- This topic has 344 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 6 months, 3 weeks ago by
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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.
Comment below about your child’s SEES Classical and/or Gifted results and include the grade applied to, your Tier (if applicable), point total or percentage, and what order the school was ranked on your application. If you applied to Choice (lottery) schools as well, please post HERE. Good luck!
Here is a slidedeck on “Selections Process Explained”
Guide to Understanding Rankings & Cutoff Scores is HERE. No cutoff scores are posted for Classical and Gifted SEES programs and Tiers are only applicable for the entry year of a program (typically K).
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Not seeing anything yet on the website dashboard.
So if we applied for 5 Selective Enrollment Schools – will we possibly only get 1 offer? It’s not like with Magnet Schools – you can get as many and have to accept/decline within 48 hours?-
I wouldn’t expect to see any offers before 4pm at the earliest. Test scores might be visible earlier, though.
You can get a max of one selective offer per category. Academic Centers are one category, Classical/RGC are the second category, and EL-RGC is the third, so technically it’s possible to get up to 3 SEES offers. If you only applied to Classical schools and Regional Gifted Centers, you’ll get a max of one offer. You can get multiple Choice offers, though.
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Oh also the 48 hour accept/decline timeline is only for waitlist offers. You get 3 weeks (until 5/12 @ 5pm) to make decide whether to accept/decline any offers you receive today.
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Result is out if you know how to check..
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Result is out if you know how to check..
Could you explain what you mean?
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If you play some trick on the schoolmint website, you could visit the result page and see the result there..
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Results are still NOT known. Not even for tech-y people.
Someone is playing with our nerves.
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…parent/results
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got it. thanks!
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there is something, but i don’t know to which degree it is official. in the search bar of your browser, to whatever is written, add /parent/results.
We have one “not offered” and one “waitlisted”.
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There is good chance this is correct as the results are already in their database. They wont have everything put in database at 5pm. As admin, i guess, they allow the link to be active for you to see the same page. I too have same result for my kiddo. Waitlisted under General.
Also I read the “guide to waitlist” and it says the waitlist number is not shared for Elementry SE. I wish I could ask CPS, why the **** you cant share the waitlist number for families to plan a move in summer. What can potentially be done wrong by us as parents if you share the waitlist number.
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Care to share your website tricks? Non IT savvy mom here
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Can someone explain what waitlist means?
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I’m seeing waitlist using the trick above. Who knows if they are real but it’s certainly feels like it could!
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This hack worked – thanks!
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does anyone know url for test scores?
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Aimee, are you seeing any offers?
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I’m not sure how accurate the info that I’m seeing is when I’m using the hack at this moment. Nothing is listed for my choice applications, and out of my 4 SE ranked schools, I have one waitlist and 3 not offered. I think the only time it would say not offered is if there was 1 offer. Otherwise, if there were no offers, it would either say waitlisted or not eligible (cut score not high enough).
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I see all waitlisted on my end.. classical and gifted. Can anyone see scores yet?
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Did anyone see any offers using the hack? We applied for 4 SEES/ gifted regional centers and I too am seeing one waitlist and the others not offered. I am however seeing a few waitlisted for choice schools.
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i don’t see any offers using the hack either – waitlisted at one AC and not offered for the other. I think this is most likely not the real result. I think we just have to wait for 5pm to roll around …
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Considering its a very small subset of people on this forum and likely spots are very few considering we are vying for spots that open up due to attrition, most of us will be waitlisted.
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In Selective Enrollment I see “Not offered” and “Waitlist”
In Choice Schools I see “Waitlist”
So maybe offers to come? But I doubt it?
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Last year, they were not posted until 5pm. It’s very likely that what you’re seeing are just errors/bugs.
I’d be patient until later this evening. Also, CPS phone lines are always overwhelmed at this time but feel free to call anyway. If you are able to get through and willing to wait on hold for about an hour, there’s a chance someone might be able to look up your results.
