in their schedule have the opportunity to take college courses for college credits at Lehman College in addition to Advanced Placement course credits. History In 2008, American Studies was awarded a gold medal by U.S. News & World Report in its ranking of the Best Public High Schools. The school was ranked 29th, beating its rivals and fellow specialized high schools Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Stuyvesant High School. In 2009, it climbed up 10 spots and was ranked as the 19th Best Public High School, claiming the top spot for all New York City High Schools and 2nd for all of New York State. In 2014, American Studies has held on to its gold medal by U.S. News & World Report and was ranked 32nd out of 22,000 public schools in the nation, making the school #1 in the state. In 2015, the school was ranked 11th nationally, making it #1 in the state for the second year. In 2016, the school was ranked 15th in the nation and #1 in the state of New York by U.S. News & World Report. Affiliations with Lehman College As part of the new Specialized Schools that opened in CUNY campuses, American Studies students are granted permission into Lehman College campus to use the college library, gym, cafeteria, and occasionally the theater if the high school might need it for events such as plays. Students are given CUNY I.D. cards for access to the campus and for verification purposes. Average SAT and ACT Scores In 2022, the average SAT score for American Studies was 1420 and average ACT score was 32. Enrollment Admissions to High School of American Studies is solely based on the SHSAT, a competitive standardized test that permits entrance into Specialized High Schools. In recent years, the cut-off score, or the minimum score needed to gain entrance to American Studies, was 524. In September 2019, only 102 out of 30,000 students that applied were admitted into the school, making the acceptance rate 0.3%. High School of American Studies (HSAS) consistently ranks as among the top 100 high schools in the United States. Its most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking in 2022 puts HSAS at #8 in New York State and #49 in National Rankings. According to state test scores, 100% of students are at least proficient in math and 100% in reading.