Brooklyn Tech Admissions Process
Admission to Brooklyn Technical High School, also referred to as Brooklyn Tech, is exclusively based on an entrance test called Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). This specialized high school test can be taken by all eighth and first-time ninth-grade students in New York City. SHSAT prep is available from Caddell Prep.
The exam covers computation and word problems for its math section, and grammar and reading comprehension for its verbal section. For the September 2011 round of admissions, approximately 30,000 students took the SHSAT. Out of that number, 23, 085 listed Brooklyn Tech as their first choice. Roughly 1,951 offers were made-the most out of any of the specialized high schools in New York City partly because of its size.
Overview of the School
Administratively designated as High School 430, Brooklyn Technical High School is a prestigious New York City public high school with a specialization in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology. The institution is one of the three original specialized high schools under the New York City Department of Education, alongside Bronx High School of Science and Stuyvesant High School. Brooklyn Tech has the reputation of being one of the most selective and esteemed public high schools in the country.
Over the years, the specialized high school has remained true to its original goal of building a workforce that’s more technically literate while keeping updated with the latest technological innovation and skills. Known as the largest of the specialized schools in the city, Brooklyn Tech provides students with an exciting environment for building, designing, and working with their hands.
One of the governing ideals of the school is the belief that students enjoy learning more when they can feel, touch, and do things. This can be seen across all subject areas but most recognizable in the labs and workshops of the school’s 18 scientific or technical “majors.”
Brooklyn Tech has more than 20 guidance counselors to facilitate the student body. They work with small groups or individuals at every key transition point, as the freshman year and during the process of college admissions. This is the school’s way of trying to give more attention to its students. After graduation, approximately one-third of graduates attend private or out-of-state colleges. Most graduates attend SUNY and CUNY schools, including the well-known Macaulay Honors College.
Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) Cutoff Scores
2019 SHSAT cutoff score: 498 (lowest) and 631 (highest)
2018 SHSAT cutoff score: 493 (lowest) and 668 (highest)
For more information about the SHSAT test scores click here: SHSAT Cutoff Scores
Niche.com and US News Best Public School Ranking
Niche.com 2019 Best Public Schools in New York Rank: 2nd
US News 2019 Best Public Schools in New York Rank: 10th
Niche.com 2019 Best Public Schools in USA Rank: 3rd
US News 2019 Best Public Schools in USA Rank: 82nd
General Information
Student population: 5,664
Total number of teachers: 232
AP classes offered:
Unlike most American high schools, Brooklyn Tech offers students a college-style system of major subjects. As of 2018, the school’s majors include: Aerospace Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Biological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Digital Media, Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science Research, Finance, Industrial Design, Law and Society, LIU Advanced Health Professions, LIU PharmD, Mathematics, Mechatronics and Robotics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physics, Social Science Research, and Software Engineering.
During the second semester of their year as a sophomore, students are placed into a specific major according to their student performance in all subject areas in order of preference. Included in these majors are Advanced Placement or Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses focusing in that particular area of interest assigned to each student for them to study on their final two years at Brooklyn Tech.
Every major has a unique formula called the PI index. This method allows the school to rank each student according to their current freshman and sophomore averages and ranking preference of the majors. If a student doesn’t get into their first preference but has a higher PI index for their second preference, he or she will be prioritized over another student with a lower average for the same major preference.
Graduation rate: 98%
Notable alumni:
Brooklyn Tech has produced many CEO, Fortune 500 company CEOs, top scientists, Nobel laureates, Olympic medalists, high-ranking diplomats, academia scholars, professional athletes, literary and media personalities, National medal recipients, innovators, and inventors.
Among its most notable alumni are United States Representative in New York Gary Ackerman ’60, novelist Warren Adler ’45, professor and art critic David Antin ’50, former IEEE president Henry L. Bachman, US Congressman Matthew F. McHugh ’56 – U.S. Congressman, lawyer Londell McMillan ’83, professional basketball player Conrad McRae ’89, Deputy Chief of Staff to New York City Council Speakers Mike Nieves, NBA director of officials Ronnie Nunn ’68, and Nobel laureate Arno Allan Penzias.
