Bard High School Early College Queens

One of my kids is now at BHSEC Queens; the other graduated from BHSEC Manhattan a few years ago. (I apologize in advance for any overlap in my reviews.)
Bard Queens is the second of its kind, a public high school with an accelerated program that takes 2 years to complete. The second two years are for college-​level work (and, indeed, kids graduate after 4 years total with both a HS diploma and an A.A. degree from Bard College). Those 2 years of college credits can be transferred to some 4-​year colleges, giving kids who want it a huge savings in both time and money.
Kids have to take a placement exam (not the SHSAT) to qualify, but even if you do well, it’s hard to say whether BHSEC Queens is for you. It’s a small school, and sports are not a huge part of the culture here. It’s in an unlovely part of LIC, close to Laguardia Community College and various subway lines but not much else. Writing is very important; you don’t have to be a great writer at 14, but you should probably be open to improving in this area.
Those are the caveats.
The benefits of this school are enormous. The quality of the faculty is extraordinary: Most have PhD’s, and they are devoted to teaching teenagers, constantly available to meet with them and provide extra help. The administration is terrific, and the office well run. The building is modern, well kept, and light-​filled.
The student body is quite diverse and active in a variety of clubs and activities. College counseling is just beginning for my child’s class, but things seem pretty organized.
The classes are small and most are seminar-​style. Lots of discussion, lots of back-​and-​forth in the classroom, lots of writing (see above). Expectations are high; you’re expected to work hard and be intellectually curious. If you want big lectures, multiple-​choice tests, and anonymity – forget it.
The BHSEC model has expanded to Newark, Cleveland, and New Orleans. Clearly, there’s a demand for accelerated HS education. For the right kid, these schools will be life-​changing. As with any educational choice, the key is to know yourself.