“We’re worth the trip,” states the official Bronx Science slogan, but is this true for every type of student, regardless of interests?

Bronx Science is not a name that is immediately associated with a school with a focus on art, history, and literature.

Instead, it is a school known across the nation and the world for its stellar academics and its ambitious students. With eight Nobel prize winners and numerous famous alumni, it is hard to dispute Bronx Science’s amazing reputation. The catch: Bronx Science is most strongly associated with those interested in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. This is not surprising, considering that “science” is a part of the school’s name. However, not all 3,016 current Bronx Science students identify as STEM-loving students. A poll was conducted to see just how many humanities-oriented students there are in the school.

As seen in the pie chart above,  29.7% of students who currently attend Bronx Science do not identify primarily as students with a primary interest in STEM fields. But why would a student enroll at a school whose interests are different from that of 70.3% of their peers? According to Bruno Belmonte Sandoval ’21, what attracted him most to Bronx Science was its numerous options for academic student and its rich educational and extracurricular environment.

“I chose to come to Bronx Science because I liked the variety of World Languages that are offered. I’m now taking Latin. I also felt that the school had a very friendly environment, when I first toured it as an eighth grader during the October Open House.” Sandoval found the best of both worlds at Bronx Science, versatile academic options and an amiable student body. However, wanting to attend and actually being a student at Bronx Science are two different things.

It is common knowledge among freshmen that the school’s size at first takes some getting used to, but for some students whose interests are humanities based, there is also a transition to embracing all that STEM classes can offer. Yanny Liang ’19 said, “Going out of one’s comfort zone, trying new things, and attempting to make new friends really helps to ease the transition. Make it your goal to directly introduce yourself to at least one new person each day and have a conversation with them.” Each person in this school is unique and you can grow a support group with both STEM and non-STEM interested students.

In the end, regardless of their primary interests, Bronx Science students still rise to the challenge and find new ways to express their creativity. There are many ways that students with interests in the humanities can flex their artistic muscles. Leo Kamal ’21 will join the Bronx Science literary magazine, Dynamo, which allows students to submit original short stories, poems, artwork, and photographs, for publication. The school also has one of the top Speech and Debate Teams in the country, which Kamal also took advantage of, by joining. Additionally, there is the Leave Your Mark Initiative which showcases students’ artwork around the school. There are many courses for students with interests in the humanities including, AP Art History, Journalism, Photography, and Orchestra. Lastly, there are many productions for those interested in theater arts such as the fall play, spring musical and S!NG productions. Bronx Science has a rich humanities-based curriculum and extracurriculars as well as stellar offerings in the STEM fields.

I also felt that the school had a very friendly environment, when I first toured it as an eighth grader during the October Open House.”

No matter what your focus is in life, Bronx Science is a great place to attend. In fact, Bronx Science has not only helped to foster eight Nobel laureates, but has also produced six Pulitzer Prize winners, another testament to how dedicated and driven Bronx Science students are, regardless of their interests, STEM or humanities. Not only do we have a great cross-section of different backgrounds and culture, but we also have a cross-section of different thinkers. Our population of students with a primary interest in the humanities is just one more thing to supplement Bronx Science’s amazing reputation.