Baruch College Campus High School


Baruch College Campus High School is a public high school located in Kips Bay in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Baruch College Campus High School received the highest number of applications among all of the New York City public high schools in 2011. BCCHS is renowned for its high academic standards, advisory program and perfect graduation rate. In 2012, BCCHS ranked 489 in the U.S. News & World Report list of best "gold-medal" U.S. high schools.
As of the 2014-15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 452 students and 24 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 18.8:1. There were 222 students eligible for free lunch and 45 eligible for reduced-cost lunch. The demographics of the students is 61 percent Asian, 22 percent white, 11 percent Hispanic, and 6 percent black.

History

Baruch College Campus High School was a vision between Anthony Alvarado, the former superintendent of Community School District 2, and Matthew Goldstein, former President of Baruch College. They wanted to create a small, liberal arts college preparatory high school on a college campus. In 1997, the school was established. Jill Myers was the principal for the first 6 years in the original location of the school on 18th Street. The school was later moved to 17 Lexington Avenue's upper floors. In 2009, the school moved to 55 East 25th Street between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue, which is near Baruch College of The City University of New York.

Admissions

Admission to BCCHS is based on a screening process whereby the school evaluates and ranks all applicants based on their previous school year's final academic record, standardized test scores, attendance and punctuality.
In 2011, 7,770 students applied to BCCHS, which was the highest number of applications received by any non-specialized high school in the city. Only 105 students were admitted as freshmen.
Students applying for admission to Baruch College Campus High School must have a minimum average of 85 or above in every class and a score of two to four on the New York State ELA and Math exams. However, due to the large number of applications the school receives each year, they typically admit students that have a GPA in the mid to high 90s and a score of 3 or 4 on the NYS ELA and math exams. Priority is given to students who reside in Manhattan's District 2, then to all Manhattan residents and then to students who live in other boroughs of New York City. Throughout the years Baruch has also required an essay or writing assignment for students wanting to apply to their school.

Facilities

The school currently occupies the first five floors of 55 East 25th Street. Facilities include a gymnasium, a library and a computer laboratory. Previously, the school was located at 17 Lexington Avenue on the 10th floor of the old Baruch College building.
Students can use a few of the facilities at Baruch College, such as the Newman Library.

Academics

The required courses are all honors-level courses. Students must earn a grade of 70 or above to pass a course.
GradeMathHistoryEnglishScienceForeign LanguagePhysical EducationArts and Electives
9th GradeAlgebra*, Geometry* Global Studies IGlobal LiteratureLiving Environment/Biology*Spanish I, Spanish IIPhysical EducationWriting Arts
10th GradeGeometry*, Algebra II/trigonometry*Global Studies II*Global Literature IIEarth Science*, Chemistry*,
AP Environmental Science		Spanish II, Spanish III*Physical EducationStudio Art
11th GradeAlgebra II/trigonometry*, Pre-CalculusUnited States History*, AP United States HistoryAmerican Literature*, AP English Literature and CompositionChemistry*, Physics*, AP PhysicsSpanish III*, Spanish IVPhysical EducationAdvanced Art, Computer Science
12th GradeCalculus, AP Calculus AB, College Calculus, AP StatisticsPersonal Finance/Economics, Comparative Government, AP Comparative Government and PoliticsLiteratureAP Biology, AP Physics,Physical EducationAdvanced Art

Note: All students are required to take the AP exam if enrolled in an AP class.
Students take electives in their junior and senior year. In the past, electives include Psychology, Writing and Film, Math and Space, Computers, Writing, Art and Spontaneity, Drumming, Music, Mythology and Folklore, and Internship.
Students are also offered the opportunity to take selected Baruch College courses free of charge beginning the summer of their junior year. Before a senior graduates, they are expected to complete a thesis on a topic approved by their advisor.
In addition to fulfilling their academic requirements, students are also required to read at least 25 books per year as well as complete 20 hours of community service each academic year.

Extracurricular Activities

Athletics

BCCHS student athletes participate in competitive sports in the Public Schools Athletic League.

Academic

The 411 Press is the official school newspaper of BCCHS.
It is a monthly newspaper featuring four sections: Baruch News, Editorial, Sports, and Entertainment.
The staff hold meetings every Wednesday throughout the school year.
There are Annual Pep rallies throughout the year hosted by the Student Government.

Greenkill

Every year, the freshman class embarks upon a 3-day trip to Greenkill, New York. The trip is intended to promote social unity among freshmen.

Cultural Show

First organized by the Asian American Club in 2006, the annual show features student performances that celebrate the cultural diversity within the school.

Dance Competition

With dance integrated in the Physical Education curriculum, every student will eventually learn to square dance, hustle, salsa, and swing. A group of students practice with professional dancers and compete in pairs to win a trophy.

Film Festival

Films created by students and faculty are shown at the annual festival, which is organized by the Film Club, the oldest club in existence at the school.

Evening in the Arts

Organized in 2009, Evening in the Arts is a celebration of the arts happening within the Baruch community. Performances include drumming, music, drama and art displays from Baruch students, particularly from those students enrolled in AP Studio Art. The celebration occurs toward the end of the school year and is held in the school cafeteria.

Sports Banquet

Student athletes, coaches, families, and friends celebrate the accomplishments of Baruch's athletic year. The Banquet includes awards to recognize the scholar athletes of the year. The celebrations usually end with a compilation video made by a student, highlighting each team's accomplishments.

Field Day

After being absent for a few years, Field Day was reintroduced back in 2002 by a former Ms. Jaffe advisory group. The event occurs at the end of each school year when the majority of the student body as well as faculty members attend a social outing in Central Park in New York, NY. For an entire school day, students participate in peer-led activities and represent their advisories in competitive games. These events are hosted by Sophomores who plan out the theme of the day, games to play, and other creative activities that enhance Baruch spirit and teamwork. This is a fun and relaxing day for students and teachers after a busy year full of homework, projects and exams.

Advisory Trip

Each semester, advisories take a variety of trips to get to know one other better. Advisories have taken trips to local parks such as Central Park, as well as restaurants, billiard halls, movie theaters, ice skating rinks, bowling alleys, and even to school to have a party. These trips typically occur on Friday's from 12pm to 3 pm and days vary between grades.

Senior Trip

Often, the graduating class goes on a Senior class trip to Florida. Exceptions include 2005, 2009 and 2013 when the graduating class decided to go skiing in upstate New York, 2011 when the graduating class decided to go to Cape Cod in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and 2013 when they went to Virginia Beach, Virginia.