Some context might be important here. The high schools mentioned in the article are primarily science high schools (the test is the SHSAT: Specialized High Scho

Some context might be important here. The high schools mentioned in the article are primarily science high schools (the test is the SHSAT: Specialized High School Admissions Test), not general purpose super high schools. Other specialized high schools in the city focus on humanities, or performing arts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialized_high_schools_in_New_York_City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialized_high_schools_in_New... I went to Stuyvesant and knew people in Bronx and Brooklyn Tech, humanities are not given nearly as much weight as math and science. That being said, the way the test is scored favors lopsided performance in one section: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A1FFC385A0C718DDDA80994DD404482 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A1FFC385A...