Meet the city's hottest high school.
Academic powerhouse Townsend Harris HS in Queens is the most popular public high school, with more eighth-graders listing it as their first choice than any other school in the five boroughs.
An impressive 3,452 students heading to high school next fall picked Townsend Harris as their first choice, according to Department of Education stats.
Midwood HS ranked Second, with 2,705 students naming it as their first choice.
Rounding out the top five were Benjamin N. Cardozo HS in Queens, Herbert Lehman HS in The Bronx and Edward Murrow HS in Brooklyn.
The city's nine specialized schools, such as Stuyvesant, which require a test for admittance, are not included in the list. About 27,000 students took the test to get into those schools, with about 5,500 available seats.
All of the most popular schools are traditional, older and larger - a good sign, according to David Cohen, principal of 65-year-old Midwood HS, which offers two honors programs and focuses on science.
"It's nice to hear that larger schools are at the top, because recently, there's been a shift toward smaller, specialized schools," he said. "Comprehensive high schools are being phased out somewhat. But we're examples that when it's done right, it can work."
It has worked so well that all five top schools are way over capacity.
"I think that's just another potential pitfall that we have overcome," said Cohen, whose school is operating at 176 percent capacity.
On the other side of the popularity scale, most of the high schools with under 100 first-choice requests are small, newer schools without many seats or established reputations.
For example, Multicultural HS and Pan American International HS - both set to open in September to mostly immigrant populations - had the fewest first choice requests at five.
An exception is Jamaica HS in Queens, a larger, established school that had only 95 first-choice requests.
The Department of Education changed its high-school admissions process for the 2004 school year, eliminating traditional zoning and making all high schools open to the entire city. Now, high-school-bound students rank their top 12 schools.
The schools, in turn, rank the students, who are then matched with the highest-ranking school that ranked them.
For the 2007-08 school year, 88,320 students applied to enter public high school, and 83 percent were matched to one of their top five choices, according to the department. Almost half received their top choice.
SCHOOL APPLICANTS
Townsend Harris HS - 3452
Midwood HS - 2705
Benjamin Cardozo HS - 2548
Herbert H. Lehman HS - 2219
Deward R. Murrow HS - 1858
James Madison HS - 1752
Tottenville HS - 1686
Forest Hills High School - 1635
Dewitt Clinton HS - 1547
Francis Lewis HS - 1357
Thomas A. Edison HS - 1320
Leon M. Goldstein HS for the Sciences - 1295
Beacon High School - 1223
Fort Hamilton HS - 1176
Bayside High School - 1102
Susan E. Wagner HS - 1088
Manhattan Center for Science and Math Res. - 1029
Benjamin Banneker Academy - 989
M. Bergtraum HS Buisness Careers - 946
Baruch College Campus HS - 933
Bard High School - 891
HS of Telecommunication, Arts and Tech. - 870
HS of Art and Design - 867
A. Philip Randolph Campus H - 842
Aviation HS - 811
Fashion Industries HS - 801
Michael J. Petrides - 728
Clara Barton HS - 687
Curtis HS - 685
Bronx School for Law and Government - 618
Frank Sinatra HS - 611
Food and Finance - 570
Abraham Lincoln HS - 565
HS Healh Professions and Human Services - 554
HS for Enviornmental Studies - 535
Transit Tech HS - 529
New Utrecht HS - 529
Talent Unlimited HS - 511
Richmond Hill HS - 505
Professional Performing Arts School - 505
HS of Economics and Finance - 495
Millenium HS - 479
Hostos_Lincoln Academy - 450
Young Women's Leadership - 435
New Dorp HS - 435
Eleanor Roosevelt HS - 434
Frederick Douglass Academy - 429
Automotive HS - 428
John Adams HS - 423
Port Richmond HS - 413
Long Island City HS - 412
Queens Gateway - 402
HS of Teaching, Liberal Arts & Sciences - 398
Alfred E. Smith HS - 398
Queens Vocational and Technical - 387
Grace H. Dodge HS - 386
Brooklyn College Academy - 372
Bronx Leadership Academy - 369
HS for Information Tech. - 364
HS Construction Trades, Engineering - 364
Hillcrest HS - 362
Harry S. Truman HS - 359
