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CPS will release elementary school offers for any programs applied to via the GoCPS applications (SEES & Choice Programs) as follows:
- APRIL 21st, 2023 – Results Released
- MAY 12th, 2023 – Accept/Decline Deadline
- MAY 22nd, 2023 – Rolling Waitlist Process Opens
- 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED – Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
Please feel free to post results to share. Applicants may be offered one Selective Enrollment ES offer (if applicable) and multiple Choice offers. Their neighborhood school is always available for them to attend at any time.
For Academic Center offers, please include your Tier (7th grade only), 600 point total, and what order the school was ranked on your application.
Post Classical & Gifted SEES HERE or Post Choice (lottery) schools HERE. Good luck!
Here is a slidedeck on “Selections Process Explained”
Cutoff scores for 7th grade Academic Centers only will be posted here after 4/21/23. Guide to Understanding Rankings & Cutoff Scores is HERE.
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Scores have posted in student details.
Has anyone seen offers or cut-scores posted? 🤞
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what is the url for student details?
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Under the “View Results and Options” Button there should be a blue button that says “Student Details”. There you’ll see your kid’s info, including their tier, grades and test scores.
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I don’t see the student details button. Can someone help?
My daughter has been waitlisted for Skinner North and Decatur
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What do the tiers mean for the waitlist?
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Q: my child got into LaneTech but not into WY (1st choice), although both schools have the same cutoff score for T4 (score received was 585). I have a hypothesis how they decided but need someone who could confirm. Whom do I contact?
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There’s a tie breaker
My daughter is also going to Lane Tech, 145
My son was in Lane Tech academic center before it was great
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Thank you!
We also have experience with LaneTech. My older child was there for AC too and it was great, but commute was killing us.
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😀 teleportation phantasies here.
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Is anyone able to see the actual scores?
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Where are the cutoff scores for each of the academic centers?
We got a general waitlist for LTAC and want to get a sense of whether there is a chance of rolling admission. This is for 8th grade entry.
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I don’t think they’ll publish cut scores for 8th-grade entry. When my older child was in 7th grade, she dreamed of transferring into LTAC and I was told there was no such option. I hope they changed that — good luck to your child!
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If the student is waitlisted but their score is lower than the cutoff. Do they still have a chance to get in on the next round?
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I’m wondering the same!
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They all say waitlisted? Am I supposed to see a waitlist number?
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My daughter got into Kenwood for 7th grade. any review about the school- we just completed an year in Chicago
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We have heard good things about Kenwood . The AC is separated somewhat from the high school and the programs are good. Many Kenwood AC kids go on to Jones or other SEHS.
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My child is in 7th grade at Kenwood. We absolutely love it. The school is well resourced with so many clubs, sports, and other opportunities to choose from. The teachers are rigorous but fair, and the kids are really pushed academically. The principal is amazing, and at the high school level, I’m really impressed by the number of programs the kids have access to. Not to mention, if you child is musically inclined, the choirs and bands are award-winning. My child has already decided that they want to stay through high school!
You should definitely go to the open house and see what you think. I imagine that you’ll be impressed!
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Hi, I’m a current 8th grader AC student at Kenwood and I absolutely love this school and what they offer. The teachers are truly passionate about their subjects and go above and beyond to help us understand the material. The extracurricular activities are also amazing – I’ve been able to participate in clubs and sports that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to try. Overall, Kenwood is an incredible school that has provided me with so many valuable experiences and memories. I highly recommend it to anyone that was accepted.
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My daughter just got into WH Taft – her 3rd choice. Scored 576 Tier 4, cutoff for our tier was 549.
However she is not on the waitlist for Whitney Young or Lane Tech when her other friends with lower scores are. Is there a way for her to get on the waitlist for her #1 and #2 choices?
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You can release Taft and take a chance at the waitlist. In the meeting, they strongly encouraged people not to do it because there is no guarantee.
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It is very risky and I doubt there will be that much movement in T4.
My child scored 585, T4, and I am not sure if we should drop LaneTech and try getting into Whitney.
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Last year I heard that WY 7th did not accept any wait list. Very few declined and it is a big class this year. I suppose every year is different but that would be a big gamble. WY and Lane are both great.
