The City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools offer free preschool options for students who turn 3 or 4 by September 1st. Preschool applications for 2026-2027 begin with an Initial Priority Application that opens on April 7, 2026. The Priority Application Window (NOT first come first serve) allows families to rank up to 5 program sites through April 28. Initial (single) offers will be made on May 21 and any programs with remaining space available after that will have a “live selection” rolling waitlist staring May 22, 2026 where families can see which program sites still have room and can request a seat or waitlist.
Because preschool is optional, offers for these Chicago Early Learning programs are prioritized for need based families, students with siblings or those within a boundary or proximity to the school. Three year old programs are sometimes hosted by a community based partner and 4 year old programs can be hosted in a CPS school or early learning center.
Preschool programs at Suder, Drummond & Inter-American CPS Magnet schools are included in this application. Families should rank their top choices and will be offered the highest ranked program for which they qualify. Visit the Chicago Early Learning website & FAQs for more.
Tour programs during CPS Pre-K Week from April 12-18. See schools & dates HERE and HERE.
If your family is anticipating a waitlist offer from CPS preschools, elementary or 9th grade spots, CPS has shared that they will update waitlists throughout the next few months until the 20th day of school for Selective Enrollment (test-based) programs and until January 2026 for Choice (lottery based) programs. PK3 and PK4 programs will have a color coded indicator of whether programs have immediate availability, limited availability, or if they are almost full. Because all CPS based application programs required families to put their school choices in order from most preferred to least preferred, CPS is now able to provide waitlist numbers (highlighted in yellow on the EnrollWise portal) to families who were not offered a selective enrollment seat or who were not offered their more preferred Choice or preschool seats.
Waitlist numbers can go up or down depending on scores for selective enrollment or depending on selection priorities (special needs, siblings, etc) for Choice or preschool options. Waitlists will move 2x per week for high school and elementary, and will be in “real time” for preschool. Kindergarten through 9th grade waitlist offers will go out by 10am Tuesdays and Fridays and expire within 2 business days on Thursdays and Mondays at 11:59pm, respectively.
The City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools offer free preschool options for students who turn 3 or 4 by September 1st. Preschool applications for 2025-2026 begin with an Initial Priority Application that opens on April 8, 2025. The Priority Application Window (NOT first come first serve) allows families to rank up to 5 program sites through April 30. Initial (single) offers will be made on May 22 and any programs with remaining space available after that will have a “live selection” rolling waitlist staring May 23 where families can see which program sites still have room and can request a seat or waitlist.
Because preschool is optional, offers for these Chicago Early Learning programs are prioritized for need based families, students with siblings or those within a boundary or proximity to the school. Three year old programs are sometimes hosted by a community based partner and 4 year old programs can be hosted in a CPS school or early learning center.
Preschool programs at Suder, Drummond & Inter-American CPS Magnet schools are included in this application. Families should rank their top choices and will be offered the highest ranked program for which they qualify. Visit the Chicago Early Learning website & FAQs for more.
Tour programs during CPS Pre-K Week from April 7-13. See schools & dates HERE and HERE.
All SY 24-25 CPS preschool seats are a part of the Chicago Early Learning application process.
APRIL 9, 2024 – Application Period Opens
APRIL 30, 2024 – Application Period Closes
MAY 21, 2024 – Initial Offers Released
May 22, 2024 – Live Selections Opens
From Chicago Early Learning: During this initial enrollment window, families will be able to submit early applications to help increase their chances of getting into competitive early education programs across the city. Completing the application will begin the enrollment process for their child’s early education enrollment for the 2024–2025 school year at all CPS Pre-K programs and city-funded Community-Based Preschool and Early Learning programs.
The December 14, 2023 announcement by the Chicago Board of Education regarding Mayor Johnson’s plan to prioritize neighborhood schools and reduce reliance on selective enrollment and magnet programs has caused worry among parents wondering what it could mean to their family’s school options.
We know that there are concerns around school choice, and we want to be clear: this resolution outlines the Board’s parameters and values as we draft the District’s goals and objectives for the next five years. This resolution is not a vote to close selective enrollment, magnet, or charter schools. This resolution is about ensuring high-quality pre-k–12 pathways in neighborhood schools, prioritizing our most under-resourced communities. To read the full resolution, visit the Board website.
