Private schools admission and time to respond

[cpsnew]

Does anyone know how long private schools like Latin, Lab, Parker give to respond to an acceptance?

How do people handle this if it does not coordinate with when CPS releases acceptance?

[chicagoschooloptions]

Private schools typically give about 10 days or so for decisions. This year, Latin, Lab and Parker will notify on March 2, 2018, and allow a few days for families to visit again and then submit deposits to hold their place. CPS elementary notifications won’t come out until early April this year, and also allow about 2 weeks for families to revisit schools before returning their first round decisions. Families who apply to public & private schools may have to sacrifice a deposit as they decide which to accept. Make sure to carefully read the enrollment contract to see what the private school’s policy is on withdrawal of acceptance.

[Micki]

My child received a private high school offer for a school she likes very much. Problem is she may want to go to a SEHS more. The school requires that we sign a contract within a week and that makes us responsible for a full year’s tuition of $30k + (I wish it were just the deposit!). I can’t believe CPS is doing this to hundreds of families. Advice? Options?

[SOS]

Same situation as Micki. I tried to see if CPS was at negotiable with even letting us know selective admission test scores and they weren’t. Maybe more people calling CPS might help.

[hmk]

Do you mind sharing which school is requiring the full years tuition? We are on the wait list for a few private high schools and I was hoping that there would be some movement after SEHS admissions. However, if they are requiring a full year deposit, I think that far fewer families will move, rather they will just commit rather than losing that kind of money.

[Parental Unit]

I am aware of the contract for Francis Parker, which states that full tuition is owed in full if not withdrawn within 5 days after signing contract. I spoke with the admissions at Parker and they clarified that because of the late CPS decision date this year, this withdrawal period would be extended to mid-April. Any withdrawal before then would forfeit the deposit but the family would not be on the hook for the full tuition.

[chicagoschooloptions]

I think a few of the private schools are going that route as well. British School may also be amenable to a similar arrangement. If in doubt, contact the school for clarification.

[Author]

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