High School of Economics and Finance

The High School of Economics and Finance was the closest high school in the city to the World Trade Center site, at 1 block from the World Trade Center, and students were heavily affected by the events of September 11th, 2001. After September 11, the school shared facilities with Norman Thomas High School in the Murray Hill neighborhood for 7 months, and students attended school during the irregular hours of 1pm to 7-8pm, 5 days a week

The school building, looking from Zuccotti Park, in 2017

The High School of Economics and Finance offers a wide range of courses that include four years of required English class, three years of social studies, mathematics, science with lab, and foreign language, required four years of business class such as Economics, Entrepreneurship, Introduction to Business, Accounting, Business Law & Ethics, Business Computer Applications, Global Business and Advanced Finance, a year of fine arts and or theatrical arts; and a wide selection of electives, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes that allow students to place out of a few of the prerequisite college courses.

In the life sciences, the school offers Living Environment (LE) class with lab that prepares students for the Regents exam by the end of school year. Students who are able to maintain good grades for both semesters in LE class and in addition with qualified Regents grades, will have the opportunity to take AP Biology or AP Environmental Science in their junior or senior year.

In the physical sciences, the school offers Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics. Some students will take Earth Science or Physics during freshman year depending on how their science grades were from middle school. Then, students will take Chemistry or Physics during their sophomore, junior or senior year. Other students will also have the option to take AP Biology or AP Environmental Science.

The Mathematics department offers a sequence of math: Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry that help students to prepare for Regents exams. After that, they will have the option to choose from Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus AB depending on their grades over the past two or three years and teacher recommendations.

Students are required to take English for four years. In freshman year, students will be taking regular English. Then, some selected students will have the opportunity to take Honors English during their sophomore year. In their junior year, students will have the option to take AP English Language & Composition and AP Literature & Composition during their senior year.

Three years of History/Social Studies classes are required; and that include World History for freshman and sophomore years (some students will be selected for honors History in their second year); US History, Economics and Government during junior year, and some will have the option to take AP US history; and students will have the option to take AP European History class in their senior year.

Three years of language is required. HS of Economics and Finance only offers Spanish and French online through distance learning. In addition, some students will be able to take AP Spanish Language.

Students who wish to better prepare themselves for college level education are allowed to take some courses through the College Now program at Hunter College, Baruch College, Pace University, and BMCC. They all offer a wide selection of classes including Mathematics, Sciences, Business-related etc. They are all free (except Pace with the exception of reduced fee for HS students), yet selective. Students will need to be juniors or seniors, have decent averages, and regents/SAT scores to determine their eligibility of the classes they wish to take. These credits they earn will be transferable to the college they will attend in the future.

• Arts
• Academy of Finance
• Amnesty International
• Big Brother. Big Sister
• Chess
• Drama Club
• Euro Challenge
• Fed Challenge
• Gay/Straight Alliance
• Literary Magazine
• National History Day Competition
• National Honor Society
• NFTE Business Plan Competition
• Poetry Slam
• Quality of Life Competition
• Quilting
• Senior Committee
• Student Government
• Theatre Arts
• Virtual Enterprise
• Weightlifting Club
• Yearbook
• YPMP (Young Professionals Mentoring Program)

• Quality of Life competition

2007: won Quality of Life award with $17500 scholarship.

2008: borough manhattan leaders.

2010: Dorian Chen ("Subway Hogs Should Give Seats to the Disabled") won Quality of Life (Finalist)

2011: Manhattan winners.

• National History Day competition

• Winners, 2010 New York City Regional (2) 1st place; (2) 2nd place; (1) 3rd place.
• Winners, 2010 New York State (1) 2nd place; (1) 3rd place.
• Winners, 2011 New York City Regional (3) 1st place; (2) 3rd place.

Students who wish to graduate from High School of Economics and Finance should complete 100 hours of community service and 120 hours of unpaid internship. Students who have completed both by the end of their sophomore year will be offered paid internships. Also, students who have successfully completed this task will be part of Academy of Finance.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to High School of Economics and Finance.

• Interview with former principal Patrick Burke on HSEF and 9/11
• HS of Economics and Finance official site