Or they might just tell you to wait..
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No I remember last year they were released slightly early like 4:30pm.
The school’s have to update it in the system themselves.
OAE dosen’t know. If you call OAE, they won’t have answers.
Fairly certain that anything you’re seeing now isn’t the updated version.
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I don’t think the hack shows accurate results… The site says: “If you applied to <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>and received an offer</span> from a Selective Enrollment school you will see it listed below. To see the status of all programs listed on your application, click View all statuses.“… If you click “view all statutes” nothing appears and only if you click “view only offered status” you see the schools you applied to with the status “waitlist”…
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I feel pretty confident “waitlist” is going to turn to “offer” at 5 PM. Our last choice SEES I am 100% certain my kid would get into and that is also showing as “Not offered”.
Plus, no one is seeing “offer” right now, right?
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hi there, two questions:
1. do you know if the scores are posted alongside offers/waitlists and how to interpret them for Kindergarten?
2. Did I read correctly that Tiers are only applicable in the entry year, so if someone is Tier 4 and applying to Kindergarten it could work against them, but it wouldn’t be applicable in Grade 1 (if they applied again next year)?
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Mine shows the tier and score for 1st grade. No status yet, we only applied skinner west and north. My first time doing this
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I checked my daughter’s result and my friend’s 2 sons results. Seems like the ‘waitlist’ present ‘offered’ from the school.
Maybe after we accept the offer the developer will change the status from ‘waitlist’ to ‘accept/offered’.
My daughter got Keller ‘waitlist’ for 1st grade.
My friends younger son got SN for K, older one got Keller for 1st grade.
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So Rain, you got Offers showing for SN and Keller for this year??
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No. To be clarify, my friend’s younger son got SN, and her older brother got Keller. My daughter only got Keller.
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Test scores are now visible under Student Details.
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Yes, it seems that scores have been posted under student details.
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>cant look at offers but my scores are up for my son:</p>
Math:99Reading: 93
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Keller
RGC:150
reading:90
math:99
We will reject the offer (if the ‘waitlist’ status means ‘offer’)
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In our case, no.
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FWIW, I tried the trick above and can’t see anything — but my kid has only applied to one of the academic centers and to a magnet/lottery school (no Classical or Gifted). I do see her test result and point total in the Student Details section.
So, we have to wait! Good luck everyone! -
FWIW, the “hack” listed above now shows “offers” and not wait list.
Tier 1 (and yes, we all really live in this house)
Reading 89
Math 76
RGC 116
Offered our first choice of Bronzeville Classical and will accept
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You made a fantastic choice going with BCS its what I can a public private school. Great principle and parental support you will be very happy.
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We are at Bronzeville currently and love it. Great leadership, parent community and culture
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No kindergarten.
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Just tried the hack above–I just refreshed and it looks like my kid may be in to LTAC which was his first (and only!) choice! Waiting for the results to be “officially” released so we can celebrate.
Tier 2
Regional gifted score: 134
Academic Center Point total: 552
My younger one got 125 on the Regional Gifted–he’s stuck in a regular class at Disney & I applied to 3 gifted schools but not seeing anything come up yet. We knew that one would be tough as his score isn’t astronomical and he’s going into 4th, so I’m not even sure if any spots will be open.
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Update–it appears my younger one is waitlisted at all 3 choices.
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New here. Can someone explain the test scores to me? Tested both classical and regional gifted.
Classical are percentages and need 75% in both reading and math to qualify? Is that right? And need over 115 for selective?
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I just checked their website because I was curious and it says “may”. I bet of you score above 115 or above 75 on both, you are guaranteed a spot and if you are below but they have spaces still left over then they will offer you a spot.
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I don’t think so. We didn’t get in anywhere. Waitlisted.
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No, this is not true. At some RGC’s you need to score 142-145 ish to get a first round spot if you are in tier 4. There are other RGC with lower entity points, especially for tier 1. But you are not guaranteed a spot with a 115 plus score.
