Townsend Harris HS & Queens College
by Thomas Cunningham, Principal
Admissions: Admission is highly competitive. Students must: Have a minimum overall average of 90 percent (Students who have higher averages are much more likely to be selected.) Have a minimum Standardized Reading Score of 90th percentile (Level 3-4). Have a minimum Standardized Math Score of 90th percentile. (Level 3-4). Have excellent attendance and punctuality.
Teachers recruited?
Teachers were recruited through the School Based Option (SBO) process. This process allowed the school to select staff members who had demonstrated excellent scholarship, content mastery, good judgment, and the desire to become master teachers. Many of our faculty have achieved this goal, and others are well on their way to master teacher status. Although the SBO is no longer in effect, a similar process of selection uses committees of content specialists, administrators, and parents to select future faculty members.
Unique Features: All classes at Townsend Harris are honors level. All students take Queens College courses in addition to their high school courses in their senior year. Each semester, seniors enroll in a Great Books Humanities Colloquium as well as an additional college course of their choice. These classes are accredited and are above and beyond the curriculum requirements of Townsend Harris High School.
College Credits: Students earn at least twelve free college credits in their senior year. In addition, they may enroll in College Now on the Queens College campus in their junior year.
College Benefits for High School: Thanks to our relationship with Queens College, Townsend Harris students graduate and enter college with self-confidence and maturity after experiencing college-level work in their senior year. The Townsend Harris community enjoys other benefits as well. All students have a Queens College ID card that affords them use of the Rosenthal Library and other QC facilities. During Visiting Professors week, Queens College experts in their fields address subject classes at Townsend Harris. Classes are invited to attend a wide variety of artistic, musical and theatrical events on campus.#