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Is your child waitlisted at WY or did they not receive an offer there?
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So if I decline TAFT it will change Whitney Young and LT to waitlist? Right now both are showing as “Not Offered”
I’m just worried declining the TAFT offer will just knock her out completely. Only because my daughter is hearing some that some of them got an offer AND are still listed as waitlist for their higher ranking school choices.
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Could it really be that someone gets an offer and is simultaneously waitlisted for the higher ranked school??? That’s unexpected.
Anyone here currently in that situation?
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Maybe other schools are not ACs?
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My understanding from the online training was that you have to decline the spot at Taft, then add your child to the waitlist at WY and Lane. The waitlist isn’t published but is in descending order by points. Tier factors into it, too, so it will be hard to come off the waitlist if few from T4 decline their spot. They really discourage turning down an offer because those waitlist spots may not go to the waitlist.
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@quantcps – ugh that is a tough spot. LT is such a great school, I would not risk it. I know a few kids who got in with 588-590 scores.
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Tier 4, 576, waitlist at LT (1st choice) and WY (2nd choice). Waitlist too at La Salle Magnet School (#3). I’m still hoping she still gets an offer at LT, but might be very slim..
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Tier 4
Academic Center Point Total:600
Offered: Whitney Young – Accepted!
Good luck everyone!
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Wow, congrats! Does that mean your child received a perfect score, like they didn’t get anything wrong??
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Congrats on the perfect score!
Any word of advice on how to prepare for the test?
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I’m not the other commenter as my 600 kiddo’s first choice was WY, but we paid for the Selective Prep course. Kiddo had around 75% on the pre-test and was scoring above 95% on the practice tests after some prep. So, basically, some of it was understanding the test, but the rest of it is that kiddo was and always has been “gifted.” He attends a neighborhood elementary where he is perpetually bored.
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Sorry, was NOT Whitney Young. (It was LT.)
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Did your kid provide feedback if selective prep materials were close to the actual test questions, i.e., the type of questions, not questions themselves?
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He said the verbal reasoning was easier on the actual test because he didn’t know a lot of the vocab on the practice tests, but. He knew all the words on the actual test. He said some of the figural reasoning questions felt harder. That said, he has never taken a test with those types of questions before, and all the TYPES of questions were covered in Selective Prep. He probably would have gotten in anyhow because we are tier 2, but why risk it?
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To answer your question more appropriately, yes, all the types of questions in Selective Prep were the same as the types of questions on the test.
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Can I assume your kid has 504/iep plan?
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He has a 504, but he did not receive any testing accommodations. Why would you assume that?
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I know of 4 perfect scores, only one of those kids not having 504/iep plan.
My older child has 504 plan and we never had to ask for an accommodation; if was assumed/provided at any test that child took; needless to say, that child always received a perfect score. My other child, who was tested this year and is a much “faster” thinker in special/logical/quantitative sense, does not have any plan, so no extra time. The score received was 585. The second child attends gifted/classical school.
There is a high positive correlation between the time one is allotted for the test and the result, assuming kid is already above average smart.
That is what I am saying.
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He did not get extra time.
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In any case, kudos to him! That is a feat worth an admiration.
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Thank you!
He thought he did poorly because there were 5 questions he wasn’t sure how to answer. (Yes, he counted.) Are we to assume that getting a 160 means he guessed correctly on all 5 of them minus any outliers that were thrown out?
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So your son does not go to a gifted school but scored 600? In the selective prep pre-test he scored 75%? Does that mean the actual test was easier? Why he attended the neighborhood school instead of applying to other gifted schools?
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No. The 75% was on the pre-test the first week of Selective Prep before doing any test prep work around the question types. After each skill was taught, he was getting perfect scores on the math/logic puzzles and missing a few on the verbal, but maintaining scores around 95%. He did say he thought the vocabulary for verbal reasoning was easier on the actual test than the vocabulary in the prep classes. He got a 160 on the test.
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Also, he attended a neighborhood school because we wanted him to grow up with friends in the neighborhood and because we valued SEL over academics. He took the AC test because he has spent 5th aand 6th grade complaining about being bored at school and wanted more of a challenge.