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Okay, guess I am wrong then. I don’t really understand the RGC scores at all.
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I believe you can only be offered a spot if you meet the minimum criteria. But there is a large pool of applicants that meet the minimum criteria, so the spots basically goes to those who score the best. There was (and probably still is) a certain amount of seats that go to overall top scores on the city. So the remaining spots get equally distributed among the four tiers. Each tier will rank its own applicants in order. There used to be a video on CPS’ website about this but looks like they are updating them. https://www.cps.edu/gocps/elementary-school/selection-videos/
Some schools tend to be much more competitive to get into.
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99/98
tier 2
Decatur 1st choice offered
I heard through current Decatur parents the principal is horrible and teachers are dropping like flies. I need to do more research before accepting. Anyone know anything?
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I’ve heard only great things from parents who go there. After visiting the school, I thought it was exceptional. Go for a visit.
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We’ve had a really positive experience at Decatur. Amazing arts program, great teachers. And teacher attrition doesn’t seem to be a huge problem (relative to the mass exodus of teachers overall the past few years). Definitely go for the tour.
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I noticed their scores dropped from dong research so we removed our waitlist
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We are thrilled with Decatur, both quality/advanced level of education our kid is getting and the community. I have also heard rumblings of unhappiness about the principal, but we love her and I’ve yet to speak with someone who actually has an issue, so no idea even what the purported concern is. There have been some teachers leave in the last few years, but I think it’s on par with general trend in education. Definitely take a tour if you haven’t yet and ask around some more.
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I can see the scores but where are you all seeing if they were offered or waitlisted a spot?
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Hi all,
if there are no offers, are students automatically waitlisted? or is it possible to just not be offered at all?
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Hi, My Child is waitlisted for both the choices.
Is everyone waitlisted by default if they don’t make the cutoff? Or do they specifically say not offered?-
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Either Waitlisted or Not Eligible if you receive no offers. Depending on scores, you could be waitlisted at both Classical and RGC, just at RGC, or only at Classical. For example, if your child has an RGC score of 135 but Classical of 45/36, you’d be waitlisted for RGC and not eligible for Classical.
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I’m confused, because I was under the assumption that the cut score for RGCs was 115. My child got a 108 (applied for non-entry 2nd grade), but instead of seeing “No Offer” status for the school we applied to, there is a “Waitlist” status. Are the cut scores for RGCs actually 115?
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I believe that the acting system is different for k than 1st onward. I think that k is out of 160 and 1st is out of 150.
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I believe cut scores for RGC moved from 115 to the current 100 during the pandemic (since test scores for everyone had gone down so much)
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Applying to SEES 2nd grade
Reading 82
Math 96
RGC 106
waitlisted at
Decataur
Beabieun
Bell
Pritzker
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It looks like all wait lists for us. Are these “official” results or are we still waiting for something else to update?
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Reading 99
Math 96
Applied first grade. No offers
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But you should be waitlisted?
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RGC: 116 (tier 4)
applied for first grade, waitlisted. Also his score was 137 entering into kinder so not sure what’s happening there …sigh.
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The point total is different in first (out of 150, I believe) and the test format is different – more written vs. verbal- very common for scores to go down from K to 1.
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We had a similar drop from K to 1st— 130 to 117. The whole test experience is so difference. I’ll be curious what it turns out next year, if we test again.
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RGC: 130
Reading: 98
Math: 95
Tier 4
Skinner West first choice, not offered
Offered Lenart, second choice
Kid spent about an hour taking the test
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Has anyone received any offers yet? What were the scores?
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Does anyone have information about the distribution for regional gifted center scores? I know how to interpret percentiles for the classical score, but I have no clue what’s good on the RGC scores.
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How can one interpret the percentiles for Classical score ?
thanks
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For classical it is out of 100. The highest score is 99/99. (or 99.9th percentile now that they do decimals). How good of a score gets you accepted for Kinder depends on where you applied, and what Tier you live in.