Boys and Girls HS - 356
Franklin D. Roosevelt HS - 348
CSI HS for Interntational Studies - 335
EBC HS for Public Service (Bushwick) - 332
Brooklyn HS of the Arts - 329
Middle College HS - 328
Upper Lab - 326
Norman Thomas HS - 314
John Dewey HS - 313
HS for Health Career and Science - 310
Flushing HS - 306
Pace Academy HS - 304
Glover Cleveland HS - 304
Bronx Center for Science and Math - 302
Academy of American Studies - 302
Jane Adams HS - 292
Martin Van Buren HS - 278
HS of Intl. Buisness and Finance - 274
Beach Channel High School - 267
Bedford Academy HS - 266
Middle College HS @ Medgar Evers - 260
Thurgood Marshall - 245
HS Enterprise, Buisness and Tech. - 242
Christopher Columbus HS - 241
Brooklyn Studio Secondary School - 239
JFK HS - 234
Academy for Careers in Sports - 234
Marie Curie HS for Nursing - 231
HS of Law and Public Service - 231
HS of Legal Studies - 230
Graphic Communication Arts - 230
William H. Maxwell - 228
International HS - 216
Progress HS - 215
Man/Hunter College HS of Science - 213
Newtown HS - 210
Arts and Buisness HS - 210
Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy - 209
William C. Bryant HS - 205
Eagle Academy for Young Men HS - 203
Washington Irving HS - 198
HS of Media Communications - 197
Raplh McKee HS - 194
Bronx HS for the Visual Arts - 193
Franklin K. Lane HS - 192
Academy of Finance and Enterprise - 192
HS for Law Enforcement - 191
Canarsie HS - 191
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS - 190
Health Opportuities HS - 188
Wings Academy - 186
Sheepshead Bay HS - 186
Manhattan Village Academy - 186
John Bowne HS - 186
Samuel Gompers HS - 182
US Law and Justice - 181
School of the Future - 177
Bronx Aerospace Academy - 170
William E. Grady HS - 166
Bronx HS of Letters - 165
Cypress Hills Collegiate Prep - 164
Bronx Academy of Health Careers - 162
Louis D. Brandeis HS - 157
Chelsea HS - 157
Celia Cruz HS of Music - 157
Life Sciences Secondary School - 155
RFK Community HS - 150
Baccalaureate School for Global - 147
Bread and Roses Integrated Arts - 141
HS of Computers/Tech - 136
Banana Kelly High School - 136
HS of Teaching - 135
George Westinghouse HS - 135
Pelham Prep Academy High - 134
Bronx Engineering and Tech Academy - 134
HS of Arts and Tech at MLK - 133
Acorn Community HS - 130
Landmark HS - 127
Foreign Language Academy - 127
The Heritage School - 123
August Martin Education Complex - 123
In-Tech HS - 121
HS for Medical Sciences - 121
South Bronx Prep - 120
East Bronx Academy for the Future - 120
Bayrad Rustin HS for Humanities - 120
Fannie Lou Hamer HS - 119
Collegiate Institute of Math and Science - 118
East Side Community School - 117
University Heights HS - 116
Secondary School for Law - 116
Brooklyn Int. HS - 115
Sports Professions HS - 113
Bronx HS for Law and Community Service - 113
Academy Enviornmental Science - 113
Williamsburg Prep - 112
Fordham Leadership Academy - 111
MLK Law, Advocacy and Comm Justice - 110
Marble Hill HS for Intl Studies - 109
Far Rockaway HS - 109
Channel View School for Research. - 109
Science Skills CTR - 108
Bronx Theatre HS - 105
World Journalism Prep - 104
Fordham HS for the Arts - 101
Theatre Arts Production Company - 100
Paul Robeson HS - 100
All City Leadership Secondary School - 100
Dr. Susan McKinney Secondary School - 99
Robert F. Wagner Sch of Arts and Tech - 97
BX HS for Perform and Stagecraft - 97
Brooklyn Collegiate - 97
Bronx HS of Business - 97
Nest+M - 96
Astor Collegiate - 96
Monroe Academy Buisness and Law - 95
Manhattan Bridges HS - 95
Jamaica HS - 95
Int. School of Liberal Arts - 95
Academy for Young Writers - 95
Urban Assembly Sch for Applied Math/Science - 94
Vanguard HS - 93
NY Harbor HS - 93
Bushwick HS for Social Justice - 93
Teachers Prep HS - 92
E. NY Family Academy - 91
Mott Hall HS - 90
Essex Street Academy - 89
Bronx Lab HS - 89
Renaissance HS of Music, Theater and Tech - 88
Bushwick Leaders HS Acad. Ex. - 88
Scholars Academy HS - 87
HS for Leadership and Public Service - 87
Humanities and the Arts Magnet - 86
Millenium Art Academy - 85
FDNY GHS for Fire and Life Safety - 85
Manhattan International HS - 83
Frederick Douglass Academy 7 - 83
HS for Public Service - 82
Buisness, Computer Applica. & Entre - .81
Institute for Collaborative Ed - 80
