Happy First Week of School to our BEAM New York High School Freshmen!

With students heading back to school campuses this past week, BEAM is reflecting on the success of our rising high school freshman class in New York. We’re so proud of the achievements of these students:

Admissions results:

• 64% received offers from high schools that we rank as “Tier 1”; these schools offer AP calculus or an equivalent and more than 85% of graduates are college ready — fewer than 10% of schools qualify;

• 90% received offers from “Trusted” schools with good course offerings and support;

• 12 students were admitted to specialized high schools including Brooklyn Latin; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Math, Science, and Engineering; and Stuyvesant.

BEAM works closely with each individual student as they navigate the complex path of choosing the best high school to fit their needs. Our goal is for every student to find a “strong-fit” high school; a school that provides high-quality classes and advanced math classes (especially calculus) as well as plenty of support and college counseling. 

In New York City, all 8th graders must apply to high school. Since most schools do not offer advanced STEM coursework — fewer than half of schools offer calculus or even precalculus — the school a student attends determines a lot about what opportunities they will have. BEAM works one-on-one with students and families to ensure they can navigate the application process successfully, which helps keep students on-track to pursue STEM degrees and careers. For students who are interested in going to a specialized high school, we offer classes to prepare for the exams that determine admission. We also provide office hours where students can get help writing application essays, assembling portfolios, scheduling interviews, and more.

Here’s a complete list of NEW YORK high school admissions for BEAM students:

• A. Philip Randolph Campus High School

• Academy for Software Engineering (3)

• Aviation Career & Technical Education High School

• Baruch College Campus High School

• Beacon High School

• Bard High School Early College Bronx (2)

• Bard High School Early College Manhattan

• Bard High School Early College Queens (2)

• Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics

• Brooklyn Collaborative Studies

• Brooklyn College Academy

• The Brooklyn Latin School

• Brooklyn Technical High School (3)

• City College Academy of the Arts

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School

• George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education

• Gotham Tech High School

• High School for Construction Trades, Engineering, and Architecture

• High School for Environmental Studies

• High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College

• John Browne High School

• Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy International

• Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (4)

• Manhattan Village Academy (2)

• Midwood High School (2)

• Park East High School (2)

• Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School

• Staten Island Technical High School

• Stuyvesant High School

• Susan E. Wagner High School

• University Heights - STEM Program

• Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School

• Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design

We’re overjoyed to share these incredibly strong results and are so proud of our BEAM students.

Congratulations BEAM NYC 9th Graders!

Each year, New York City’s rising freshman apply to high school, and last year was a year unlike any other.

The high school admissions process in New York City marks a pivotal step in students’ academic careers. Unlike in most other school districts, all New York City public school students must apply to high school. What school a student attends determines a lot about what opportunities they will have, including opportunities to study advanced math and science that will prepare them to study STEM in college. Consider, for example, that most high schools in New York City don’t offer precalculus, much less calculus. BEAM works with students and families to ensure that students can successfully navigate the application process and apply to high schools with strong course offerings and good support, which open the most doors to a successful STEM career.

The admissions process in 2021-2022 continued to be affected by the pandemic, with changes to admissions criteria and timelines creating another year of bureaucratic confusion in the New York City public school system. Many middle schools, especially under-resourced schools still grappling with the effects of virtual schooling, were unable to provide the individualized admissions support students and families needed.

BEAM worked with our 8th graders to ensure that students and families had access to the information and advice they needed, including updated deadlines and requirements. BEAM also offered admissions office hours, where students could seek additional virtual support on applications and essays.

With BEAM’s help, our 8th graders earned admission to great high schools in the spring, including Bard High School Early College and Beacon High School! Eighteen students were admitted to specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science.

Admissions results:

• 50% of BEAM 9th graders are attending schools that BEAM ranks as Tier 1*

• 72% of students are attending schools that BEAM considers Trusted+**

• 18 students were admitted to specialized high schools, including Brooklyn Technical High School, Stuyvesant High School, and Bronx High School of Science.

* Tier 1 high schools offer Advanced Placement calculus or its equivalent (like the opportunity to take a college-level math course), and more than 85% of graduates are prepared for college. BEAM counts only about 40 high schools citywide, or about 7% of New York City high schools, as Tier 1; all are highly selective for admissions.

** Trusted Schools have good course offerings and support. Trusted+ Schools have earned this status with BEAM, or higher.

Way to go BEAM 9th Graders! 

Here’s a complete list of high schools admissions for BEAM students:

• University Neighborhood High School

• Urban Assembly School for Criminal Justice

• Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science

• Pace High School

• High School of Economics and Finance (3)

• High School for Service & Learning at Erasmus

• Francis Lewis High School

• The High School of Fashion Industries

• Medgar Evers College Preparatory School

• East Side

• Benjamin Banneker Academy

• Academy for Careers in Television and Film

• University Heights Secondary School

• NYC iSchool

• NYC Museum School

• Millennium Brooklyn HS (2)

• Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics

• Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences

• High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies

• Bard High School Early College Queens (3)

• Beacon High School (3)

• Academy of Finance and Enterprise

• Academy of American Studies (2)

• Urban Assembly Media High School

• The College Academy

• The Boerum Hill School for International Studies

• New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math

• Midwood High School

• KIPP NYC College Prep High School

• High CSchool for Health Professions and Human Services (2)

• Harlem Village Academy Leadership Charter School

• Frederick Douglass Academy

• East West School of International Studies

• DeWitt Clinton High School (2)

• Coney Island Prep

• Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music

• A School Without Walls

• Academy for College Preparation and Career Exploration

• Immaculate Conception School

Specialized High School Admissions included:

• Stuyvesant High School (3)

• The Brooklyn Latin School (3)

• High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College (3)

• Brooklyn Technical High School (6)

• Bronx High School of Science

• Queens High School for the Sciences at York College

• Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art

We’re so proud of our 9th graders, and wish them all the best this academic year. We’re here for you!

Helping Students Navigate High School Admissions

On September 21, BEAM hosted its annual High School Information Session to help BEAM 8th graders and their families navigate the New York City high school admissions process.

BEAM staff broke down the application process step by step, while four BEAM high schoolers talked about their admissions experiences.

Hawa, who is now in 9th grade at Beacon High School, told BEAM students: "Keep in contact with the BEAM staff because they will help you if you have an issue. When I was applying to Beacon, I almost did not apply, but because the BEAM staff helped me with my mailing, I was able to get accepted."

What’s next for BEAM 8th graders?

BEAM staff are meeting one-on-one with 8th graders and their families to develop their lists of prospective high schools. (BEAM offers advising in Spanish, Chinese, and English.)

Since August, students have also been taking Saturday classes to prepare for the SHSAT and to work on writing admissions essays for selective high schools.

 BEAM staff will also be taking students on school visits soon, and will review students’ final school rankings with them before they are submitted in December.

 For families who missed the High School Information Session, another session is planned for November.