Academy of American Studies

With only 58 seats and more than 2,100 applicants on the screened humanities track, the school's selectivity is itself a statement about academic expectations — families pursuing this school are signaling a humanities-leaning, college-prep orientation. Students can take AP courses, study French or Spanish, and continue ELL support, but raw ELA and math proficiency scores were not available for this profile, so direct comparisons to the district averages of roughly 61% ELA and 62% math proficiency can't be made. The program's heavy humanities framing is the clearest academic signature on offer.

This is where the school really shines on paper. Every responding teacher rated instruction quality highly (100% vs. a district average around 91%), parent-teacher and parent-principal trust both landed at 94%, and parent satisfaction was right at the district average of 93%. The discipline picture is unusually calm — zero suspensions last year against a district average suspension rate of about 0.3% — suggesting a culture that leans on structure and high expectations rather than removal. The day-to-day read: teachers feel supported, families feel heard, and the school doesn't appear to rely on suspensions to manage behavior.

The student body is notably balanced: about 37% white, 35% Hispanic, 24% Asian, and 3% Black, with an economic need index of 57.9 pointing to a mixed-income population rather than a purely affluent one. That roughly tracks the surrounding neighborhood, which sits at a median income around $70,500 with a 19% poverty rate — though the school's screened admissions mean families apply in from across the borough, so the building is more of a citywide draw than a strictly local one. About 11% of students have IEPs, and ELL support is offered, so the school serves a real range of learners even within its selective pool.

The school anchors the Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Dutch Kills area, a stretch of western Queens where high-rise towers and new glass condo development sit side by side. Median home values north of $840,000 reflect the wave of new construction that's reshaped the waterfront, while the 16% homeownership rate and 19% poverty rate remind you that long-time renters and public housing residents are still very much part of the fabric. About 39% of adults in the area hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and just over 10% of households include children — a fairly low proportion that helps explain why so many Academy families commute in from elsewhere.

Three subway hubs are all within about a five-minute walk: the E, F, and R at Queens Plaza, the 7 at Queensboro Plaza, and the N and W at Queensboro Plaza — among the best-connected locations for any Queens high school.