CPS’s 2020-2021 School Calendar is out now: https://cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/SY2020-2021-Academic-Calendar-English.pdf
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For Parents, By Parents, About Public & Private Chicago Schools
CPS’s 2020-2021 School Calendar is out now: https://cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/SY2020-2021-Academic-Calendar-English.pdf
While applications for the first round of 2020-2021 Entry to Chicago Public Schools closed on 12/13/19, families can re-rank their selective enrollment and/or their high school Choice selections until Feb 3, 2020. Contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or [email protected] for instructions on re-ranking
These ranked applications will only offer a single choice for each list (selective enrollment RGC/Classical, Academic Centers, SE schools and non-selective Choice high schools). A family’s neighborhood school never has a deadline for enrollment.
Elementary Choice (non-selective) programs such as magnet and open enrollment schools are not ranked. Families can get multiple offers for those elementary programs.
First round notifications for high schools will be released on March 27, 2020 and elementary schools will be released on April 24, 2020.
Apply now to high school, elementary school, and 3 magnet preschools via www.go.cps.edu now through Dec. 13, 2019. https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps
Non-CPS students who are interested in applying for 5th-9th grade CPS programs for Fall 2020 should be sure to take the CPS administered NWEA Map tests. CPS requires this qualifying test of reading and math to be taken by all non-CPS students applying to selective programs in those upper grades. Students can register by August 30 to take the tests on Sept. 21, 22, 28, 29 or Oct. 5 or 6. All students who test by those dates will be able to use the online GoCPS application system. All current CPS students will have their spring NWEA Map scores used for qualifications and rubric calculations. GoCPS applications are open 9/30/19-12/6/19.
First round CPS elementary school notifications were released at 5pm on Monday, April 22.
Academic Centers (accelerated 7th/8th grade programs in high schools) have cutoff scores published here: GoCPS AC Cutoff Scores 2019-2020
All other elementary Gifted or Classical School programs do not publish cutoff scores. These offers are “single choice” and you can only receive one offer of SEES (selective enrollment elementary schools).
Magnet, magnet cluster & open enrollment schools are strictly lottery based and will have waitlist numbers published. These are multiple offer programs so you can be offered multiple schools and accept one yet be offered another option later and can change your acceptance then.
CPS Elementary notifications will come out on April 22 via the Go.CPS.edu portal or if you applied on paper, via mail. This includes first round notifications for the 4 magnet preschools, hundreds of elementary open enrollment, magnet, magnet cluster and several selective enrollment schools including Academic Centers. Good luck to all!
Round 1 – Offers Posted
Round 1 – Accept/Decline Deadline
Round 1 Waitlist Process Opens
Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
If families do not receive news of offers or missed the application deadline of December 2018, there is another opportunity to apply via an “End of Year Application” process:
Applications Opens
Applications Closes
From now until Dec 14, 2018, you can go to www.go.cps.edu and learn about applying to CPS programs from Preschool to High School. The applications are open and you can apply to schools and schedule testing or admissions screenings until the December deadline.
Lots of helpful info at the following links:
Remember, you can apply for up to 6 Selective Enrollment (test based) schools but must rank your choices and you will get a single offer.
You can also choose up to 20 non-selective (now called “Choice Programs”) lottery schools but elementary has no ranking and multiple offers while high school you do need to rank and it is single offer. Good luck!
Note: CPS Tiers also change each year on October 1st, so check your tier by entering your address at https://go.cps.edu/search. They can go up, down or stay the same each year.
It’s that time! Here are some tidbits gleaned from GoCPS Elementary FAQs
GOCPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
1. How will families find out the results of their applications to preschool through eighth grade? Online applicants to the four magnet preschools (Drummond, Inter-American, Mayer and Suder) through eighth grade will receive their first-round results on April 27th via their online GoCPS account. Paper applicants will receive a notification letter sent via U.S. mail to the home address on their application. In addition, paper applicants can view their results on an online GoCPS account that has been opened for them by the Office of Access and Enrollment. All applicants will receive more information on this process the week of April 23rd via email and robocall. Results will be posted on April 27th between 2 p.m. and 11:59 pm.
2. Will the Non-Selective Enrollment letter and the Selective Enrollment letter appear on the same screen online, or will families have to navigate to two different screens to accept or decline a seat? The results on the online account will all be on the same screen, along with a button that allows families to also download and print a hard-copy Non-Selective Enrollment letter and a Selective Enrollment letter. The letters that are mailed to the home address of paper applicants are two separate letters, one for Non-Selective Enrollment programs and one for Selective Enrollment programs.
ACCEPTING AND DECLINING OFFERS
3. How do families accept or decline an offer? Online applicants will accept or decline offers via their online GoCPS account. Paper applicants can accept or decline offers by submitting a paper confirmation form that they will receive with their paper notification letter or via the online GoCPS account that was opened for them. Applicants will have until Friday, May 11th to accept or decline an offer.
4. Can a student accept both a Selective Enrollment offer and a Non-Selective Enrollment offer, and decide which one they want later on? No. Students can only accept one offer.
5. Can students change their mind about accepting or declining an offer if they want to change it before the decision deadline? If a student DECLINES an offer, they cannot go back and change that decision once it is submitted. If a student ACCEPTS an offer and later decides that they want to decline it, they can do so.
6. What time is the deadline to make a decision on May 11th? The deadline to accept or decline offers is 6 pm on Friday, May 11th if the applicant is submitting a paper confirmation form, and 11:59 pm on Friday, May 11th if the applicant is making their decision via their online application account.
7. Will the families receive an email confirmation after they have made their decisions to accept or decline offers? No. Families will see a confirmation page online after they submit their decision. For their records, they should either print this page of save it to PDF.
SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
19. Do Selective Enrollment schools have sibling preference? No.
20. When will students receive Selective Enrollment test scores? Selective Enrollment test scores and total points, if applicable, will be on the students’ notification letter that is released on April 27th.
More awesome FAQs at http://cps.edu/AccessAndEnrollment/Documents/FAQs_Elementary_ApplicationProcess.pdf
For those looking to discuss the 2018-2019 application cycle for CPS Elementary school options, feel free to check out the threads at CPSObsessed- Fall 2017: Applying to Kindergarten/Elementary School and continue your thoughts either in the comments below or on the School Forum pages.