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Does anyone have information about the distribution for regional gifted center scores? I know how to interpret percentiles for the classical score, but I have no clue what’s good on the RGC scores.
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This is impressive!!
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It is standard bell curve for RGC scores. So 100 represents 50 percentile. And there is a 15 point standard deviation. So a score of 115 is ~84% and a score of 130 (2 SDs) is 98%. Hope that helps.
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Applying 1st grade
RGC: 110
Math: 64
Reading: 90
Tier 4
Waitlisted in all options. Gifted programs: Bell, Edison, Pritzker Mcppherson. Classical: Skinner an SN
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Bell will have at least one spot, possible two. Best of luck to you!
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Is that for Bell 1st grade next year?
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Yes, that’s for 2023/24 school year. One kid is leaving the class and they ran the class at 27 this year, so chances are they’ll open that spot too.
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Reading: 97
Math: 92
RGC: 136
Applied for 3rd grade
Waitlisted at Skinner, Bronzeville, Skinner North, NTA, Pritzker, and Lenart
I really wish they would show us the waitlist number for SEES
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We got NTA 5th grade with a 135 if that helps. You must be close on that list. It depends who leaves and that can happen later in the summer. Good luck! those are good scores
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Pritzker opened 2 third grade rooms last year. If they decide to do this again, that score is promising!
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My son is similar, same grade. And we applied to basically the same schools as you.
Math 93
Reading 92
RGC 134
waitlisted at NTA, Lenart, Sor Juana, Bronzeville, and Skinner. 3rd grade, Tier 3. No offers for choice schools either but we’re not desperate to move yet.
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For grade K, tier 3
Reading: 99
Math: 99.9
RGC: 110
We did not prepare for the exams and my son stayed one hour with the tester.
We got in Skinner North (choice 1).
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congratulations.
I am curious: in which realm Euler and Sobolev live together? PDEs?
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Advice needed…
RGC 124
Reading 99.9
Math 92
offered first choice Skinner classical
Now for the question: which would you choose, Skinner classical or Lab?
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This is interesting, it seems Skinner West rates Reading scores higher than Math scores for their classical program.
My daughter got a 99 Math and a 95 reading but had North for her first preference and west for her second so Maybe that’s why.
She already goes to West and takes their advanced Math class.
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If you get accepted by your 1st choice SEES, you will not be considered at your second choice.
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Lab if you can afford it. But Skinner is a great CPS option if you can deal with some of the typical CPS stuff in the course of your kid’s school years like teacher strikes. And save yourself a lot of $$$$.
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that depends at SW classical they will get a great education with other motivated children and parents same thing at lab but not at that cost . Whatever SW lacks in education vs lab you can pay for a tutor and still come out cheaper and child(run) will still be in those same environments aka Colleges/universities. Same that money and take cool vacations or save for college.
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@K mom My kid is in 3rd grade at Skinner North and loves it. Attending since K through strike and covid. Overall the school is very strong academically, they use U of C math books. Art and Spanish are lacking -free time for them to decompress from core studies. Great parent community. No info on Lab.
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Thank you so much! I should have specified Skinner West Classical. Very much appreciate your info on Skinner North though. No info was offered for an open house for Skinner West Classical (except one FB post that we missed) so I’m in the dark!
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Do you know if SN 3rd grade had any open seats for this year and what kind of score do one need in math/English ?
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Any opinions on Pritzker vs Suder? Thanks!
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I have a current kinder at Pritzker RGC. The teacher changed midyear and the new teacher is so wonderful. Has a strong grasp on project based learning. Puts a lot of effort into motivating the students. Can manage a challenging class. I am pleased with the arts programming at Pritzker, being able to take a bus, and the after school opportunities our kinder got involved with right away.
I can answer any questions.
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Thanks for the information.
we received an offer from Pritzker RGC. We’d be transitioning from a Montessori pre-k and wondering what their SEL support looks like?
