How to Get into Brooklyn Latin High School
Brooklyn Latin High School, more commonly known as Brooklyn Latin, has many unique features that differentiate it from the other specialized high schools. In this article, we’ll tell you what makes Brooklyn Latin special, and what you need to know to get the chance to attend.
This blog post was most recently updated on May 28, 2024.
Brooklyn Latin High School Overview
Photo By http://www.brooklynlatin.org/ftpimages/417/download/Uniform%20Information.pdf (the clearest version of the logo available.), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30848569
Brooklyn Latin High School, more commonly known as Brooklyn Latin, is one of the 9 specialized high schools of New York City for which you need to take the SHSAT. All of These schools are known for their academic rigor, driven students, great course offerings, and exciting extra-curricular opportunities… and they’re free! Brooklyn Latin is no exception, but it also has many unique features that differentiate it from the other schools. In this article, we’ll tell you what makes Brooklyn Latin special, and what you need to know to get the chance to attend.
Brooklyn Latin High School Location
Brooklyn Latin is located East Williamsburg, at 223 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11206
Photo By ajay_suresh - Brooklyn Latin School, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109470699
What is Brooklyn Latin High School known for?
Brooklyn Latin is known for its strong academics and driven students, as well as its focus on classics and humanities. The school’s guiding principles are based on the proven methods of Boston Latin. Students are called “discipuli,” Latin for student. Brooklyn Latin is the only specialized high school that requires uniforms, which is implemented to simulate an English Boarding School experience.
What does Brooklyn Latin specialize in?
Brooklyn Latin is unique among the specialized high schools in its focus on classics. Students are required to take 4 years of Latin, in addition to History, English, and another modern language. Public speaking and debate are fostered, and students lead their own parent-teacher conferences. They must also take four years of laboratory science and write a lengthy research paper.
Is Brooklyn Latin an IB school?
Brooklyn Latin School is the only specialized high school in New York City that offers college credit for successful completion of International Baccalaureate (IB) certificate exams. The IB is similar to the AP (Advanced Placement) program, but is considered even more challenging and is recognized by international universities across the globe. The IB program requires students to write a 15- to 20-page research essay on a topic of their choice, make an oral presentation and pass various subject exams. 40 percent of all students earn their IB Diploma.
Brooklyn Latin Rankings
According to US News’ 2024 Rankings, Brooklyn Latin is ranked #6 among New York high schools and #54 nationally.
How Hard Is it to Get into Brooklyn Latin?
Brooklyn Latin is not an easy school to get into, as it only accepts 388 students each year out of the 26,000 who take the SHSAT.
Brooklyn Latin High School Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate for Brooklyn Latin is approximately 1.5%.
Brooklyn Latin SHSAT Score
Brooklyn Latin has one of the lower SHSAT cut-off scores. The DOE began officially releasing cut-off scores in 2022.
SHSAT Score Cut-offs 2023
• Stuyvesant 561
• Bronx Science 521
• Brooklyn Latin 493
• Brooklyn Technical 503
• HSMSE @ CCNY 518
• HSAS @ Lehman 510
• Queens Science @ York College 527
• Staten Island Tech 521
Brooklyn Latin Admission Process
The only criterion for admission to Brooklyn Latin is scoring above the cut off score on the SHSAT (Specialized High School Admissions Test). This 3-hour test is open to all New York City Students who are currently in eight grade or ninth grade.
IMPORTANT! If you want to get into Brooklyn Latin, you must rank it as your first choice school when registering for the SHSAT. Students are automatically placed in their highest choice school for which they score higher than the cutoff. It is not possible to change your first choice after the test, which means that if you score high enough for Brooklyn Latin, but ranked Bronx Science first, you will get into Bronx Science but NOT Brooklyn Latin.
Getting into Brooklyn Latin: in 5 Steps!
- Take a diagnostic SHSAT. This first test is a way to assess your strengths and weaknesses, which you can then use as a roadmap for future study. Ivy Tutors Network offers mock test services and can administer the diagnostic. We will also send you a comprehensive report to help determine your test prep plan.
- Start Studying! Students should start studying for the SHSAT in the second semester of 7th grade if they are taking it as an 8th grader, or the second semester of 8th grade if they are taking it as a 9th grader. They should begin by filling in content gaps, and then take periodic proctored practice tests, especially in the months leading up to the test date. These tests should be timed and proctored (by a parent or tutor), re-creating the actual test conditions as closely as possible.
- Learn from your mistakes. After each practice test, students should make sure they understand why they got each problem wrong (yes, all of them!) before moving on to more practice. If you don’t fill in these content gaps first, you will just reinforce the same errors. Students should also experiment with different timing and test-taking strategies. Since it is up to students to decide how they divide their time between sections on the SHSAT, it can take a while to figure out what approach is best for each student.
- Research Brooklyn Latin and the specialized high schools. Learn more about all the specialized high schools by visiting their websites. Attending any tours or information sessions that are available, either in-person or online, is highly recommended. This will help you make a decision on how to rank the schools when you register.
- Register for the SHSAT. Of course, you will also need to register for the SHSAT and rank your schools in order or preference. You can register in the fall through your MySchools account or a school counselor.
Regular SHSAT Tutoring can create the necessary structure and reinforcement students often need to practice consistently. Ivy Tutors Network has helped thousands of students succeed on the SHSAT by learning test taking strategies, reinforcing key concepts, and building confidence. THese skills are essential not just for SHSAT, but for the SAT, ACT and more.
Explore our SHSAT Classes, a specialized online workshop for small groups. In this program, students undergo a diagnostic exam, engage in content review, and gain insights into tricks and strategies to excel on this challenging test.
