Transfer Schools: An Alternative for Older High Schoolers

The New York City education system faces a huge problem: Large and growing numbers of students are arriving as freshmen in high school at age 16 and 17, the age they should be preparing to graduate.

These students have been held back at least one or more grades. Once in high school, many of these students still struggle to catch up to their peers, all the while they continue to grow older and remain under-credited. 

To address this problem, the Department of Education has created transfer schools, an alternative to traditional high schools for students who have fallen behind at least two years. 

Most transfer schools require that students attend at least one year of high school to be eligible for admission. But some of the newer alternative schools such as Brooklyn Frontiers High School, accepts students directly out of middle school. 

Transfer schools offer accelerated opportunities for students who have fallen behind to quickly earn the credits needed to meet the New York State requirements for graduation. Their offerings may include Learning to Work opportunities, which provide in depth career readiness preparation and sometimes allows students to earn credit by spending part of their school time in a work internship placement. 

Some transfer schools also participate in the College Now program which allows eligible students to earn college and high school credit by attending classes at a partner CUNY college. 

While transfer schools may be an excellent option for many students who, for one reason or another fell behind, entry into these schools can be tricky. Each transfer school sets its own admissions criteria. Most of them require that students have earned some minimum number of high school credits and have passed one or more Regents exams prior to enrollment.  They also require that the student and the parent participate in an interview.

There are three transfer high schools located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant:

Bedford Stuyvesant Preparatory High School

• Enrollment is open to high school students 15 years of age and older with a minimum of 8 credits. 
• Applicants will be interviewed and a needs assessment will be conducted. 
• They will consider students who do not meet these criteria on an individual basis through an interview process. 

Brooklyn Academy High School

• Open to students 16.5 years of age and older who have passed at least one Regents exam and have a minimum of 10 credits.
• Offer Learning to Work programs
• Intake interviews are scheduled throughout the semester and are conducted daily from 8:00am-3:00pm in Room 403.
• Students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and should have a copy of their updated transcript, immunization, and IEP (if applicable).  
• Students and their parents/guardians should contact the high school’s guidance department and arrange an interview.
• They will consider students who do not meet these criteria on an individual basis, through an interview process.

Brooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service

• Brooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service has a rolling admissions policy accepting students who are 16 years and older throughout the year.
• Offer Learning to Work programs.
• Interested students must have attended another high school for at least one year. 
• Students and their parents/guardians should contact the school and schedule an intake appointment. 
• Students are requested to provide their transcript.
• Students will be asked to meet with school staff for an interview. 
• Students accepted into the program will attend orientation sessions and be expected to participate in the school community.

If your child has fallen behind and has not been able to find success in his or her current traditional high school setting, then the transfer school option might be the thing that helps your child find their pathway to success.