Freshman Survey

Part A: Demographic Information

1. Which ethnicity best describes your background? Select all that apply.

1. Asian — 80.3%
2. Black — 1.2%
3. Hispanic or LatinX — 4.9%
4. White — 19.5%
5. Other (American Indian, Pacific Islander) — 2.5%

2. What gender do you identify as?

1. Male — 56.1%
2. Female — 40.8%
3. Non-binary — 1.4%
4. Unsure — 1.4%
5. Other — 0.4%

3. What is the religion that you identify with?

1. Christianity — 15.4%
2. Islam — 7.8%
3. Judaism — 4.7%
4. Hinduism — 2.9%
5. Agnosticism/Atheism —37.1%
6. Buddhism — 4.9%
7. Unsure — 27.1%

4. What is your immigration status?

1. Immigrant (Not born in the U.S.) — 12.3%
2. First-Generation American (Born in the U.S./Parents not born in the U.S.) — 65.4%
3. Second-Generation American (Born in the U.S./Grandparents not born in the U.S.) –12.7%
4. None of the above – 9.6%

5. How would you classify your family’s socioeconomic status?

1. Working class — 21.3%
2. Middle class — 71.1%
3. Upper class — 7.6%

6. What is the highest level of education either of your parents/guardians received?

1. Middle School — 7%
2. High School — 18.6% 
3. Associate’s Degree (two years of college) — 4.3%
4. Bachelor’s Degree (four years of college) — 24.4%
5. Graduate’s degree — 30.9%
6. Post-college education — 14.8%

Part B: Academic Information

1. My favorite subject is:

1. Math — 44.9%
2. Science — 26.3%
3. English — 8.8%
4. History — 11.2%
5. Other — 8.8%

2. I have a strong work ethic:

1. Strongly disagree — 3.9%
2. Disagree — 9%
3. Neutral — 34.8%
4. Agree — 41%
5. Strongly agree — 11.3%

3. By the end of my Stuyvesant career, I predict that I will be among the:

1. top 10% of my class — 13%
2. top 25% of my class — 39.8%
3. top 50% of my class — 42.1%
4. bottom 50% of my class — 5.1%

4. After I graduate from Stuyvesant, I think I might attend an Ivy League University or another elite university (Top 25)

1. Strongly disagree — 1.8%
2. Disagree — 9%
3. Neutral — 35%
4. Agree — 38.5%
5. Strongly agree — 15.8%

5. I will use Artificial Intelligence to help complete school assignments:

1. Strongly disagree — 29.3%
2. Disagree — 26%
3. Neutral — 32%
4. Agree — 9.4%
5. Strongly agree — 3.3%

Part C: Applying to Stuyvesant

1. When did you start studying for the SHSAT?

1. I did not study for the SHSAT— 6.4%
2. Four months or fewer before the exam — 24.4%
3. Six to four months before the exam — 23.2%
4. 1 year to six months before the exam — 27.9%
5. Over 1 year before the exam — 18%

2. Which best describes the method of studying you used for SHSAT? Select all that apply. 

1. I did not study for the SHSAT — 7.2%
2. Self-study/Preparatory books — 57.2%
3. Preparatory class (not SHSI) — 60%
4. SHSI preparatory school — 6.3%
5. One-on-one tutoring — 21.1%
6. Other — 5.1%

3. To what extent did a parent/guardian pressure you to come to Stuyvesant?

1. Not at all — 25.8%
2. A little — 25%
3. Some pressure — 26%
4. Substantial pressure — 16%
5. It was entirely their decision — 7.2%

4. Do you believe there will be a positive correlation between your SHSAT score and your academic success at Stuyvesant?

1. Yes — 27.5%
2. Neutral — 53.1%
3. No — 19.3%

Part D: Identity/ Lifestyle 

1. How would you best quantify your daily usage of social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.)? 

1. Do not have/use social media accounts — 8.8%
2. One hour — 18.4%
3. One to three hours — 35%
4. Over 3 hours — 37.9%

2. Approximately how much sleep do you currently get on a nightly basis?

1. Fewer than 5 hours — 1.6%
2. 5-6 hours — 4.7%
3. 6-7 hours — 18.2%
4. 7-8 hours — 43.2%
5. More than 8 hours — 32.4%

3. Approximately how much sleep do you expect to get on any given night while at Stuyvesant?

1. Fewer than 5 hours — 10.9%
2. 5-6 hours — 23.6%
3. 6-7 hours — 39.8%
4. 7-8 hours — 20.9%
5. More than 8 hours — 4.7%

4. How many cups of coffee do you drink daily?

1. None — 86.3%
2. 1 cup of coffee — 4.7%
3. 2 cups of coffee — 0.2%
4. More than 2 cups of coffee — 1.2%
5. I drink another caffeinated beverage — 7.6%

