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SHSAT: The Specialized High School Admissions Test

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The SHSAT, also known as, “The Specialized High School Admissions Test” is an exam that eighth and ninth graders from all boroughs take. The score that the students receive determines which school the individual will go. The nine elite schools of New York are Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, High School for American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for Sciences at York College, and Staten Island Technical High School (NYC Department of Education). Every October, hundreds of students from all boroughs take the examination to see if they can get the chance to go to one of these schools. However, the outcome of going …show more content…

Many learning centers provide these services only to gain profit in the long run. In the article, “Around Sunset Park, Tutoring is Key to Success,” the author Beth Fertig responds to the businesses that local organization gain from all the families that enroll their children. Fertig states, “Signs posted in Chinese advertise the different tests they can prepare students to take: OLSAT (for Gifted and Talented programs), SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test) and the SAT's” (Fertig). In other words, Fertig believes that by creating advertisements that cater to a student’s success, parents are more vulnerable to put their children into these programs. Parents lack the knowledge of the learning center's agenda. In the Chinese culture, tests are a way to determine the placement of higher education for students (Fertig). By seeing how prestigious these high schools are, the children of the parents begin to see this as a priority. Signs such as stress, panic, or anxiety may start to show up in a child because they are not able to withstand the content. Even though the child may be experiencing these symptoms, it is very unlikely that they can drop out of the course because their parents already paid for it. As an eighth grader, he or she should not have to feel the pressure of trying to get to the top schools in New York. A child with his or her …show more content…

Simple things such as lack of sleep or procrastination can heighten a person while they are at school. In the article, “Confronting Mental Health Issues at Stuyvesant,” the author Rong Xiaoqing advocates for a better approach for identifying a sudden change in a student during the school year. Stuyvesant High School is one of the top schools that people try to get placed. For a particular student, it was very tough for him to keep up with the work. Rong Xiaoqing agrees when he writes, “Hor did not always sleep well when he was in junior high. Under pressure at Stuyvesant, he developed insomnia and depression. Most nights, he could only sleep for three hours. By December 2010, the situation got so bad that he was not able to go to school anymore” (Xiaoqing). The essence of Xiaoqing’s argument is that without proper care or assistance to a student when they are not at their best can cause severe damage to their health. Additionally, Hor did not get the chance to recover from junior high causing high school to be challenging for him. Therefore, it is significant to address to an official when a student is acting different or not performing well at

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