HS for Teaching and the Professional - 80
Urban Assembly Sch of Design - 79
The New York City Musum School - 77
Flushing International - 77
The Academy of Urban Planning - 76
Brooklyn Community HS - 76
Validus Prep Academy - 74
Wadleigh Sec. School for the Perf - 73
The Urban Assembly School of Music/Art - 72
Academy for Scholarship and Entr. - 72
New Design HS - 71
Discovery HS - 71
Monroe Acad Visual Arts and Design - 70
EBC HS for Public Safety and Law - 70
Bronx International Academy - 70
Bronx HS for Writing and Comm. - 70
Mott Hall Bronx HS - 69
Law, Govt and Community Service - 69
Knowedge an Power Prep. - 69
Int. Arts Buisness HS - 69
Freedom Academy HS - 69
Mott Haven Village Prep HS - 68
Frederick Douglass Academy III - 68
GW Carver HS for the Sciences - 67
Brooklyn HS for Music and Theater - 67
Performing Arts and Tech HS - 66
Humanitites Prep Academy - 66
Hospitality Management - 66
Marta Valle Secondary School - 65
Lower Manhattan Arts Academy - 64
Frederick Douglass Academy II - 64
Caolition School for Socail Change - 63
Belmont Prep HS - 63
Acorn HS for Social Justice - 62
US Academy of Gov and Law - 61
The Bronx Guild HS - 61
Bronx Health Sciences - 61
Bronx Coalition Community School - 60
Int. HS at Prospect Heights - 59
Juan Morel Campos - 58
Excelsior Prep HS - 57
Brooklyn HS for Science and the Enviorn. - 57
Secondary School for Journalism - 56
Bronx Leadership Academy II - 56
Frederick Douglass Academy 6 - 54
Bronx School of Law and Finance - 54
University Neighborhood HS - 53
UA School of Buisness for Young Women - 52
HS of Sports Management - 52
West Bronx Academy for the Future - 51
HS of Applied Communication - 51
HS for Violin and Dance - 51
Henry Street School for International - 51
FDA IV - 50
The Brooklyn School for Global Studies - 49
Park East HS - 49
BKLYN S. for Collab. Studies - 49
Morris Academy for Collab - 48
47 Amer Sign Lang - 48
Math, Science Research & Tech - 47
Science, Tech and Research HS - 46
Choir Academy of Harlem - 45
Bronx Latin HS - 45
Global Enterprise Academy - 43
Cobble Hill HS - 41
School for Excellence - 40
Academy of Social Action - 40
Foundations Academy - 39
HS of Arts Imagination and Inquiry - 38
HS for Civil Rights - 38
East-West School of International - 38
Brooklyn Prep. HS - 38
The School for International Studies - 37
Public School Repertory Company - 37
Metro Corporate Academy - 37
Jonathan Levin HS - 37
Eximus College Prep ACAD - 37
Dual Lang. & Asian Studies HS - 37
Urban Assembly School for the Pe - 36
The Facing History School - 36
Community HS Social Justice - 36
Academy/College Prep/Career EXPL - 36
Queens Prep Acad - 35
Urban Assembly for Media Studies - 34
HS for Contemporary Art - 34
Gateway Enviornmental Research - 34
Central Park East Secondary - 34
Secondary School for Research - 33
Dreamyard Prep. School - 33
New Day Academy - 32
James Baldwin HS of Expedition - 32
Explorations Academy - 32
El Puente Academy for Peace - 32
The Felisa Rincon de Gautier Institute - 31
BX Expeditionary Learning HS - 31
School for Community Development - 30
Metro HS - 30
HS for Human Rights - 30
HS Democracy and Leadership - 30
Manhattan Theater Lab - 29
Kingsbridge Int. HS - 29
New World HS - 28
HS for Global Citizenship - 28
Service and Learning - 26
Brooklyn Generation School+A28 - 26
New Explorers - 25
Legacy School for Integrated Studies - 25
Academy of Hospitality and Tourism - 25
Academy for Enviornmental Leadership - 25
World Advocacy for Total Comm - 24
Leadership Institute - 23
Academy for Language and Techno. - 22
Pathways College Prep - 21
Urban Assembly for History and Citiz - 20
Pablo Neruda Academy for Architecture - 20
Green SCH/Academy/Enviornmental - 20
School for Community Research - 18
Peace Diversity Acad HS - 18
Victory Collegiate HS - 17
Prep/Acad Writers - 17
Rachel Carson School of Coastal Studies - 16
Life Academy High School for Film - 16
Arts & Media Prep Academy - 16
Lyons Community School - 12
Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning - 12
Gotham Professional Art Academy - 12
Brooklyn Theatre Arts HS - 12
Int. Community HS - 11
Agnes Y. Humphrey School for Lead. - 9
It Takes a Village Academy - 8
Expeditionary Learning School - 8
Holcombe L. Rucker School - 7
Unity HS - 6
Pan American Int. HS - 5
Multicultural HS - 5