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I think the test prep is critically important for this kind of tests. You really want to spend the money for the test prep and make sure that your child can do the test questions correctly.
Also, I believe that the children’s temperament may affect how they perform in the test. My son got 150 when he took the test 3 years ago but my daughter only got 145 this time even though my daughter is stronger academically. She is just not as good a test taker because she works too fast and too careless.
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Agreed. Bottom line is you can’t do well and not be smart, but you can do poorly and still be smart for myriad reasons from sloppiness to test anxiety to simply not understanding the questions.
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The problem is the prep. Very smart kids (say IQ 140s) will do well without prep but they are very rare. Regular smart kids (say IQ 120-130s) will do well if they prep, not if they don’t. So the test ends up selecting kids who have parents who know about and can afford test prep.
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100 percent this
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also why tiers matter
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We also did SelectivePrep. Daughter said that the actual test was easier. Daughter wanted to attend WYAC, so it was easier for us to help her – but still…there were tears and hesitation. She finished the test but said couldn’t do 20 problems. Her BFF left 4 questions blank and still got about 597.
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We also did SelectivePrep. DD claimed the actual test was easier than the practice test from SelectivePrep. DD couldn’t do (or wasn’t sure about) 15 problems. DD wanted to attend WYAC so it wasn’t hard to help her. We worked really hard during Christmas break. Happy with the results. Hope she doesn’t change her mind again.
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15-20 problems…she wasn’t sure….as it was a long time ago.
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Tier 1
Point total 499
Rank 1
7th grade Kenwood AC accepted (to be fair my kid ran out of time and didnt get to answer a considerable amount of questions. We were nervous, but they were still offered.)
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You live Tier 1 so your kid should apply for Whitney Young and would have gotten in with that score. Congrats!
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Thank you!! Yes we would have loved WY, but transportation would have been an issue for 9th – 12th. Can’t trust public transit anymore unfortunately 😕 so we are happy!
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are the tiers based on your school address or home? We moved into a tier 4 neighborhood and it feel like it’s biting us in the butt 😅
score: 568 Waitlisted LTAC Tier 4
I keep think how we might have been offered a spot if we lived literally across the street in Tier 3
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Tiers are based on your home address
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AC score 573
Tier 3
offered WY – 1st choice
Will accept
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My daughter’s very good friend missed the LTAC cut-off by just a couple points (she’s in Tier 4). I’m sure they over-admit, knowing that some number of kids will decline. But does anyone have any REAL INFORMATION about whether the LTAC waitlist typically moves?
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Last year was the first year that the waitlist existed, and I believe LT did not use theirs at all. LT and WY also never (that I know of) make any 8th grade offers.
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Thank you
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I understand the cutoff scores / tiers part, but I wondered if someone could explain exactly how the score itself is calculated? I think something to do with 5th grade only grades + one test but not sure if I am right on that and interested in learning what the formula is to come up with the student’s score.
Thank you.
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Thank you!
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Go GPS website link in the first post explains it clearly.
In short, the grades make up 300 points and the test is the other 300. The test grade converts to the points using the formula
300 – (150 – test_score) * 3
For example, for tier 4 kids to go to Lane or Whitney, they can lose at most 5 points in test score.
There is also tie breakers using component scores.
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thank you.
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What does the test score represent or how it is calculated? I mean if you score 145 does this mean you made 1 mistake , 2 mistakes etc? How can we figure this out? Also if you left a question not answered. How is this calculated or how it affects your total score? In the exam they mentioned that if you left a question not answered this could be significant issue.
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It’s a standard score on a scale that maxes out at 160. If you look up a standard distribution, you should get a general idea of where your student’s score falls.
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Yes, the max score is 160. Someone on the Gifted/Classical thread said it’s a 15 point standard deviation, so 100 is the 50th percentile, 115 is 84th, and 130 is 98th. 145 and up is 99.9+.
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Would that make 141 around 99th percentile. My daughter’s score of 141 is so much lower than my son’s 160, but he did test prep, and she did not.
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141 is >99 — probably 99.6 or 99.7ish.