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@Kparent We would also be transitioning from a Montessori Pre-K to Pritzker RGC –
@KDub – Do you feel like your Kinder student still feels like a part of the school as a whole & not just a member of the RGC classroom?
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1st Grade
RGC: 141
Tier 4
Offered Keller (1st choice)
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We got Keller first 1st choice too. Will you be accepting?
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Yes! We are accepting and excited. How about you @TigerMom?
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<p style=”text-align: center;”>@chicago born, we’re not sure yet! The commute is going to be a challenge (30 mins when no traffic) and there is no afterschool program. We’re at Bronzeville Classical currently and it’s only 5 mins away</p>
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@TigerMom FYI, Keller does have an afterschool program this year that’s being led by Orion’s University. I believe OU’s afterschool program is contracted on a yearly basis, so you’d have to contact the principal to see if the contract will be renewed for the 2023-2024 school year.
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Is there a way to edit your username on a post already posted?
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My daughter applied for SEES 5th grade and not RGC, which now I regret her not testing for both.
She got a 99 in Math and a 95 in reading.
Our choices in preferred order 1) Skinner North 2) Skinner West 3) Decatur. She got waitlisted for all 3.
We pulled out of Decatur due to distance so now we shall see if we get in either Skinner’s with everyone’s rejects/declines and people leaving the city all together.
She already goes to Skinner West and tested for advanced Math while she’s been doing walking Math since Kindergarten. I just want her in the Classical program officially in case this new Principle or Mayor decides to remove all advanced programs all together.
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what do you mean? Are they getting rid of classical programs or getting rid of advanced programs? Or both
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For grade K, tier 3
Reading: 99.9
Math: 99.9
RGC: 142
Offered Bell
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We are at Bell in the current Kindergarten class and I can tell you that our teacher is wonderful! The kids love her and she was able to instill in them a love of learning. The parent community is great. We were a little skittish at the begging of the year because our commute was about 35 min, but we are so happy with choosing Bell!
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Please share if anyone knows the score for any kid getting into a Selective enrollment choice school and belonging to Tier 4.
For us all the selective schools for showing on Waitlist
My kids score
Classical Reading Percentile: 97
Classical Math Percentile: 99-
Same here
Tier4
Waitlisted at Decatur
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What grade level is this? Where did you apply?
Just to confirm — scores are 97 Reading and 99 Math?
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Applied for Grade 3
Math : 99
English : 97
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Kinder
Reading: 99
Math: 99Tier 4
Decatur (1st choice)
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For K – tested for about 35 minutes.
RGC: 129, Tier 3
Offered: Pritzker (1st choice)
Unsure if we will take it or not – she is currently at Suder (for PreK3 & PreK4) – she’d like to stay with her class for Kindergarten but looking long-term too.
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Hi there! What are your thoughts on Suder?
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hi – We’ve been there for 2 years and we’ve had a good experience with her teacher and classroom generally speaking. My daughter has thrived and definitely expresses herself more than she did before (she was more shy). Not sure if she’s being academically challenged but to be honest – we weren’t interested in pushing that this early – tested her out of curiosity mostly.
Love the programming they have at Suder – specials (library, PE, Yoga, Spanish, Art, Music, Technology) – they have a garden and Music House does before/After school programming (which we LOVE) and they have another provider as well – the school also does some after school clubs.
I haven’t been super impressed with some of the office staff being essentially non-responsive to emails and phone calls – for time-sensitive issues.
Long-term, I am not sure if the school is a good fit for our daughter – but that also seems like a hard call to make since she’s only 5.
Happy to answer any other specific questions you may have.
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Tested for kindergarten.
Tier 4
Math – 98%
Reading – 98%
Regional Gifted Center Score: 120First choice was Lenart (not offered). Second choice was Poe (offered). Will have to think on it a while.