WBEZ attempted to tamp down parent speculation by emphasizing that CPS did not make any changes to the current process for families, and is outlining a goal but any change would need to be voted on by the school board, which will be changing in November 2024: WBEZ Article from 12/21/23
Bottom line: SEHS, SEES & Magnet schools aren’t necessarily going away but resources may shift away from them and more to neighborhood schools. Neighborhood schools house most of the IB (international baccalaureate) programs, many fine & performing arts programs, many dual language programs, etc. Increasing support for those specialty programs housed in neighborhood schools will benefit a greater number and broader range of students. Free Universal PK for all 4 year olds has also served to introduce more families to neighborhood schools throughout Chicago. Strengthening offerings at neighborhood schools can serve to release pressure on parents trying for the limited seats at selective enrollment and magnet programs.
Because there are so many schools, programs and options for schooling in Chicago, parents who apply to multiple programs may receive more than one offer. Because a student can only attend one school at a time, there actually can be a lot of movement in program availability throughout the summer and into the new school year. Both public (CPS) and private (parochial and independent) schools fill those changing seats by utilizing waitlists before school starts, and sometimes into the new school year.
For private schools, an unfilled seat is a missed tuition and similarly, each student at a public school comes with a per pupil funding amount (until the 20th day of school). Families can add or remove a student from a waitlist if desired during the Rolling Admission cycle.
Preschool (PK3 or PK4): Chicago Early Learning students can get up to one offer out of 5 ranked choices and will be waitlisted for any higher ranked schools they did not qualify for.
Elementary (K-8th grade): CPS applicants can get multiple offers at various Choice (non test-based, non-selective) programs in addition to up to one SEES (test-based, selective enrollment) offer, in addition to a guaranteed neighborhood K-8th grade seat.
For CPS 9th graders (high school), students can get up to one offer each for SEHS and Choice programs as well as a guaranteed neighborhood 9th-12th grade seat.
Private school applicants can get offers for multiple schools at once, too, but a student can only attend one school at a time. Therefore, public and private waitlist movement happens throughout late Spring into Summer and even Fall.
All CPS preschool, elementary, and 9th grade high school programs are using a rolling waitlist system as of late May 2023.
CPS’s new rolling waitlist is meant to simplify what was once a separate transfer process for K-9th grade as well as a separate late application. All CPS applicants can view their GoCPS portal to see which remaining programs have immediate seats to accept (green), which have an open waitlist to join (yellow), and which are full or have a low likelihood of an offer (red). Your student will only be shown programs they are eligible to receive an offer for based on whether they participated in any required admissions screenings and if they met the threshold.
Original waitlists are those programs that you applied to in the Initial Application Process (was open from 9/21/22-12/8/22) and if an offer was not received, students either were automatically waitlisted for any programs that were listed above their offer (for ranked applications such as preschool, selective enrollment or high school) or they can be on multiple, independent waitlists for K-8th grade Choice programs. More info HERE.
Rolling waitlists (updated nightly) will run through the summer into the 20th day of the new school year for Selective Enrollment (SE) programs, through January 2024 for K-9th grade Choice programs, and until Spring 2024 for Preschool programs. You can only be on a Selective Enrollment waitlist if you have not accepted any SE offer, and you can remain on the waitlists for up to 20 Choice K-9th grade programs. Applicants can choose to remove schools from a waitlist if they are no longer interested or can add themselves to a waitlist if desired. Waitlists will re-sort every evening and those based on a point system can cause a student’s waitlist position to go up or down depending on the scores of new waitlist students. Slidedeck about Offer/Waitlists HERE and more info on rolling waitlists HERE.
Because CPS is funded on a per pupil spending model and their budgeting is set by the 20th day of school, most waitlist movement is seen at the end of the summer, just before school starts. Neighborhood & magnet cluster schools typically refrain from calling waitlist families until close to the start of school (Aug 21) and that can affect all other waitlists as well. Families should be ready to accept or decline a spot within 2 business days from receiving a call.