5. Do you plan on pursuing extracurricular activities? Select all that apply.

1. No — 0.4%
2. Yes, STEM-based extracurriculars — 60.4%
3. Yes, humanities-based extracurriculars — 30.3%
4. Yes, a sport — 52.3%
5. Unsure — 19.9%

6. When I am older, I hope to go into:

1. STEM-related fields (engineering, computer science, medicine, etc.) — 52.7%
2. Humanities-related fields (history, language studies, social sciences, law) — 8.6%
3. Finance, business, management — 11.1%
4. Arts (visual art, music, dancing, theater) — 2.1%
5. Vocational work (construction, manufacturing, etc.) — 0.8%
6. Not sure yet — 24.6%

7. I am opposed to the use of recreational marijuana by high school students. 

1. Strongly disagree — 1.6%
2. Disagree — 1%
3. Neutral — 11.5%
4. Agree — 16%
5. Strongly agree — 69.9%

8. I am opposed to the use of e-cigarettes/vapes by high school students.

1. Strongly disagree — 1.4%
2. Disagree — 0.2%
3. Neutral — 5.3%
4. Agree — 16.4%
5. Strongly agree — 76.8%

9. I am opposed to the use of hard drugs (cocaine, opiates, etc) by high school students.

1. Strongly disagree — 1.4%
2. Disagree — 0%
3. Neutral — 4.1%
4. Agree — 8.6%
5. Strongly agree — 85.9%

10. I am opposed to the use of study drugs (prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin) by high school students.

1. Strongly disagree — 1.8%
2. Disagree — 2.5%
3. Neutral — 17.6%
4. Agree — 20.9%
5. Strongly agree — 57.2%

11. I am opposed to sexual activity by high school students.

1. Strongly disagree — 2.9%
2. Disagree — 6.1%
3. Neutral — 26.4%
4. Agree — 25.2%
5. Strongly agree — 39.5%

Part E: Academic Honesty

1. In middle school, I partook in some form of academic dishonesty.

1. Frequently — 1.7%
2. Sometimes — 8%
3. Rarely — 41.4%
4. Never — 49.2% 

2. I think that academic dishonesty (in any form) can be justified. 

1. Strongly disagree — 12.9%
2. Disagree — 35.4%
3. Neutral — 36.5%
4. Agree — 12.9%
5. Strongly agree — 2.3%

3. I believe it is academically dishonest to use generative AI for: (Select all that apply)

1. Generating ideas for assignments — 54.9%
2. Looking for evidence — 42.2%
3. Create an outline — 48.6%
4. Writing a response (even part of a sentence) based on an assignment prompt — 93%
5. Reviewing a finished work — 30.5%
6. Editing writing — 54.5%

4. I have used generative AI in an academic setting. 

1. Never — 37.7%
2. Rarely — 43.4%
3. Sometimes — 17%
4. Frequently — 2%

Demographic Information

Consistent with the trend from previous years, the large majority (80.3 percent) of incoming freshmen are Asian. The second largest racial group is white (19.5 percent), with the remaining responses scattered across Black, Hispanic or Latinx, and other groups.

Roughly 56 percent of students identify as male and 41 percent identify as female. Less than four percent identify as non-binary, both male and female, gender fluid, or unsure. 

Similar to national and global trends, the class of 2030 is largely secular, with 37.1 percent of the class identifying as atheist or agnostic. The remainder is composed of Abrahamic religions—15 percent Christian, 8 percent Muslim, and 5 percent Jewish—as well as Buddhism (five percent) and those who practice another religion or were unsure (27 percent)

Regarding immigration and legal status, 65 percent of incoming freshmen have parents who are immigrants. On the other hand, around 12 percent of incoming freshmen are immigrants themselves, while around 13 percent have grandparents who are immigrants. 

Nearly 75 percent of students’ parents possessed some college degree, with 4.3 percent earning an Associate’s Degree, 24.4 percent earning a Bachelor’s, and 45.7 percent receiving some post-college education. However, education seems to have a smaller correlative effect with high levels of economic success, as less than eight percent of students identify as upper class. 

Academic Information 

The majority of freshmen believe that they will be extremely academically successful at and beyond Stuyvesant. 53 percent believe they will be in the top 25 percent of their class and nearly 55 percent think they’ll attend an Ivy League or other top 25 school. More than 50 percent of students agree they will not use Artificial Intelligence to help complete school assignments—a practice that is not tolerated by the Stuyvesant community.

