15 Signs You Went To A Specialized High School in NYC

We've put together the top signs you went to a specialized high school in NYC. Whether you're a current student or graduate, you'll relate!

Every New York student understands the hectic struggle that comes with applying for a specialized high school. Even if you didn’t take the exam, being a 13-year-old in the city meant that you could not escape the talk about the SHSAT. Those four years have definitely been more than average so here are 15 signs you went to a specialized high school in NYC!

1. Tell people you go to a specialized high school and they’ll think you go to Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, or Brooklyn Tech.

If you don’t go to one of those schools, it feels like the top three winners are receiving their medals and you’re running in just in time to receive a participation award. You’re still there, but the spotlight is just not on you.

2. “So you didn’t get into Stuy?”

Maybe you didn’t but maybe you just didn’t put Stuyvesant as your number one choice. It’s a crazy thought, really.

3. If you’re a Laguardia student, you’ve probably heard “oh, that’s a specialized high school?”

We love you, art and media. If you’re a student pursuing the arts, you’re more than talented and your acceptance proves it but some people just seem to forget.

4. You probably have a high school confession page.

Pretty much sums up everything that happens in your school for everyone to see. Whether they’re serious, sad, or laughable, the little “did this really happen?” moments are now public on Facebook for people to share and like.

5. Everyone thinks you’re going into STEM.

Especially if you go to Bronx Science, people are surprised when you break the news that you actually don’t want to go into the STEM field. And of course, you get the follow-up comment, “So you’re telling me that your school DOESN’T only care about science? But your school name has the word “science” in it.”

6. You are surrounded by people who love key club.

But can you blame them? We’re known to build a community of loving and caring people who treat each other like family. Once you put your time and effort into volunteering with many other members, there’s no breaking that bond.

7. You spend most of your time hating the administration.

Why is everything going wrong?? You don’t know the administration but you just know that you hate it.

8. You tell a non-New Yorker that you go to a specialized high school and they just shrug it off.

9. You realize that you’re very good at handling a busy schedule.

Students put so much time into their school work, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, jobs, and personal responsibilities that people start to wonder, how do you have the time to do all that? But they don’t complain. They’re willing to go the extra mile to do the things they love.

10. You probably spend an hour commuting to your school.
The MTA is your worst best friend but you need it too much to let it go. Besides, you have a free student MetroCard so you have to cherish it while you can.

11. APs on APs on APs

StuDying is what we do best. If there’s an AP course available, we’re probably taking it but not because we want to.

12. The people around you are usually open minded and respectful.

There will always be intolerant and close minded people, but for the most part, we understand and speak up for what we believe in. It’s extremely nice to be surrounded by people who are willing to fight for what is right and try to understand what is going on within different communities. We are advocates and we are here to represent.

13. Your school is competitive and has rivalries.

The most well-known rivalry has to be Stuyvesant vs. Bronx Science. Even the teachers love to take in on the harmful fun. It gives us spirit and school pride.

14. Your school has been reported for scandals.

Been there. Done that. New York news reporters and outlets love to give us attention and a bad name, but this happens enough times that we aren’t phased.

15. When it comes down to it, we don’t actually hate our school.

We spend our four years telling people how miserable we feel and how much we hate the school, but we could never trade in those four years for anything else. The workload, the people, and everything in between are the reasons we’ve held strong and vigorously worked our way through the challenging years. There’s something about going to a specialized high school that links people together and that silent bond is the backbone to most high school relationships.