Stuyvesant doesn't test intelligence. It tests preparation. We build the system that gives New York's children a real shot at the test — and we tell their parents the truth about how it's going, every single week.
The largest test prep companies in New York treat the SHSAT like a math class. They run children through worksheets, hand them a binder, and hope. They charge fifteen thousand dollars and never tell the parent when the child stops showing up.
The students who score into Stuyvesant don't outperform their peers because they are smarter. They outperform because someone held them accountable — for hundreds of hours of focused, structured, deliberate preparation. That accountability is what we sell. The score is the byproduct.
Every tutor on our roster scored into one of New York's most selective specialized high schools. They took this exact test, recently, and got in. That's who teaches your child.
Your child checks in every single day — session or not. If they go silent, we reach out to them immediately and then to you. The same day. Not at the end of the week.
Every week you receive a real report: practice test score, progress since baseline, what's working, what isn't, and the plan for next week. Numbers, not reassurances.
A full timed SHSAT practice test on day one. We know exactly which sections need work before a single paid session starts.
A plan built around your child's specific gaps, not a generic binder. Targeted sessions with a specialized HS graduate.
We check in every day. Practice is logged. Silence triggers an immediate escalation — to the student, then to you.
Real SHSAT score data every week. Actual numbers showing where your child is and what's left to close before test day.
"I grew up watching families spend fifteen thousand dollars on companies that never told them when their child stopped showing up."
I co-built Specialized NYC Prep because I saw exactly what separates the kids who get in from the ones who don't. It isn't intelligence — it's access to the right preparation and someone who won't let them slip.
Every tutor I hire went to a specialized high school. They took this exact test. When a parent asks whether our tutors actually got in — the answer is yes, every single one of them.
Madison Zhan · Co-Founder · hello@specializednyc.comCutoff scores are based on 2025 admissions data and vary each year based on applicant volume and available seats. All figures are approximate. Math is the primary differentiator at the top scores.
Two things. First, every tutor we hire scored into a specialized high school themselves — they have taken this exact test, recently, and won. Second, we treat the parent as the client. You hear from us every week with real numbers, and the day your child goes silent, not the week after.
All of our programs start in July. The Standard track runs through August — eight weeks of focused summer preparation ending with a final proctored test. The Intensive and Elite tracks run through September, carrying your child from the July diagnostic all the way to a final test in September, just weeks before the October SHSAT. Every program is designed around the test date, not an arbitrary calendar.
No serious tutoring company guarantees a score — and you should be skeptical of any that does without conditions. What we guarantee is process: weekly score reports, daily attendance tracking, and the data to know early whether things are working. If they aren't, you'll see it before the test, not after.
No. We are specialized in the SHSAT, exclusively. The test has its own logic, vocabulary, and pacing — and we believe parents are better served by a program that does one thing precisely than one that does five things adequately.
Most of our families enroll in the spring of sixth grade or the fall of seventh grade for an October eighth-grade test. Earlier is generally better, but the program adapts to where your child is regardless of when you start.
Every tutor must have attended a NYC specialized high school — meaning they took the SHSAT themselves and got in. Beyond that, we put every candidate through a mock teaching session before they work with a real student. We are looking for people who can teach, not just people who are smart.
We accept new families on a rolling basis and respond within two business days. Spots are limited each cycle. You can also reach us directly at hello@specializednyc.com