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Tested for grade K (50 minutes), Tier 3
Reading: 86
Math: 97
RGC: 134
Offered Decatur
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My kindergartener is at Bronzeville Classical in K and got an offer to Keller for 1st. Anyone go from a classical school to rgc or vice versa?
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My daughter currently is K at SN and got offer from Keller too.
we won’t transfer to Keller. The reason are my daughter loves SN, loves her friends and we don’t want her to have too much pressure.
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Thank you. Do you think the curriculum at Keller will be more challenging than SN? Or classical schools in general?
We love BCS but it’s still too new to have test scores and ratings, wondering if there’s anything better out there! The school is modeled after SN since the principal left SN to open BCS.
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I heard from my friend which her son is 3rd Grade at Keller.
She told me she want transfer her son to other school. Because there are tons of homework and her son don’t have time to play. I only heard from 1 friend. It won’t be the whole story. But scared me.
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If you are offered a place in one RGC (your 6th choice) and then reject it, can you still be placed on a waitlist later for other RGCs and classical programs you selected that are higher in ranking? I am a but disappointed that we were not even waitlisted at Skinner and Bell, tier 4, RGC 138, reading 90, math 99
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You weren’t waitlisted because per CPS, if an offer to a selective enrollment program is received, the applicant will not automatically be placed on any waitlists. If an offer is received, an applicant can decline the offer and join a waitlist. (This is the same as if no offer is received, and the applicant will be placed on all waitlists, assuming the student meets minimum program eligibility requirements.)
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You can select those programs again during Round 2 and be placed on the waitlist. Since SEES scores are based on scores and not spot on a waitlist, it isn’t like you are starting from the bottom of the list. You’ll get reranked.
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Added another comment to say it is a little risky to reject your existing SEES offer, unless you are sure you would not go there. It is possible to reject an offer and that not get any offers in later rounds. Would only make sense to reject if you know the school you want still has open seats for Round 2 and your score was extremely close to their current cut-off in Round 1. Still a gamble, though.
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Tested for 1st grade, RGC Score: 141. We were offered a spot at Beaubien RGC, our first choice. Anyone here have experience with their program and willing to share?
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This whole process is confusing!
We are applying to first grade. Here are my daughter’s scores:
Reading – 99
Math – 96
RGC – 121
Bronzeville was first choice for classical and Lenart was first choice (2nd overall) for gifted. We were offered a seat in the gifted program at Beasley.
Can anyone give me any info on the gifted program at Beasley? A family member says we should hold out for the wait-list or something. How does that work?
Beasley was the only offer.
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If you decline your Beasley offer, you go back into the pool for waitlist offers, but there is no guarantee you’d get another offer. Your score s are high for Classical, but you’re relying on people declining offers.
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If you decline your offer, you don’t automatically go back into the pool. You need to manually add yourself to waitlists.
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Because it’s 1st Grade, it’s not entry year (except for Beaubien and Keller that start at 1st). So many 1st on up applicants are waiting to see how many seats become available from current SEES students leaving. For example your 1st choice Bronzeville or 2nd choice Lenart. How many current K students are not returning for 1st? CPS doesn’t know yet. Sometimes it’s only a couple. It’s a gamble. Bronzeville does have 2 classes per grade, thus probably more seats opening.
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We missed Kindergarten entry. Not being from Chicago, we didn’t fully understand the process. Still don’t.
Does anyone know anything about the gifted program at Beasley? If we accept would we still be able to get on a waiting list elsewhere if a spot opens up.
Beasley does not rank well on any of the school lists I’ve checked out. I’m wondering if that’s for the gifted program as well.
Has anyone’s children gone to Beasley? Did you like the school?
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All the rankings for Beasley include all their classes (which is a magnet school) and their RGC is a separate class. I tried to find information on Beasleys RGC since we live 2 blocks away but couldn’t find people so we wound up ranking it as our last choice.
I think someone said this but in case not, if you accept the Beasley offer, then that is your offer. If you decline, you get put on the waitlists for the other schools. Since it isn’t entry grade, you need a current student to leave the school to have a spot for your child for 1st.