Also on the list of Brooklyn Tech’s famous alumni are NASA astronaut Karol J. Bobko ’54, Tail gunner aboard the Enola Gay George R. Caron ’38, New York Senator Eric Adams ’78, Red Apple Group Chairman and CEO John Catsimatidis ’66, SUNY at Farmingdale President Frank A. Cipriani, humanitarian Harry Chapin ’60, entertainer Tom Chapin ’62, professional basketball player Lorenzo Charles ’81, actress Kim Coles ’80, athlete Diane Dixon ’82, US Navy Special Projects Office Chief Scientist John Piña Craven ’42, writer Richard Fariña ’55, and actor Lou Ferrigno ’69.
Other Academic Programs/Extracurricular Activities
Over 100 extracurricular activities are being offered in Brooklyn Tech. Home to many sports teams, the specialized school also has photography, quilting, robotics, drama, salsa dancing, and quilting teams. Their robotics team, which has won several national championships, allow students to design and manufacture robots using heavy-equipment. They build everything in-house instead of seeking help from third-party service providers like most secondary school teams do.
The school’s historic team name is the Engineers and it currently fields 30 varsity and junior varsity teams in the Public School Athletic League (PSAL). Its main colors are white and navy blue. Included in its myriad of student organizations are the news website called BTHSNews.org, Civil Air Patrol Brooklyn Tech Cadet Squadron, and the Brooklyn Tech Amateur Radio Club (club station call sign W2CXN).
They also have clubs and teams focusing on chess, football, wrestling, debate, forensics (speech), hockey, mock trial, robotics, and rowing.
Brooklyn Tech has its own literary art journal called Horizons. It serves as a platform that encourages students to express themselves through various forms of art, photography, prose, and poetry. The Model United Nations enables students to discuss foreign affairs while the Model UN club hosts an annual conference known as TechMUN. Other clubs cover a wide range of subjects like the Stock Market, politics, ultimate Frisbee, anime, Dance Dance Revolution, fashion, animal rights, table tennis, and debate, which offers both Policy and Lincoln Douglas.
The Brooklyn Tech cheerleading squad is known as the Enginettes. In 2012, a Junior State of America Chapter was established at the school by Brooklyn Tech students. They also host a musical every spring. In order to address problems on a student level, the school has its own student union. There are also different community services clubs like the Red Cross Club, BETA, and Key Club. Two-step teams represent Brooklyn Tech: Organized C.H.A.O.S. and Lady Dragons. Each grade has its own Coordinator of Student Activities (COSA) for better facilitation.
News about the School
Brooklyn Tech Represents NY in Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge (The Survey)
In the 2017 school year, a team of Brooklyn Technical High School students took part in the Verizon Innovative Learning App Challenge. It is a nationwide contest open to both middle school and high school students in which participating teams are required to create their own app that can solve a problem within their community.
According to the company, around 1200 students submitted apps in 2015 and out of all of them, 24 apps were made available on the app market. Verizon also found out that 60% of the winners are interested in computer programming.
From each US state, one middle school and one high school student were chosen to as a representative. Teams were required to submit their unique design concepts online via an essay and three-minute video. To make the Verizon challenge more interesting, game design techniques and game mechanics were applied to the application process.
Brooklyn Tech emerged victorious during the contest and took home the Best in State award. Then Brooklyn Tech Junior Karina Melnik, alongside her team, had been chosen to represent both her school and New York State.
The app designed by Melnik and her team was called “Ilustria,” which was designed in the summer of 2016. It was designed to allow students to easily connect to independent scholarships that are not that well-known. Through the app, students can have access to more scholarships. It also helps students find more opportunities to finance their college tuition.
What made the app stand out from the rest is that it was meant to benefit not only Brooklyn Tech students but all students in the United States. While the app was not able to secure a spot in the Best in Nation awardees, it still managed to achieve a great deal by becoming the best in the entire state of New York.