Families may need to stay patient, but much movement happens toward the end of the summer as public & private waitlists become more active at that time. Good luck to all families and don’t be surprised if your child is offered a spot at the start of the school year.
Families of 3 and 4 year olds by Sept 1st: The citywide application opens April 11, 2023 for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Explore your options for CPS Pre-K programs and Community-Based programs, including Head Start and Early Start programs! Universal Free Pre-K for all 4 year olds is included, as are Suder, Drummond & Inter-American CPS Magnet schools. Families will have a few weeks to apply during the priority application window and then real time availability will be shown via a rolling waitlist. Families should rank their top choices and will be offered the highest ranked program for which they qualify. Visit Chicago Early Learning
A parent’s school search typically starts by sitting down at the computer and typing in “Best Elementary/High Schools” in your area. The results are populated with hits from sources such as GreatSchools, Niche, Schooldigger or School Sparrow, but what do these results mean, and should parents just add the #1 school to their list while ignoring the other schools closer or more familiar to them? How reliable are the ratings and how should a parent use them?
The fact of the matter is that school ratings and rankings are a very messy, very inexact method to quantify schools. Because they are summarized in a “number” or “grade” or listed in a “ranking order”, parents tend to put undue emphasis on ratings/rankings yet aren’t aware of what is being measured. While test scores are typically the largest component to rankings, “School Fit” is much more than test performance and is ultimately a very personal matter that can even vary within a family from child to child. What truly qualifies as “best” for one family may not be well suited to another. While it is understandable that parents need some metric to start with, the metrics used can be skewed, out of date, or not reflective of the cohort your family will be entering the school with.
Common misunderstandings of rankings:
Ratings typically put the greatest emphasis on test scores, so better resourced families often have higher test scores and those family resources continue to benefit their children throughout their education
Ratings/rankings are not set in stone and can change as demographics in a school changes
Ratings typically reflect 3rd to 8th grade, so younger families should be wary of looking at metrics that may include a very different demographic than the one their family will be in school with
Ratings often lump in all programs within a school, so those with a higher population of students with learning needs may still be a great or even better option for your student but the “rankings” may not reflect the level of supports
Schools can and do change and schools in gentrifying areas may have more resources added to the school by the time your family will be attending
Using rankings and ratings to be the first or only metric in choosing a school can also serve to negatively suppress positive changes at a school. Instead, we highly recommend that families tour their local school or those near them as well as talk to families with children their age who may have older siblings at the school. Reaching out to a school’s parent group or attending local school council (LSC) meetings is also a great way to get the “real time” scoop on a school.
It is somewhat pre-ordaining to use rankings to choose a school because if test scores are a big factor in ratings/rankings, then children who have advantages and resources from birth are certainly going to test better overall and the schools near them will reap the benefits of well resourced students and parents. While new parents may be more swayed by rankings, eventually parents come to realize that academics alone are not a single trait to look for in a school and social emotional factors as well as culture, climate and community are just as impactful yet are hard to capture in objective metrics because they are inherently more subjective. School visits can be invaluable to dispel pre-conceptions or help a family picture themselves in a school, but people gravitate toward or crave the easier route of following rankings.
Parents who blindly follow blanket rankings/ratings may well pass up a school their student could grow and thrive at in favor of one that a 3rd party metric says is 10 spots “above” the other school yet that family needs to drive across town to attend. In the end there may not be any marked difference in outcome for their particular child attending one or the other, but the lifestyle impact is can be much greater at the farther school. One school’s overall scores may be lower because it serves a broader range of backgrounds or has more special needs students, but that doesn’t mean your child’s success can happen only from one and not the other. What your child can achieve and what they score on an exam does NOT have to be the “average” number. Ultimately, the greatest arbiter of student success is parent involvement in their children’s lives beyond one school over another school, public or private, city or suburbs.
All CPS Preschool programs will now apply via the Spring Chicago Early Learning website. Families looking to apply to Suder & Drummond CPS Montessori Magnet programs for PK3 & PK4 will need to wait until Spring 2023 to apply via the Chicago Early Learning site. This was not “announced” so much as “revealed” when the GoCPS application opened on Sept 21 and families could not apply to either school’s preschool programs through the main GoCPS elementary application. Look for more info this Spring. You can still apply for their K-8th grade seats via GoCPS.
