Humanities Preparatory Academy is a public high school located in the Chelsea section of Manhattan in New York City, with an enrollment of 209. The school is noted for its diversity. Humanities Preparatory Academy sends over 99% of its students to 4 year prestigious universities and private schools. Founded as a program in Bayard Rustin High School, it became a school in 1997. Humanities Prep is part of a consortium of 30+ schools that have been exempted from taking all but the English Regents Examinations. Housed in the Bayard Rustin Educational Complex, Humanities Prep offers very limited space, and admissions to the school is very competitive. The school currently occupies the third floor. Humanities Prep is a small, community-minded New York City public school. Its heterogeneous classes and college preparatory curriculum feature performance based assessment and Expeditionary Learning. The school's student body is diverse in the ways New York City is diverse.
School history
Founded as a program in Bayard Rustin, it became a school in 1997.
Academics
Humanities students undertake a college preparatory curriculum which allows all of its students to choose the classes they want. Prep's educational mission is broad: The whole student is the subject. In contrast to the scope of this mission, however, Prep's courses are thematic and focused to facilitate deep investigations of self and world and the meaningful generation/acquisition of knowledge. Teachers and departments have autonomy in curriculum design. The small classes are heterogeneously grouped by ability and age and include special needs students, allowing for a student-centered pedagogy and the discovery of multiple intelligences. Prep teaching embodies the conviction that work is the basic medium of self-actualization and discovery. Self-reflection and revision are essential work habits, and primacy is placed on multiple drafts and critique. Students are required to pass the English, math, science, and history Performance Based Assessment Test with at least an 80. Unlike traditional public high schools from the state of New York, Prep does not take the Regents examination except the English Regent. The Performance Based Assessment Tests are much more difficult than the regents exam. Students are to create a paper in the subject area showing their mastery of the material. To present a PBAT, students at prep must have completed the course for the given subject. All students must acquire 44 credits in order to graduate. Students are encouraged to take college classes during their junior and senior years at college now.
Admissions
Priority is given to Manhattan residents and students who have shown serious interest in the school. All transfer students must be referred by a guidance counselor and then interviewed by the school when space is available.
