“It’s a Love-Hate Relationship”

No matter how you feel about Stuyvesant, we all have opinions on our school. We asked a number of students, “Do you love or hate Stuyvesant?”

William Mo, freshman

"I like it; I don't hate it. I do not have strong feelings either way, but it is my school and I can appreciate that it is a good one."

Harshita Singh, junior

“Both! I love and hate Stuyvesant simultaneously because I love the opportunities that Stuyvesant provides us with to grow into the people we’re supposed to be, but I also think it’s really taxing on [...] our mental health and breaks us in the process.”

Velez Rios, sophomore

“I guess I love Stuyvesant mainly because of the English department. Both of my English teachers [were] amazing and really motivated me to continue writing.”

Maya Furusho, senior

“I always remind my friends and family that I can’t wait until the day I leave Stuy, but I know in the future, I’ll look back at my high school years and find the bad memories just as special as the good ones!”

Andrew Jiang, sophomore

“I love Stuyvesant especially when there are three tests and a project I haven’t started [yet] due the very next day. Jokes aside, because Stuyvesant is so challenging and stressful, I get the opportunity to learn a lot about myself, my limits, and what my priorities are.”

Asif Sattar, sophomore

“It's like a love-hate relationship. First of all, the pressure at Stuyvesant is mad hot. And that's the reason why I hate it. But the community is much better than any other high school that I've ever seen. The pressure makes people bond together, and you won't see that anywhere else. [Take] Latin for example. Everybody hates Latin, and we bond with that. If you were to look at it as a purely no friend, no classmate relationship, yeah, it's a horrible school.”

Averlyn Chen, sophomore

“I might hate Stuyvesant currently because of the workload, but I feel like in the future, I’ll grow to love Stuy.”

Justin Lee, junior

"Stuyvesant wasn't really a life-changer, and I think that's largely to do with what I've done with my time at Stuy. You get what you put in, and if I had put more time into further developing myself and my passions, I think I could have enjoyed Stuyvesant a lot more. But for me, it feels like an ordinary experience."

Hanna Yang, senior

“I think overall [Stuy] is worth it, and the part that makes it worth it the most is all the people that you’ll meet and the connections [that you’ll make] for the future.”

Harrison Chan, senior

“In the beginning, I think I sort of disliked Stuyvesant for its competitive nature. But as a senior now, I think I’ll really miss Stuy, one of the main reasons being that going to college, you won’t have this guided path that you have at Stuyvesant anymore, and at Stuy, the teachers are very welcoming and everyone here is supportive of each other. Now that I’m starting to go into the ‘real world,’ I think I’m going to miss Stuyvesant a lot and having this daily routine of coming to school, just doing what I do.”

Charlotte Siragusa, junior

“I would say that I love Stuyvesant. I am very close with a lot of people I [have] met here and have really enjoyed my time here. I couldn't imagine going to another school. I also feel I probably love it more because of the pride I get when I associate myself with this school because it's so prestigious.”

Doris Chen, junior

“I like Stuyvesant because of the people [who] attend it. I met lots of new friends, and I can confidently say that I'll probably talk to some [of them] forever. I also really like the building. It has escalators and [...] a nice, modern interior. But I hate the competitiveness. Everyone is worried about grades. People complain about getting 99s, and it just makes me really annoyed.”

Melbourne Tang, junior

“I really [enjoy] Stuyvesant because of the sense of community in both academics and extracurriculars. I like to paint this picture at high school fairs: people dancing in the stairways and testing out robots in the stairways. If I had one criticism, however, I feel that Stuyvesant is very test-heavy. At least that has helped me develop good study habits and will prepare me for college.”

Kristoff Misquitta, sophomore

“I love Stuyvesant because of the heartfelt conversations that unite students of all grades. As soon as you enter, you become part of a family that will always stand by you in your academic journey.”

Maya Dunayer, freshman

“Stuyvesant and I have a love-hate relationship. There are the good days, [when] I don’t have too much work, am able to have fun with my friends, and go to bed at a normal time. And then there are the days [when] I’m looking at a million projects and tests and go to bed at 2:00 a.m. Every school has its ups and downs, but Stuyvesant’s are just more pronounced than most. Regardless of all the tough days, I think I’ve met some of the most amazing people at Stuyvesant, and if I had to pick again, I wouldn’t pick any other school.”

Debi Saha, junior

“I fully and unequivocally love Stuy because of the opportunities it has provided me, a low-income woman of color. It was because of Stuy [that] I was able to delve into theater and finally get a chance to try my hand at leading. I got lucky: I have found my passions and some of my best teachers here. I couldn't be more grateful with what Stuyvesant has provided me in the last three years.”