September 14th, 2022 – Application Period Opens December 2nd, 2022- – Application Period Closes TBD- Results Released TBD- Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Waitlist Process Opens 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED- Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
September 14th, 2022- Application Period Opens October 26th, 2022- CPS High School Admissions Exam for CPS Students 11/5-6, 11/12-13 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for Non-CPS Students December 2nd, 2022- Application Period Closes TBD- Results Released TBD- Principal Discretion Process Opens TBD- Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Principal Discretion Application Closes TBD- Waitlist Process Opens 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED- Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Principal Discretion Results Released
If your child will be 4 by Sept 1, 2022, then get ready to apply to FREE Universal PreK at ChicagoEarlyLearning.org starting at 9am on 4/19/22. Parents can choose up to 5 program sites. (Families of 3 year olds can also apply but these programs are mostly hosted by community based organizations and not housed in schools.) The application will be open for an Initial Application Period until mid-May. Then a single offer notification will be sent to parents upon which they can decide to accept or reject the offer. Families will stay on a waitlist for any program they listed higher than the one they were offered. Families who did not participate in the Initial Application Period can apply on a rolling basis starting mid-May.
Up to 5 program sites must be ranked in order of preference
Families will receive a single offer only
Placement based on priority points for need, siblings, neighborhood & proximity
4 y.o. programs hosted mostly at CPS sites, 3 y.o. programs at community sites
No more tuition based preschool, all programs free or minimal fee by income
Most programs are Full day (7 hr/day) and follow the CPS calendar (see below)
Students at a 4 y.o. site may be given priority for Kindergarten via GoCPS app
Families interested in Chicago Public School programs for 3 year olds through 9th grade for the 2022-2023 school year must submit applications by 5pm on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021 at https://cps.schoolmint.com/login.
If your child will be 3 by Sept 1, 2022, then they can submit a CHOICE (lottery based) application for Drummond & Suder.
If your child will be 4 by Sept 1, 2022, then they can submit a CHOICE (lottery based) application for Inter-American.
If your child will be 5 by Sept 1, 2022 or applying to grades K-8, then they can submit up to 20 CHOICE (lottery) elementary applications for magnet, magnet cluster, and open enrollment elementary schools AND they can submit up to 6 SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT (test based) elementary applications for Classical and Regional Gifted Programs, as well as up to 6 Academic Centers (7th & 8th grade). Selective enrollment options will need to be ranked in order of preference and a test date must be scheduled. Elementary Choice programs do not have to be ranked and no test is required.
If your child is applying to 9th grade, then they can choose up to 20 CHOICE high school programs (some high schools have multiple programs within them such as International Baccalaureate, CTE, fine arts, magnet, etc) and up to 6 SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT programs. Both CHOICE and SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT high schools options must be ranked in order of preference, as as a single offer is given for each type. In many cases, a CPS HS Admissions Test must also be taken, and in some cases, additional screenings are required.
This is also the deadline to add or subtract schools and re-rank any Selective Enrollment or high school choices. Any CPS testing dates must be requested by this deadline as well.
Notifications should arrive in the spring, with high school notifications coming a month before elementary notifications. More information and FAQs for preschool, elementary and high school at https://go.cps.edu/
One’s neighborhood school is always guaranteed and does not require an application.
Chicago Public Schools are now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year until Dec. 15, 2021. Families can explore https://go.cps.edu/ to learn about the school options and request an account at https://cps.schoolmint.com/login. One account per family and each student can be added as they become eligible to apply to CPS programs. A CPS Student ID can be requested through the portal for any student not already in the CPS system.
Always apply one year before a program begins, and CPS has a Sept 1st cutoff date to be eligible for preschool through 1st grade programs. An “age exception” is provided only for families with a fall birthday child who wants to start K or 1st grade early.