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Thank you.
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Oh! This helps quite a bit. I’d like to see what percentile my kid falls in, just to get a better sense of what to expect for high school. She got a 123, so roughly 90th percentile? It wasn’t good enough to get her into LT but at least we know we’ll need to spring for test prep next time! Thanks!
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My kiddo got a 160, and he thinks he missed 5 questions wrong based on his calculations of what he did and didn’t know how to do on the exam. Yeah, he’s that kid.
Even if he managed to guess correctly on a few, he must have missed at least a few questions.
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The rubric shows the highest score as 150. Did your kid get 150 or 160?
Or do they equate anything 150 and above to 300 points?-
The rubric score says max score is 150+ = max points 300. As “cps-thoughts” mentioned the max is 160.
Regardless if your kid scored 130+ he/she are in the top 2% of all kids applied.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DWmlglE4mQNYmeU9Zb7nFDrwhgybH7xz/view
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160 on the AC test? I thought the score maxed at 150, which is not a direct score in any case — it is based on a normalized scale.
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Is it a normed scale? That’s what I originally thought. I told my kiddo he probably still missed questions, just less than others. Regret letting him see the score at all now. Was just excited in the moment. Honestly, I know it doesn’t matter. It’s all just curiosity at this point.
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As someone with experience in administering standardized IQ tests — the normed score is based on a child’s raw score (actual number of correct items on test) compared to a population of kids who are the same chronological age, measured by the month. This means that if you have two kids with the same raw score, the younger child will get a higher normed score.
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Ah, so his June birthday would also be a factor? I knew that applied back in kinder, but wasn’t aware it still mattered.
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No, it would not matter because chronological age is calculated by months so his score would be compared to everyone else with near-exact chronological age.
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Gotcha.
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How often does CPS recalculate Tiers – every year, every two years, unpredictable schedule? And do they do it during a certain month or season?
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by “recalculate” I really mean “remap”
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I think every 10 years with the census?
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My kid was offered Taft AC and Decatur Classical, but not waitlisted in WY or LT. Just looking for suggestions, should we take Taft or Decatur?
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My understanding is that if you decline your Taft offer, you could request to be added to the LTAC and WY waitlist. But I also understand there is typically no movement from the waitlist!
Seems like your location and commute time would factor into your choice between Taft and Decatur (and/or whether to take a gamble on LTAC and WY.
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Taft AC or Decatur will be two completely different experiences. Decatur is still new to having 7/8th grade, is a small school and your kid will likely be on of a handful of kids joining a class that mostly have been at Decatur for years. Great school but fewer resources and activities will be available. You will also need to go through the process again for high school.
Taft will be bigger, have all new kids in the class, and it is connected to the HS so likely more activities and more advanced class offerings. If you like it as a school, you could stay for HS and skip the application process, or do it knowing you have Taft for sure, which might be less stressful. Regardless, your kid will be ahead as a Freshman and be able to track to a few more advanced or AP classes earlier since you get HS credit for some of the AC classes.
It really depends on what would be the best fit for your kid.
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Curious where TAFT AC kids go since Taft does not have a SEHS program. Do they just stay in the neighborhood program, have to apply for IB and if not admitted, leave if living outside neighborhood?
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those who are in Taft AC program automatically get accepted to Taft IB program which I heard also a solid program.
my kid was in Decatur till 6th and went to Taft AC. it’s great program. They just built the new building for 7/8th grades and freshmen and have shuttle bus to go to the varsity high school to join clubs and sports.
not really easy decision but it depends on how far these schools are from your home.
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How does Taft ac compare in rigor with continuing at Skinner North where we have been since K? Also in terms of chances for 9th grade admission into Walter Payton or Lane Tech? Does information exist on percentages of Taft ac kids going where for 9th grade? E.g. close to 40% this year 8th graders at SN got into Walter Payton, a 3rd into Jones, and then 1-digit percentages into the other 3 SEHS. How did Taft 8th graders do this year?
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I don’t have the exact numbers but from what I am hearing, many go to SEHS. In terms of academic rigor, it’s more rigorous than classical elementary programs since you get high school credits. That’s why we moved.