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Okay. Thank you. I think I have a better understanding about this now.
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thanks for your response chi mom and teacher. I am deciding between Lenart and BCS too. Are you happy with your BSC choice. Do you think the education is as rigorous as it is at Lenart?
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I don’t have kids in either school so I can’t say which one is more rigorous. On paper, a RGC is supposed to be 2 grade levels ahead by graduation and a Classical kid is only supposed to be 1 grade level ahead. I wonder how true that actually winds up being.
For us, I knew that at both Lenart and BCS she wouldn’t be the smartest kid in the classroom. I wanted her to be surrounded by kids she would have something to learn from. I knew both schools would have that kind of learning environment for her. I also really struggled with how to rank them and probably re-ranked them a dozen times before I submitted them. For us, we ultimately looked at the non – scholastic aspects as opposed to the classroom itself.
For us, I really liked that BCS had two classrooms and that the teachers specialize after kindergarten. I just think the more you teach something, the better you get at explaining it, so I really liked that model.
We also ran into a lot of parents who we were meeting happenstance who said their kid was at BCS and that they were really happy there. Like random people – a mom of another kid at my kids friends birthday party, another parent of a kid in her swim class, a coworker of my husband.
I really didn’t like that 95% of students bus in to Lenart. I don’t really trust CPS buses (though I bet the elementary ones with regular routes are probably fine) and I really didn’t want to be driving all over creation for play dates and birthday parties. BCS is a few miles north from us on a single bus line. We are hopeful that a lot of her friends will be near enough that going to them for playdates won’t be a massive headache.
We are definitely happy with our choice and are really excited for her to start there in the fall.
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Munch Mom, I just got an email that Beasley is doing an open house Thursday April 27 from 5 to 6.
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We got offer From lenart. Can anyone tell me how’s lenart? Do you recommend it?
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A year ago, I was 100% sure Lenart would be our first choice and spent probably a month struggling to decide between Lenart and Bronzeville.
Lenart is one of the best programs in the state. There is one class per grade, so everyone knows everyone. I did the tour and the kids doing the tour were so impressive for their age.
We ultimately went with BCS first because I liked that their teachers specialize after kindergarten (so they have a morning teacher who does science and math and a different teacher in the afternoon who does English and history) and it was way more convenient for us in terms of transportation.
Things I didn’t like about Lenart is 95% of their students are bused in and I didn’t want to have to drive far away for birthday parties.
Personally (and I know I am absolutely some stranger on the internet), I would absolutely 100% accept a Lenart offer.
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Amon, What were your child’s scores and where was Lenart ranked out of curiosity?
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*aamom
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I thought I had posted but I can’t find it
Tier 4
RGC 127
Classical 99.6/98
offered skinner north – unsure if we’ll accept
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Can you confirm how Skinner North showed up on your results? Does it clearly say Skinner North – or just Skinner? I’m trying to remember if we selected Skinner North or Skinner West (we were on the fence on which to select). Thanks!
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Applied for 3rd grade.
Math : 99
English : 97
if anyone know the acceptance score this year for Skinner North, please share.
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It’s totally possible that SN didn’t make any 3rd grade offers. If they did, you’d probably need 99/99 to get an offer.
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My kid applied for 3rd grade, 99/99 Tire4.
1st choice SW waiting list
2nd choice SN waiting list
Another mom got an offer in the same score, same tier, but in her 2nd choice.
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Tier 4 – 42 minutes
Reading: 97
Math: 96
RGC: 98
Waitlisted at Decatur and SN. Not eligible for RGC due to low score.
We were unpleasantly surprised by the RGC score. We prepared pretty extensively for the RGC portion (which was also our child’s natural strength). Our child would get very high scores (95%+) on supposedly equivalent practice tests, and on the test day he felt good about how he did afterwards and was able to tell us several questions he didn’t know, which were all in the reading/math sections, none in the gifted.
