Question 1

How does the advisory program work at the iSchool?​

Accepted Answer

The iSchool believes that the role of advisor is the most important role that every adult in the building plays.  Each iSchool staff member has an advisory of between ten and fifteen iSchool students.  While most iSchool classes are mixed-grade, advisory is not and students stay with their advisory for all four years.  Advisory serves two main purposes at the iSchool.  First, it means that every student in the building has a pair of eyes on them who sees them holistically.  Their advisor knows what's going on in all of their courses and is their home to school connection.  Second, and most importantly, our advisory program allows every student in the building to know that they have an advocate here; someone who knows them well and is there to support them as they navigate through the high school experience.  Advisory meets three times a week.  On Mondays and Fridays students meet with their advisory for 15 minute check-ins and on Wednesdays they meet for a 45 minute workshop.

Question 2

What AP courses does the iSchool offer?

Accepted Answer

As a school founded on rethinking high school, we see AP courses as a way to provide our students with more choice (one of our founding beliefs). We do not believe that AP courses are the only rigorous courses that the iSchool offers and we know that, regardless of whether iSchool students take an AP class, they leave the iSchool with the necessary skills to take on college and the real world.

Because of these beliefs, the iSchool has made a conscious decision to offer three AP courses each year. We offer AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and we rotate every year between AP World History and AP U.S. History. We also offer a college-credit bearing Environmental Science course through the State University of New York (SUNY) and a college-credit bearing English course through the State University of New York.

We see the 9th and 10th grade as exploratory years in the iSchool where students, through the classes they choose and the extracurricular activities they take on, are figuring out what their interests are and what they want to learn more about. AP courses are open to 11th and 12th graders and students are able to take, at most, two AP courses each year (if one of them is an AP math class).

Question 3

What is the average class size?

Accepted Answer

Class size ranges from four to twenty-nine. We try to keep our math classes at less than twenty-five, but because students are able to pick their classes, there is no average class size. Class size is based on student interest and eligibility.

Question 4

What special education services does the iSchool provide?

Accepted Answer

The iSchool believes strongly in an inclusive environment. There are eight, full time Special Education teachers on staff at the iSchool and we offer ICT and SETSS services. Our belief is that students need more supports in the 9th and 10th grade and then, in the 11th and 12th grade we begin to pull away services as our students become better at coping with their disability and advocating for themselves as learners.

Question 5

What supports do students receive when applying to college?

Accepted Answer

Our College Office offers a personalized and comprehensive college counseling program that focuses on helping every student apply to a range of "best fit" colleges that match his, her, or their needs. We have two  phenomenal College Counselors, Kate Beck and Samantha Grande, who work with students starting in their junior year. While weekly advisory time is utilized to support our students through the overwhelming college process, our College Counselors also work closely with students on an individual basis. Ms. Beck and Ms. Grande meet with students in small groups starting in February of their junior year and meet with each individual student and her/his/their family during the spring of junior year. We host numerous, required, college workshops for our seniors to help them complete the Common Application, write their essay, and pick a diverse group of "best fit" colleges. Ms. Beck and Ms. Grande also meet with each senior, again, in the fall of senior year and work to bring admissions representatives from close to ninety colleges in to the iSchool to meet with our students each fall.

Question 6

How much homework is assigned?

Accepted Answer

The iSchool does not believe that students should be given four to five hours of homework every night, nor do we believe that homework equals rigor. We want our students to have lives outside of school; to hang out with friends and participate in programs around New York City.  Our teachers are very thoughtful about the homework that is assigned and work hard to ensure that every assignment is meaningful and necessary. How much time it takes each student to complete their homework varies by student. What may take one student thirty minutes to complete, may take another student an hour. Many assignments are not due the next day and so time management plays a large role in how much time students are spending on their homework. A student can work on an essay for twenty minutes every night until it's due or she/he/they can choose to wait until the night before the assignment is due and then have a larger amount of work to get done.

Question 7

Are students allowed to go out to lunch?

Accepted Answer

Yes, iSchool students are able to leave the building for lunch as long as they have parental permission to do so. The neighborhood where the iSchool is located is safe, but expensive. All iSchool students must swipe their ID cards as they enter the school building in the morning, and students who swipe in after 8:59 am are marked late and are not allowed to go out to lunch on that day.

