In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the top public high schools in America, seven of the top 10 are test-in schools. Students have to be “gifted and talented” or come armed with high test scores, GPAs and teacher recommendations or the ability to write a great essay on demand. And then there are the three that ranked number 2, 3 and 6. They are all charter schools with no admissions tests. The only requirement is an application for the lottery.Hard work is required from the students. If the students have been in the BASIS program in the early grades, they get to high school having already completed biology, chemistry and physics. The goal is for students to complete 6 AP exams by junior year so they can graduate early or go off on an in-depth senior project.