Applying to Stuyvesant 

Around 74 percent of freshmen said they faced at least a little parental pressure to attend Stuyvesant, with 7.2 percent claiming that their enrollment was entirely a parent or guardian’s decision. However, just over 25 percent of respondents stated that they had full autonomy over their enrollment. The freshman body spent various amounts of time studying for the SHSAT, with 27.9 percent spending six months to one year, 24.4 percent spending one to four months, and 23.2 percent spending four to six months studying. The percentages are fairly divided with the exception of those who studied less than a month or didn’t study at all, possibly signifying that results and time spent prepping are not closely correlated. When studying for the SHSAT, more than half of the students attended preparatory classes and 21.1 percent received one-on-one tutoring; however, 57.2 percent also self-studied using preparatory books.

A staggering number of Stuyvesant’s freshman class—53.1 percent—felt neutral about the idea that there will be a positive correlation between their SHSAT score and their academic performance. A combination of indifference to standardized testing as a measure of future academic performance and the rigorous coursework at Stuyvesant may have contributed to this belief. While about one quarter of incoming students believe that their SHSAT score will translate to excellence in the classroom, 19.3 percent do not think there will be a correlation at all. Seeing that their first year of high school has just begun, many freshmen’s answers will change as the school year progresses. 

Identity and Lifestyle 

A surprising 37.9 percent of freshmen reported they spend more than 3 hours daily on social media, which refutes the stereotype that Stuyvesant students are generally disconnected from popular culture. On the other hand, 8.8 percent of students reported they did not have any social media, including Stuyvesant’s (practically) required platform: Facebook. This will likely change for these freshmen, as Facebook is a helpful way to receive advice, join clubs, and meet new people at Stuyvesant.

The majority of freshman respondents expect to receive either five to six hours of sleep (23.6 percent) or six to seven hours of sleep (39.8 percent) per night, indicating that they recognize the stereotype that Stuyvesant students do not receive an adequate amount of sleep. The remaining freshmen are split between more than seven hours and less than five hours of sleep.

The current freshmen at Stuyvesant indicated that they mostly don’t drink coffee on an average day, with 86.3 percent of students marking down zero cups and only 4.7 percent marking down one cup of coffee. The low coffee consumption is likely due to the relatively high amount of sleep that the class of 2030 received prior to the school year, with most sleeping at least six to eight hours every night. As the school year progresses and the daily workload inevitably increases, the average coffee consumption for freshmen will likely increase as well.

The majority of students are interested in joining extracurriculars at Stuyvesant, with STEM and academic clubs garnering the most attention. However, a surprising number of students (over 52 percent) plan to join an athletics club or team, which will hopefully strengthen Stuyvesant’s PSAL reputation. Nearly 20 percent were unsure about whether they were going to join any activities.

Unsurprisingly, the incoming class has a strong interest in STEM, with over 50 percent of students wishing to continue on to STEM-related careers, also indicated by the high interest in Stuyvesant STEM extracurriculars. The rest are split between undecided and other fields, from humanities to finance to the arts. Stuyvesant’s reputation as a STEM school means that it attracts, first and foremost, STEM students. However, it will be interesting to see what those who feel undecided choose to pursue. 

Stuyvesant students were generally opposed to using drugs and cigarettes. The usage of hard drugs was met with the strongest opposition. Students had similar responses to the usage of e-cigarettes or vapes and the usage of marijuana, with the usage of e-cigarettes or vapes getting a slightly stronger response. Interestingly enough, 17.6 percent of students felt neutral about the use of study drugs. This disparity could be because of the legality of study drugs, higher accessibility, and their milder effects. 

The class of 2030 is largely opposed to sexual activity by high school students, with 40 percent of students taking issue with sexual acts in high school. This may be due to a general lack of education surrounding sexual health, which students will hopefully gain through freshman year health classes.

Academic Honesty 

Many freshmen lack experience with academic dishonesty, with 49.2 percent of freshmen never having partaken in any form of academic dishonesty during middle school. On the other hand, more than half of freshmen admitted to having cheated on at least one occasion throughout their middle school careers. 

A great deal of freshmen have conflicting views in regards to whether any form of academic dishonesty can be justified. For instance, almost 35.4 percent of freshmen believe, and 12.9 strongly believe that there is never a legitimate reason for partaking in academic dishonesty, regardless of the circumstances faced by a student or how they violate academic integrity policies. However, only 15 percent of freshmen believe that partaking in academic dishonesty can be justified, with 36.5 percent of freshmen maintaining neutrality on the issue. 

Similarly, students have differing opinions about what uses of generative AI are acceptable in academic settings. While 93 percent believe writing any part of a response based on an assignment prompt using AI is academic dishonesty, only 30.5 percent think using AI to review a finished work crosses the line. Other uses, such as looking for evidence, generating assignment ideas and editing writing, are generally split down the middle. The diversity of responses to these questions are particularly interesting, given that academic integrity is a hot topic at Stuyvesant—especially new forms of academic dishonesty like plagiarism through AI-powered tools.