M.S. 243 Center School: SHSAT testers and specialized high school offers, 2022-2026
District 3 · Manhattan · DBN 03M243
- 8th graders, 2026
- 58
- Sat the SHSAT
- 48
- Took the test
- 83%
- Offers
- 14
SHSAT 2026: registration October 6–30; the test is November 14–15 (School Day November 18, 9th grade November 21).
In 2026 admissions, 48 of the 58 eighth graders at M.S. 243 Center School who applied to high school sat the SHSAT: 83%, which means most of the grade took the test. Across District 3 the rate was 49%, so this school sits 33 points above it. Citywide, among public middle schools that published both counts, 39% of eighth graders sat the test. It ranks 3rd of 14 in District 3 on that measure. Its eighth grade is the 7th largest of 17 in District 3, above the median of 53.
14 students from the school received an offer to one of the eight testing specialized high schools, 29% of its testers. Across the city, 4,023 offers went to 26,123 testers that year, 15.4%. It ranks 65th of the 111 middle schools whose 2026 offer count was large enough to be published.
The number of testers ended close to where it began, 44 in 2022 admissions and 48 in 2026, but not in a straight line: it rose by 10 between 2024 and 2025. Offers went from 13 in 2022 to 14 in 2026, with a high of 18 in 2025.
In District 3, the most offers in 2026 admissions went to students from J.H.S. 054 Booker T. Washington (86), out of 178 published for the district as a whole.
Year by year
| Admissions year | 8th graders | Sat the SHSAT | Took the test | Offers | Discovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 65 | 44 | 68% | 13 | 5 or fewer (not published) |
| 2023 | 64 | 45 | 70% | 17 | 5 or fewer (not published) |
| 2024 | 56 | 44 | 79% | 17 | 5 or fewer (not published) |
| 2025 | 58 | 54 | 93% | 18 | 5 or fewer (not published) |
| 2026 | 58 | 48 | 83% | 14 | 5 or fewer (not published) |
| District 3, 2026 | 1,122 | 527 | 49% | at least 178 | |
| New York City, 2026 | 26,123 | 4,023 |
“2026 admissions” means students who sat the SHSAT as eighth graders in the 2025-26 school year and received offers for fall 2026, as in the DOE’s Fall 2026 SHSAT and Discovery Summary. “8th graders” counts the school’s eighth graders who applied to high school; “took the test” divides testers by that count when both are published. The district row adds the published counts of its schools, so its offers are a floor; the city row is the DOE’s own total. “Not listed” means the school is absent from that year’s file.
Schools in District 3 with a similar share of testers
The schools just above and below M.S. 243 Center School when District 3’s schools are ordered by the share of eighth graders who sat the SHSAT in 2026 admissions.
- The Anderson School97% of 64 sat the test · 46 offers
- J.H.S. 054 Booker T. Washington87% of 224 sat the test · 86 offers
- Special Music School69% of 16 sat the test · offers: 5 or fewer (not published)
- M.S. 245 The Computer School58% of 121 sat the test · 23 offers
- P.S. 149 Sojourner Truth47% of 36 sat the test · offers: 5 or fewer (not published)
- Lafayette Academy40% of 58 sat the test · offers: 5 or fewer (not published)
See how this school ranks
In 2026 admissions, M.S. 243 Center School received 14 specialized high school offers for 48 students who sat the SHSAT: 29.2 per 100. That ranks it #18 of 23 in Manhattan and #32 of 105 citywide, among schools with at least 30 test-takers.
Best middle schools in Manhattan for the SHSAT
Compare with…
What to do with these numbers
Your child is in 8th grade now
Registration closes October 30. Test day: November 18.
November 18 is the SHSAT School Day; the weekend sittings are November 14/15 and November 21. Whatever the count at M.S. 243 Center School, the decision to sit the test is yours, and a scored official practice test tells you more about your own child than any school figure.
- How to register for the SHSAT, step by step
- Score an official SHSAT practice test, free
- Book an SHSAT session
Dates read on schools.nyc.gov on October 19, 2026.
Your child is in 6th or 7th grade
A 7th grader sits the SHSAT in fall 2027; a 6th grader, in fall 2028.
The test comes in the fall of 8th grade, so there is no deadline yet, and that is the point: starting now leaves time to work on reading and math at a steady pace instead of in the last weeks. The counts above show what happened at M.S. 243 Center School, not where your child stands. We start with a scored official practice test, which does.
Your child is in 5th grade
Middle school applications are open until December 11.
Start with how many families applied for each seat last year: the DOE publishes it program by program. The middle school you choose is also where the SHSAT years happen, so ask the schools on your list how many of their students sit the test and how they prepare them.
Dates for fall 2027 entry read on schools.nyc.gov on October 3, 2026.
M.S. 243 Center School is a school figure. Your child needs a score.
Figures from Specialized High Schools Admissions Tests Results (school counts) and Specialized High Schools Admissions Overall Summary (city totals), New York City Department of Education, as listed for DBN 03M243; 2026 figures from the DOE’s Fall 2026 SHSAT and Discovery Summary on InfoHub, not yet on NYC Open Data. Rebuilt 2026-10-04. Method and caveats are set out on the index page. Back to all 735 middle schools.