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I heard from my daughter that the 8th graders at Decatur mostly got their first choice. Many went to Payton and North side. That 8th grade class was very small (30 ~ 40) students and I think the school has done an excellent job getting them to where they want to be.
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Agreed. My kid spent 9 years at Decatur and was in the first ever 8th grade class last year and is at an SEHS now. Most of their classmates also went where they wanted and I think all were well prepared. However, I personally would not move a kid to Decatur just for 7/8. Especially if the other option was an AC.
Of course, it always depends on the kid and the overall circumstances. There were families when Decatur was only K-6 who would come to Decatur for 5/6 only and it made sense for them because it elevated the education level their kid had been getting at whatever school they were at.
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Taft AC is a great school. Made best friends there and the teachers are amazing. Except for the 8th grade math teacher, that guy’s a total jerk. You have to keep your head down and try not to make stupid questions cuz he hates that fr. But everything else is totally amazing, beautiful campus, advanced HS classes, good atmosphere.
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Tier 4, 570 score, no offers (applied to LTAC and WY). Only one offer that we’ve heard of so far at our school and it was to LTAC with a 573 score, but Tier 3. The tiers make a huge difference. My child would have been admitted to both LTAC and WY with her score if we lived 3 blocks over in Tier 3 like her classmate.
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In all seriousness thinking about it (Bucktown to Logan Square) since we are looking to move in the next few years anyway. Do you think though if we stay in tier 4 – a kid with a 570 total score would be ok for high school? She got a 140 RGC score and has a consistent 4.0.
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You can certainly ask your child to work harder. It is a gamble really. I am confident that my child can get into Lane or Whitney in high school test but I still insist on her taking to AC test so that she can join Lane so she is not under tremendous pressure for the high school test. Nothing is every guaranteed. Even if your child is capable, she/he might get a flu before the test. Who knows. My daughter is definitely smarter than my son but she is not as good a test taker and I am much more nervous when she is taking the test. Intelligent and test score are not equivalent.
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you’re right, test taking is a total crapshoot. my daughter is a pretty good test taker and honestly didn’t prepare as much as she could have for the test so could work harder but if i can make it easier for entrance for her/her sister why not. Makes sense why you want to do the AC for your daughter – I had the same thought about lessening the pressure but didn’t work out for us 🙁 Thanks for your opinion!
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By the time you move, the spot in Logan Square you’re moving to will probably be Tier 4. That’s how gentrification works. That’s why tiers exist, to counter-balance the socio-economic privilege accessible to those who have the resources and means to game the system.
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There is no social economic barrier between tiers that affects the AC test. The only thing that one needs is to go to the test prep class. It only costs the price of modest iPhone. Almost everyone I see is holding an iPhone and drinking Starbucks. It’s about priority. The inequality created by tiers is just not right.
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Right. Only rich people deserve self care. Poor people should spend their lives in squalor wishing they could be rich.
FYI, being able to splurge on a $5 coffee or a $500 phone does not mean you have the means to access the address you get with a $2500+ rental or a $500,000+ home.
Sure, there are some working class people who live in fancy neighborhoods and lose access because of the neighborhood they’re in, but let’s face it, most people who live in tier 4 neighborhoods have no idea what it’s like to live in a tier 1 neighborhood with crappy schools, limited resources, and no social mobility.
So, please spare me with the “my precious baby deserves resources more than those poor kids” drama.
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Only prep class makes a difference. You can see that in high school test as well. Not only tiers don’t make a difference but also elementary schools don’t make a difference. Victim mentality is not good for future success. There are many people with much worse conditions do much better. Just think about that.
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Do you really believe that a 4-week test prep would make a whole lot of difference for someone who has been starved of enrichment opportunities for the past 12 years of their lives? I don’t think so.
We are in tier 4 but I absolutely believe in tiers as a way to achieve some equity, although I would rather tiers be determined by income not address to make it harder for people to game the system.
Tiers themselves are fair, what is not fair is when someone with income to buy multiple properties in any tier they want buys a 2nd or a 3rd house in tier 2 or 1 to gain advantage.