You do NOT have to apply to your assigned neighborhood school and there is never a deadline to register at your neighborhood school. For all other programs, including a neighborhood school that is not your own, CPS allows for “Open Enrollment” and you can apply to programs for which your student is age-eligible or meets a pre-requisite via a GoCPSCHOICE (up to 20 lottery or minimal criteria based admission programs) and/orSEES (up to 6 ranked test based admission programs) application. Read more about CPS school types here: Elementary and High School.
Scoring rubrics have been updated for this application cycle to reflect the discontinuation of NWEA MAP testing for 5th through 9th grade programs. There are no scoring rubrics and no cutoffs will be posted for K-8th grade Classical or Regional Gifted Center Selective Enrollment programs.
CPS Elementary programs: only 7th grade Academic Centers have a scoring rubric listed HERE.
Find helpful CPS FAQ’s on the application process HERE: https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps/faq/elementary (be sure to click on the proper tab: HS, Elem or Preschool)Each student can apply up to 20 CHOICE programs (multiple offers for elementary programs listed in no particular order, and single offer for ranked high school programs) AND up to 6 ranked Selective Enrollment programs (single offer for elementary or high school). If testing is required, you will be asked to choose a test date AFTER you choose the school programs that require testing.Good luck to families applying for Fall 2022 CPS programs! More info at https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps
Round 1 CPS Elementary Notifications were posted in the GoCPS portal for Choice (lottery) and/or Selective Enrollment (test based) selections. Students could be offered multiple Choice program offers but only ONE selective enrollment offer. A family’s neighborhood school is always guaranteed.
Choice elementary offers are based on a lottery selection process and include magnet, magnet cluster (neighborhood w/focus area) and open enrollment (other neighborhood) schools. Drummond, Suder and Inter-American preschool programs are included in Choice schools. CPS Tiers and proximity are only considered for the entry year of a magnet program. All other programs conduct a general lottery (in some cases, a sibling lottery).
Selective enrollment elementary offers are based on entrance testing and include Classical & Regional Gifted Centers (K or 1st through 8th), as well as Academic Centers (7th/8th). CPS Tiers are only considered for the entry year of these programs and offers are “single offer” only, based on a student’s score.
Details, dates and Academic Center (7th grade) cutoff scores are posted on GoCPS. Helpful GoCPS videos are posted HERE (note: videos are slightly outdated since there are no longer International Gifted programs).
Round 1 accept/decline deadline is June 11
Round 1 waitlists open on June 16 (48 hour waitlist decision window)
Round 2 elementary applications (for programs with unfilled seats) open June 21-25
Round 2 results released & waitlists open July 16 (48 hour waitlist window)
Round 2 accept/decline deadline is July 23
New applicants can request a CPS ID to apply to Round 2 (existing applicants do not need new CPS ID). Round 2 applications will open on June 21 for any schools with remaining open seats. Any unfilled seats may also be filled on an as available basis at the end of the summer by contacting a school you are interested in.
Applicant families are encouraged to “tour” schools before decisions are returned.
Chicago Early Learning’s school and community based preschool programs for 4 and 3 year olds (by Sept. 1st birthday) opened its 2021-2022 application on 4/21/21. If parents are interested in these sliding scale tuition programs that prioritize low income and 4 year old students, then visit www.chicagoearlylearning.org or call 312.229.1690 to apply.
Families can choose up to 2 Chicago Public School (CPS) or community based sites. Families should choose programs based on location, hours (most are 7 hours, some are half day) and ages served (most prioritize 4 year olds). School based sites mostly host 4 year olds, while community based sites mostly host 3 year olds.
Applicants who apply within the first 3 weeks of the application opening receive “preferred placement”, then placements are based on a space available, rolling admissions basis.
Helpful FAQs can be found HERE. The application is linked HERE.
Note: CPS based sites do NOT guarantee students can attend that school’s kindergarten program if that is not their neighborhood school.
After a very trying year for so many, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are opening elementary schools to families who opt into in-person learning. Families have a choice each quarter to either remain remote or come back for hybrid (part time) in person classes. Safety protocols and daily health screenings are required, as well as social distancing and facility improvements. More details from CPS.edu: https://www.cps.edu/school-reopening/
The pandemic has impacted every aspect of our school year, including the important process our students go through when choosing the school options that will best match their talents, interests, and abilities. So to ensure everyone has the time they need to make this important decision, we are extending the GoCPS application deadline from Friday, December 11, 2020 to Friday, January 8, 2021.
