Beacon High School Admissions: How To Get Into Beacon!

The Beacon High School (“Beacon”) is a well-regarded prep school with plenty of student activities and a strong reputation in New York City. Beacon ranks in the top third of New York City high schools and has one of the highest English proficiency scores in the city. Read on to learn more about Beacon High School admissions, and whether Beacon High School is the right school for you.

Beacon High School | School Overview

Beacon was founded in the 1990s as an alternative to the usual Regents exam-based high school curriculum. Instead, the school focused on portfolio-based assessments and projects to measure students’ achievement, which can be a great strategy for some learners. Today, there are some required tests for every NY high school student, but Beacon’s portfolio-based assessment roots remain apparent. Group and individual projects are key in student assessment, and teens must present a portfolio of their best work to a panel of teachers to fulfill graduation requirements.

The school has over a thousand students, but it still retains a strong focus on technology and the arts, as well as student leadership and activities. There are clubs for all kinds of interests, including the stock market, debate, model UN, film making, and more – the student literary magazine, Beacon Ink, publishes exception student work and is a great way for budding artists and writers to share their projects with a wider audience.

For more information, go to the Beacon website.

Beacon High School| Admissions Information

Among New York City public high schools, Beacon is classified as a "screened school." There are two screening criteria: 80% based on an essay and 20% based on grades. However, not every student who achieves perfect scores on the essay and Group 1 grades can secure admission, as this would overwhelm each incoming 9th grade class.

Another factor to consider is a student's "random number" in the DOE lottery, which introduces an element of chance.

Beacon allocates 66% of its available seats to the Diversity in Admissions carve-out as well as other seats to students with disabilities, which increases competition for those outside this category.

The essay is the key factor in standing out from the crowd and it can be used for four other consortium schools: East Side Community School, Institute for Collaborative Education, School of the Future High School, and University Heights Secondary School. The rubric used to grade the essay is publicly accessible, and it is recommended that students ensure their essays meet all parts of the rubric to achieve a perfect score.

It is crucial that the essay represents the best work of the applicant without any typos. It provides an excellent opportunity for applicants to showcase more about themselves as both students and individuals to Beacon.

Here are the two questions applicants can address in their 500-word essay:

1.How do you think a school with this approach to learning will help you grow academically, personally, and creatively? What do you think you have to offer a school community like this? 2.We admire students who are flexible in their approach to learning and willing to take intellectual risks that move them out of their comfort zone. Reflect on a time when you were intellectually challenged, inspired, or took an intellectual risk––inside or outside the classroom. How has that experience shaped you?

This article has provided you with an overview of the Beacon High School admissions process – more details can be found at the Beacon High School website.