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Do people really do this often? I thought that even if the they own but don’t live there it is grounds for exclusion from selective enrollment and repayment of school cost.
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What is enrichment activity anyway? There is nothing in the test that is related to what the perceived enrichment activity is. I know this because my children have been taking these tests since kindergarten. Almost every year. However, when they don’t prepare, they did terribly. That is how we know only test prep matters. Nothing else does. We have not the slightest idea of what the tests are about. There is no way to prepare. Maybe the truly smart children can do well without preparation. I am pretty sure my children are not that kind of smart. They are just like 99% of their peers. They need test prep to do well. Several hundred dollars of test prep instead of getting a new phone is what it takes.
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The Tier 4 cutoff for WY was I believe 585 which is a 145. Next year CPS is supposedly getting rid of the “rank” people and re distributing them to Tiers – so Tier 4 cutoff score will likely go up, not down.
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Where did you hear that CPS is getting rid of rank? That would require a policy change, and I don’t see anything about that on the docket for the June Board meeting. Waiting until July or later to make a change for 2024-25 would be pushing it.
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I never heard it confirmed that “rank” is being eliminated but it was proposed in March 2022 and input was solicited by CPS. No change ever happened then??
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Can you receive more than one offer to an Academic Center?
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one or none, but certainly not two or more.
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Okay thank you. Can you receive an offer to one AC and be waitlisted for another?
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No, unless you reject the initial offer.
Rejection puts you back in the pool of the unassigned applicants (or at least that is how I understand it).
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Does anyone have any idea if an offer can be extended to any 8th graders for AC?
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It might depend on the AC. When my daughter was in 7th (last year), she had her heart set on transferring to LTAC as an 8th grader. While the GoCPS system will let you sign up for the test and all that, I spoke with the school and was told categorically that they do not accept any 8th grade students, even if they have kids leave the program during 7th or over the summer.
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I have a similar question in that my child did not get an offer for 7th grade, but wants to try again next year.
Does the same process applies if a 7th grader wants to get into an Academic Center for his/her 8th grade year? If so, do they have to follow the same procedure (i.e. grades from previous year and take test again)?
I searched online but found nothing about it.
Thanks!
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I don’t think there is another test for 8th grade.
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You can apply again for academic center for 8th grade but it would be extremely hard since there aren’t many open spots. It depends how many students leave the program and have openings and you will never know. But you can try.
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It’s really biting us because we got moved from tier 1 to tier 2 and I have no idea when CPS updated the tiers.
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That’s unfortunate! I believe tiers are updated by CPS yearly so it’s good to check before applying.
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T2 is still way easier than 3 or especially 4.
by the way tiers only matter in entry grades (K, 7th, 9th)
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That’s unfortunate–sorry that happened to you! I believe tiers are updated by CPS yearly so it’s good to check before applying.
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Hi, is anyone in tier 3 got offer from Whitney Young in the cut off points 567?
Any chance for second round ?thank you
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My child is a current 7th grader. Last year there was no second round. They plan for 120 kids I think – and every year they ‘over accept’ a bit beyond that number, so that they do not typically go to the waitlist is what I have been told. Sorry – it seems like you were very close!!
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yes ,unfortunately we just on the cut off point. ☹️ thank you for your response
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How often WY accepts new students for 8th grade?
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Probably worth asking the school leadership directly. When my daughter was in 7th (last year), she had her heart set on transferring into LTAC as an 8th grader. While the GoCPS system will let you sign up for the test and all that, I spoke with the school admin and was told categorically that they never accept any 8th-grade students, even if they have kids leave the program during 7th or over the summer. I don’t have any info about WYAC…
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I asked, and both LTAC and WYAC said they don’t take 8th graders
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can anyone recommend testing prep institutions?
Thank you in advance!
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Hi there!
I’m the Director of Technology at Test Prep Chicago, and we specialize in prepping students for all the standardized testing in the Chicago school system. This includes the CPS High School Admissions Test for selective enrollment high schools, the HSPT for parochial high schools, the ISEE for independent high schools, and the Academic Center Entrance Exam for academic centers.
Feel free to check out our High School Entrance Exam course listings here, as well as our private tutoring options here.
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