Brooklyn Latin School, The

The Brooklyn Latin School is one of New York City's nine specialized high schools, offering a rigorous liberal arts curriculum modeled after the prestigious Boston Latin School. Admission is highly selective, based solely on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). The school is known for its comprehensive International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, which is integral to its curriculum and considered more demanding than standard Regents preparation. Students engage in a challenging academic environment with a strong emphasis on the Classics, four years of mandatory Latin, analytical thinking, structured writing, and public speaking through Socratic seminars and declamations. The school boasts exceptional outcomes, with a 100% graduation rate and nearly perfect Regents pass rates, both well above citywide medians. College enrollment is also very high, with 88.9% of graduates attending college within six months. Parents and students describe a nurturing yet demanding atmosphere, where teachers are dedicated and supportive, fostering a tight-knit community. While the academic workload is significant, often involving several hours of homework nightly, students appreciate the strong preparation for college-level work. The school shares a building with other schools, which can lead to some crowding, and some students note limited extracurricular options.