Stuyvesant High School admissions: cutoff score and SHSAT dates
Stuyvesant High School, at 345 Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan, is one of New York City's eight testing Specialized High Schools. Admission depends entirely on the SHSAT. For Fall 2026 it had the highest cutoff of the eight: 561.
An independent guide by EagleTeach, based on the school's published admissions pages. We are not affiliated with Stuyvesant High School; always confirm details with the school.
Entry points and deadlines
To register for the SHSAT a student must be a New York City resident and a current 8th grader or a first-time (not repeating) 9th grader. 9th graders who test are considered for 10th-grade places.
When registering in MySchools, students list the eight testing Specialized High Schools they want in order of preference. Students aren't considered for schools left off the list.
Stuyvesant's lowest qualifying 9th-grade score for Fall 2026 admissions was 561, the highest of the eight testing schools.
Lowest 9th-grade SHSAT scores that received an offer for Fall 2026: Stuyvesant 561, HSMSE at City College 539, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College 531, Bronx Science 525, Staten Island Tech 517, High School of American Studies at Lehman College 507, Brooklyn Tech 506, Brooklyn Latin 495.
Testing
The SHSAT is the only criterion for the eight testing Specialized High Schools: no grades, interviews or essays are used.
The test lasts 180 minutes and is taken on computer: 50 English Language Arts questions (reading comprehension and revising/editing Parts A and B) and 50 maths questions (multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank). Students choose which section to start with.
In maths, each question must be answered before moving on, and you can't go back. In ELA, you can revise answers within a passage set until you submit it.
Offers go in descending score order: the highest scorer gets their first choice, and so on, until a student's first choice is full, when they are considered for their next choice. Each student gets at most one offer, and there are no waitlists.
The Discovery program offers a summer route in for students from high-poverty schools or areas who score just below the cutoffs; in 2026, students scoring 495 or above weren't eligible because that score reached an offer.
SHSAT dates for Fall 2027 entry
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6 October 2026 | SHSAT registration opens in MySchools |
| 30 October 2026 | SHSAT registration deadline |
| 14 or 15 November 2026 | SHSAT at a central site for 8th graders at 6-12, K-12, charter, private, parochial or independent schools, and homeschooled students |
| Wednesday 18 November 2026 | SHSAT in school for 8th graders at NYC public middle schools that end in 8th grade |
| Saturday 21 November 2026 | SHSAT at a central site for 9th graders |
| March 2027 | Results and offers in MySchools (the 2026 results came out on 5 March) |
How to prepare
- ✓ A Stuyvesant offer needs one of the top scores in the city, so plan full-length timed practice from the summer before 8th grade.
- ✓ List every testing school your child would attend, in true order of preference: listing a lower choice never costs a place at a higher one.
- ✓ Practise on the official digital sample tests and the Student Readiness Tool on the NYC SHSAT Portal, so the computer format holds no surprises.
- ✓ Plan maths pacing carefully: you can't return to a maths question, so don't spend more than a couple of minutes on any one.
- ✓ Build grade 7 skills first: the ELA questions follow New York's grade 7 English standards, and the maths applies familiar skills to multi-step problems.
Need help with the tests? One-to-one SHSAT tutoring, what the SHSAT tests or tutoring in New York.
Common questions
What was the Stuyvesant cutoff score in 2026?＋
561: the lowest 9th-grade SHSAT score that received a Stuyvesant offer for Fall 2026 admissions.
Does the cutoff change each year?＋
Yes. It is the lowest score that received an offer, so it depends on that year's scores, preferences and seats.
Does Stuyvesant look at grades or interviews?＋
No. The SHSAT score and your list of preferences are the only things used.
When is the SHSAT in 2026?＋
14, 15, 18 or 21 November 2026, depending on the student's grade and school. Registration closes on 30 October.
Can my child take the SHSAT twice?＋
A student can test in 8th grade and again as a first-time 9th grader, for 10th-grade entry.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 2026-10-13.