With the city’s focus on improving STEM options for girls, the use of the SHSAT seems a bit hypocritical

Perhaps, but the mayor’s initiative would also give more offers to a particular kind of student — one more likely to earn high GPAs, achieve college readiness on Regents exams, and graduate with top honors.

That type of student is girls.

According to the city’s calculation, girls would receive 62 percent of offers under the new policy — a big leap. Over the past three years, girls received 45 percent of offers; they constitute just 42 percent of the more than 15,000 students enrolled in the eight elite schools, a proportion that has remained essentially unchanged for years.

Although more girls than boys sit for the test, girls are less likely to get an offer and more likely to turn one down.

https://www.the74million.org/article/nyc-specialized-schools-girls-boys/