Question 8

The iSchool doesn't have a gym. How do students earn Physical Education credit?

Accepted Answer

While the iSchool doesn't have a traditional gym, we do have a weight room. All 9th graders must earn one Physical Education (PE) credit by taking classes in our weight room. After they have shown mastery of PE standards, all iSchool students are able to earn their remaining three PE credits by continuing to take classes in the weight room or by joining two of the iSchool's PSAL sports teams (softball, baseball, basketball, track and field, cross country, bowling or handball).

Question 9

How do standardized test scores and grades factor into your selection criteria?

Accepted Answer

As of September, 2020, the iSchool no longer uses test scores or grades as part of our admissions criteria. The only thing that we use is our online admissions activity. This activity can be found on our website in the "admissions" section. Students who do not complete the online admissions activity will not be considered for admission.

Question 10

How do you fare sharing a building with another high school?​

Accepted Answer

The iSchool shares the building with Chelsea High School. We are housed on the 4th and 5th floor and Chelsea is on the 2nd and 3rd floor. The 1st floor is a shared space with a small cafeteria, the weight room, and our auditorium. We are very grateful that we have a wonderful relationship with Chelsea High School. Our students have lunch at the same time, are dismissed at the same time, and play on the same PSAL sports teams.

Question 11

What Foreign Languages does the iSchool offer?

Accepted Answer

The iSchool has two, full-time Spanish teachers. We supplement students' time in class with a teacher-created online program. Students who wish to take French, Italian, or Mandarin are able to do so via the Rosetta Stone software without teacher support in the school building.

Question 12

How does the scheduling process work?

Accepted Answer

The schedule process is intense, but, we believe, extremely worthwhile. The work that we put in ensures that every iSchool student is getting what they need when they need it and, ideally, what they want when they want it. The iSchool runs on a quarter system, and student schedules change every 9 weeks. Students are sent a course catalog two weeks prior to having to pick their classes. Then, in advisory, students go through an activity to help them pick their courses making sure that they are taking their required courses as well as courses that they choose. Finally, each iSchool student is e-mailed their individualized scheduling link where there are able to pick their courses and design their program for the following quarter. Seniors are sent their links first, then juniors, then sophomores, then freshmen.

Question 13

iSchool students are able to pick their courses.  Are there any courses that every iSchool student HAS to take?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Though iSchool students are able to pick their courses, there are a few "core experiences" that every iSchool student must take.

Question 14

Do students need to bring their own computers?

Accepted Answer

There are laptops in every iSchool classroom and students should not bring their own computers to school with them. We have more than enough computers for every iSchool student to use when they need them.

Question 15

How much time is spent on the computer?

Accepted Answer

The iSchool does not believe that putting a computer in front of a student automatically makes learning better. Our teachers use technology in the classrooms when it makes the learning more efficient and, frequently, the best technology is just a pen or pencil.

Question 16

What clubs/after school activities do you have?

Accepted Answer

iSchool clubs are student driven and clubs can change from year to year. For the 2025-2026 school year we have an Anime Club, Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African Club (AMENA), Black Student Union (BSU), Chess Club, Creative Writing Club, Debate Club, Drawing Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, Ethics Club’s, Film Club, Gardening Club, Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Glamour Gals, Green Team, Helping Hands Club, iCare Club, iNews Club, iSLA (iSchool Latino/a) Club, Jewish Student Union (JSU), Linguistics Club, Listening Club, Magazine Design Club, Math Beyond Formulas Club, Medical Club, Model UN Club, Muslim Student Association (MSA), Science Olympiad Club, Sewing Club, Theater Club, Trivia Club, True Crime Club, Volleyball Club, Yearbook Club, Fashion History Club, Crocheting Club, Jam Band, Advertising & Marketing Club, Cinematography Club, Feminism Club (Intersectional), iCreate Club, We The Students Club, Frisbee Club, iMex (Mexican) Club, Peas in Pod Podcasting Club, Craft Club, and a Girls in STEM club.

NYC iSchool

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