We hope that this added time will give students and families the opportunity they need to carefully consider the many school options that are available throughout the district. As a result of this extension, offers for the 2021-22 school year will come out slightly later than in years past, and we will provide an update with the exact date. In the meantime, we urge our students to look at all of their options, from their neighborhood schools to offerings in STEM, IB, world language, and selective-enrollment, among others, to determine which environment will best meet their needs.
Sincerely,
Janice K. Jackson, EdD LaTanya D. McDade
Chief Executive Officer Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools
From now until Dec. 11, 2020 at 11:59pm you can apply to Chicago Public School (CPS) programs for Fall 2021 entry. Using the www.go.cps.edu platform, you can apply for 3 CPS Magnet Preschools (Suder, Drummond & Inter-American) and up to 20 out of hundreds of non-test based elementary and high school options, as well as up to 6 test based selective enrollment options. Online applications require a CPS ID number, which can be requested by non-CPS families until Nov. 23. Families can apply to both Choice (no entrance test) or Selective Enrollment (entrance test required) programs. Test based programs also require scheduling entrance testing. High schools may also require additional screening requirements. Check out www.go.cps.edu for more info.
After much anticipation, CPS has announced their hybrid remote learning model tentatively scheduled to roll out this Fall 2020. With the pandemic still changing each day, the plan thus far is:
Preschoolers return as close to full time as possible
K-10th graders will attend 2 days in person, 2 days with at home lessons, and one day remotely
In person sessions will be conducted in pods of approx. 15 people with teachers regularly assigned to each pod
HS juniors and seniors will most likely be fully remote
There are many impacts to this plan that CPS is seeking feedback on via their Survey. They are asking all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and community members, to weigh in. Survey HERE.
Community meetings are being scheduled for July 27-31 to solicit input and feedback. The final plan will be announced in late August.
No plan will suit all families, but let your voice be heard by weighing in. Helpful video explaining the plan can be found HERE.
Chicago Early Learning’s school and community based preschool programs for 4 and 3 year olds (by Sept. 1st birthday) opens its 2020-2021 application on 5/21/20. If parents are interested in these sliding scale tuition programs that prioritize low income and 4 year old students, then visit www.chicagoearlylearning.org or call 312.229.1690 to apply.
Families can choose up to 2 Chicago Public School (CPS) or community based sites. Families should choose programs based on location, hours (most are 7 hours, some are half day) and ages served (most prioritize 4 year olds).
Helpful FAQs can be found HERE. The application is linked HERE.
Note: CPS based sites do NOT guarantee students can attend that school’s kindergarten program if that is not their neighborhood school.
School Notifications for 2020-2021 entry continue to come in despite our unique time of social distancing and quarantining. Rest assured, we will return to a “new normal” and when that time comes, we will need to have a school choice in place. In order to help determine school fit, we are providing a platform to crowdsource information on various schools. If you have any helpful information for prospective families to learn more about a school remotely, please share your experiences, or create a new string if you do not see a particular school below. If you are a family seeking information, please feel free to pose your question under a particular school. In each school’s entry should be a link to the CPS page with more info.
Besides this forum, we encourage everyone to check out the websites or social media streams for each school, along with any parent groups such as “Friends of” groups that typically have contact information.
We are all in this together, and in this time of need, our collective experiences can help others become better informed. Thank you!
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 GOCPS@CPS.EDU 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.
Families with 3 or 4 year olds by Sept. 1 can apply for sliding scale tuition full or half day 2019-2020 preschool programs in Chicago. Choose up to 2 program sites and find out by June if you were placed in one or on a waitlist.
Three steps to apply: 1. Create on online account; 2. Fill in family info including address, household size, employment & income; 3. Fill out info on your child and choose your top 2 program sites.
Some sites are based in CPS schools but unless it is your assigned neighborhood school, there is no guarantee that you can continue at that school for kindergarten. It is a great way to get to know a school, however, to see if you would like to put it on your application or attend it if it is your neighborhood school.
