What is the SHSAT Discovery program? Who qualifies

Discovery gives some students who scored just below the SHSAT cutoffs a way into a Specialized High School. They complete a summer program, then enroll in September.

Who is eligible: all three must be true

1. The score is below the limit. For 2026 admissions, Discovery was open only to students who scored below 495, which was the lowest cutoff that year (Brooklyn Latin). The limit changes each year with the new cutoffs, so the 2027 limit will be different.
2. The poverty test is met. For a public school student, the school’s ENI, a measure of student need the DOE uses, must be 60% or higher. For a private school or homeschooled student, 60% or more of families in the home census tract must be below the poverty line.
3. At least one of these also applies:
   • the family receives HRA assistance (welfare or SNAP)
   • the student is in foster care, is a ward of the state, or is in Students in Temporary Housing
   • the student is an English Language Learner, or a former ELL within the last two years, and new to the DOE within the last four years
   • the family’s income is at or below the USDA reduced-price lunch threshold

How Discovery works

• It’s by invitation only. Invitations come in the March offer letter, and there’s no separate application to start the process.
• You must reply on time. In 2026 the application deadline after the invitation was April 2, 2026.
• Only schools on your SHSAT registration count. Students are considered only for the schools they listed when they registered for the SHSAT.
• The summer program lasts about three to five weeks. Completion requirements vary by school, for example 90% attendance and 90% of assignments completed, and some schools require 80% in all classes.
• Students who complete it enroll in September at the Specialized High School.