Overview of BHSEC

Student Body & Admissions

BHSEC is a public educational institution. No tuition is charged. The BHSEC student body is broadly diverse in ethnic and economic background. Students from the five boroughs of New York City are eligible to apply. Enrollment is limited to approximately 500. The average student to teacher ratio is 20:1. Admission to BHSEC is based on the student's academic record, teacher recommendations, writing and math assessments, and an interview. Successful applicants typically have a minimum grade average 85. Evidence of ambition and intellectual curiosity is critical. Last year, BHSEC received roughly 4,000 applications for 135 places in the current class of 2008.

Students entering in ninth grade complete their high school work and the required New York State Regents Exams in the first two years at BHSEC. At the end of tenth grade, their high school classes end. Students with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for the ninth and tenth grades are eligible for entry into the early college program. At the end of four years, students have completed 60 college credits and receive the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in the liberal arts and sciences from Bard College as well as a New York State Regents diploma.

Faculty

BHSEC teachers are active in their fields of expertise and are dedicated to fostering adolescent learning. Some come from New York public high schools; others are experienced college professors with a special interest in working with younger students. Most hold the Ph.D. degree, and all full-time BHSEC faculty are certified by New York State, either when they join the faculty or thereafter. College electives are also taught by adjunct faculty. In total, BHSEC has 37 full-time and 16 part-time faculty. Approximately two thirds of the full-time faculty hold Ph.D. degrees in their fields.

Continuation in 4-Year Colleges

The A.A. curriculum is designed to enable students to transfer, with up to two years of college credit, to colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad. Some students elect to continue for another three or four years of college as undergraduates.
BHSEC’s first three classes of graduates received their A.A. degrees from Bard College in June 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively. Those students are now enrolled at a multitude of excellent four-year college programs nationwide, and beyond. (See alumni acceptances.)