Obrian was devastated when he found out he didn’t score high enough on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) to attend Brooklyn Technical High School, one of New York City’s most selective high schools. Unlike many of the students who gain admission to the city’s specialized high schools, his family didn’t have the resources to spend thousands of dollars on test prep.

His score on the SHSAT put him just below the cutoff mark for Brooklyn Technical High School. But because of the Discovery Program – which allows students from low-income communities who score just below the standardized test cutoff to earn admission to the specialized high schools – Obrian was able to attend a summer program and then start at Brooklyn Tech his freshman year.

Now, he’s thriving. He has a sky-high GPA and he helped his school win the city championship in track and field.

It’s clear Obrian is exactly the kind of student who excels when given the opportunity to attend a specialized high school.

https://www.nyclu.org/en/news/new-yorks-specialized-high-schools-need-more-students-obrian