually enter in September.
Visit enough to make the list honest
The eight testing schools are not interchangeable STEM logos. Brooklyn Latin is a classics-heavy program. HSMSE sits on the City College campus. Staten Island Tech is a long trip for most Queens families. Brooklyn Tech is large. Stuyvesant is Stuyvesant.
Use the school sites, a tour if one is offered, and students the family actually trusts. Do not rank from a cutoff table. Last cycle's lowest scores are in the article on cutoffs. They describe last year's market, not this student's life.
How many schools to list
List every testing school the student would attend. Leave off every school they would not. There is no prize for listing all eight, and there is a real cost to listing a school the family would then try to decline.
If the student would attend all eight, list all eight in true order. A blank slot cannot catch a seat, and a listed school the student hates can catch a seat the family then has to live with.
Confirm the current official list
The eight testing schools on the current NYCPS page are Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Brooklyn Latin, Staten Island Tech, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, High School of American Studies at Lehman, and HSMSE at City College.
School names and programs can change. When registration opens, rank from the list inside MySchools, not from a remembered blog post.
Official sources
SHSAT policies and digital testing details can change. Confirm current information with NYC Public Schools:
SHSAT Prep is an independent practice product and is not affiliated with NYCPS.
Frequently asked questions
Should we put the 'easiest' school first to guarantee an offer?
No. If that school still has a seat when the student's name comes up, that is the offer. A school the student prefers, listed lower, will not be considered.
Does ranking a school lower hurt the student's chance there?
The score order does not change. Ranking only decides which remaining school is tried first when that student's name is reached.
Continue your study plan
Offers go in score order, then school preference. A student is never considered for a school they did not list. Rank only schools they would attend.
Next guideTaking the SHSAT in 9th GradeFirst-time ninth graders can test for a tenth-grade seat. Those seats are scarce, and last cycle's 10th-grade cutoffs moved sharply.
Next guideHow to Register for the SHSATConfirm eligibility, use MySchools, rank schools, check accommodations, and verify the ticket. Confirm every deadline on the official NYCPS page.