Don’t miss the 12/14/18 deadline to apply to a wide range of CPS options for Fall 2019. Paper applications must be RECEIVED by 6pm at CPSOAE (see below) and online applications need to be submitted by 11:59pm via https://cps.schoolmint.net/signup. Only families who have a CPS Student ID can use the online application. All others need to use a paper application.
Submit elementary or high school paper applications to the Office of Access and Enrollment, 42 W. Madison St., Garden Level, Chicago, IL 60602. DO NOT SEND YOUR APPLICATION TO THE SCHOOL(S) TO WHICH YOU ARE APPLYING. Applications must be RECEIVED by December 14, 2018 by 6pm. Note that this is a RECEIVED BY date, NOT a postmarked date. Applications received after December 14, 2018, will not be processed.
Researching schools? Check out the very informative GoCPS Search tool which can quickly show you school locations based on program types (magnet, selective enrollment, IB, military, CTE) or program group (fine & performing arts, STEM, academic centers, etc), sorted by grades or ratings, etc. Clicking on a school’s name will show a bounty of school data.
Second rounds for any programs that still have space typically begins in April for high school and May for elementary schools.
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.
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.
Step 2) Fill in information on your family, such as employment and income, information on your child, and then apply for your top choice preschool site
Step 3) If your child qualifies (you may find out immediately), you will receive an email on June 1st with information on how to verify your child’s preschool seat
It appears that these applications are “first come, first serve” so apply early for any particular site you would like. See the forum thread for more info.
These programs were formerly known as “Ready to Learn” or “Preschool for All”. This site does not cover magnet preschools or Tuition Based PK. Please review the FAQs for more detailed information.
Enrollment Process
Search Locations
Find and compare Chicago Early Learning programs to find the right one for your child. Get Started!
Apply to Program
Narrow it down to your top two picks. Create an online account, fill out family information, and a child application to preschool sites. If your child qualifies for an offer, you will follow next steps verify their placement. If your child remains on a waitlist, stay tuned for more information from the Chicago Early Learning team.
For CPS Site Offers: Verify placement through a Family Resource Center
Within two weeks of receiving your offer, bring proof of your family’s income, address, and your child’s birth to one of 12 Family Resource Center sites across the city. Click here for more information about Family Resource Centers. See below for more details about what documents you will provide.
OR
For Community-Based Site Offers: Verify placement through your community-program location
Within two weeks of receiving your offer, bring proof of your family’s income, address, and your child’s birth to your assigned community-based program location. See below for more details about what documents you will provide.
Enrollment at CPS-Program Location
Visit your child’s preschool to complete the enrollment process. The school may have more specific enrollment directions that they will communicate.
OR
Enrollment at Community-Program Location
When you visit your child’s community-based site to verify your child’s offer, your site will communicate any additional expectations they have to complete the enrollment process.
Go to School!
If you have questions, please call our Chicago Early Learning Hotline: (312) 229-1690 or visit a Family Resource Center near you.
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.
With the retirement of the indispensable and incomparable CPSObsessed blog that helped Chicago families for almost a decade, a sudden panic seized Chicago parents on where they would turn to soothe their obsession of tracking scores, tiers and offers for CPS admissions or learn about changing application processes or hear about new or up and coming schools, etc. While CPSObsessed was the place to visit for all things CPS, many parents were also weighing private school options or wondering about special need supports and a myriad of other school related topics.
Out of this gaping void came the genesis for ChicagoSchoolOptions. This new website aims to be a crowdsourced destination for the next crop of anxious Chicago parents looking for answers. It will only be as useful as those who contribute to the site make it, so please feel free to login and post to the School Forum or email us if you would like to help improve the site, be an editor or contributor (this uses a WordPress platform) or have any advice on increasing the user-friendliness. Currently it is maintained by someone with more passion for the topics than technical savvy about the platform.
We welcome your help to make ChicagoSchoolOptions the “go-to” site for sharing Chicago area school knowledge. From preschool to high school, public and private, general, gifted and special ed, this site is meant to help fellow parents gain a better understanding of all their school related questions. Contact us if you have anything to share and help us grow our community!