We happen to know another bright kid who was tested at the same time and they also received an RGC score in the 90s despite preparation. So we are wondering if there could have been an error in the scoring and are considering an appeal to get them to re-check the score in case there was an error with the scantron or the data entry. Has anyone heard of somebody doing the appeals process? Would love to chat or hear stories about the appeals process, positive or negative.
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What grade did your child test for? We are in a similar situation and wondering to appeal or not.
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Kindergarten. What was your child’s RGC score?
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110
99M and 80R
Tested for KG as well
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1st Grade
RGC 124
Tier 4
Waitlisted at Beaubien (our only choice)
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Applying to K
RGC: 143
Math: 97
Reading: 90
Tier 4
Offered Edison (1st choice) and accepted
75 mins spent in test
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Tier 4
30 min
124 gifted
91 verbal
80 math
waitlisted Edison Bell and Decatur
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We will be turning down Beaubien RGC so hopefully someone here on waitlist will be getting the spot!
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Hi, are you willing to share any of your reasoning behind turning down Beaubien RGC? No judgment, just trying to learn more about the schools! Thx
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Sure. It is simply too far from us and we are not ready to move. This was our last choice as well, so we are going to try luck with other schools we applied to when waitlist opens…
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Got it, thanks and good luck!
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For 1 grade do you think my son has any chance of getting into Skinner or Bell RGC with 99/90 and RGC 138 scores, tier 4
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Someone would have to leave the program after k, for a spot to open up. So it depends.
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Someone is actually leaving the kindergarten class, we are in the class currently and one of the friends is moving out of state. Also, the class was running at 27 instead of 28 so there’s a chance they’ll open up that seat as well.
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If the class is running at 27 instead of 28, do you happen to know when the seat will be released (round 1 by CPS or round 2 by school when rolling waitlist opens)? Thanks!
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BellDad, if you’re still reading this forum, any insight on Bell’s current 1st grade class roster and if anyone has left or might be leaving?
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Applied for 1st
I can’t see scores and doesn’t say a tier it just says rank 1 offered. What does rank 1 mean?-
check Student Details to see score
it means you got in whatever school you ranked first.
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Applied: Kindergarten
RGC : 112, Reading 91, Math 94. Test time: 40 mins
Waitlisted on all the RGCs and CS. Scores kinda low so anyone has suggestions if we should hang on to the waitlists ro start making decisions? Got into Disney Magnet and neighborhood school is Ogden.
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Which SEES did you apply to? Looking at the programs closest to Ogden ES, I think you might have a shot at Bronzeville Classical or National Teachers RGC on the waitlist (Morton RGC too), but probably not either of the Skinners or Pritzker.
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We didn’t do Bronzeville because of the distance but did NTA and Decatur. Can we accept Disney and still be on the waitlist for the SEES?
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Decatur seems like it’d be a lot farther from the Ogden attendance area than Bronzeville (unless you commute in the direction of Decatur). I’d consider adding Bronzville when the waitlist opens — they’re generally less competitive than the Skinners but have a really great program and since they have 2 classrooms, they get decent waitlist movement.
You can accept Disney and remain on both SEES and Choice waitlists.
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Good to know, thank you!
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applying for 4th grade , 1st choice Bronzeville, offered.
Reading:99
Math: 98
RGC: 137
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Anyone know anything about Beaubien RGC? We also have an offer from Thorp – I know this is considered a good magnet school, but that’s about all I know. Any info is much appreciated!
Our info:
Entering 1st grade
Tier 3
RGC 131, didn’t take Classical test. Wish I could remember how long they were in there, but I want to say at least an hour.
Beaubien was the only SE offer. Bell and Edison were “not offered.”
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How does the waitlist for SEES work? Is it still a lottery or would they go down to the next highest scores?
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Hello!
Anyone have any insight about Morton School of Excellence RGC? It was the only school we got into, so not a lot of options 🙂 Would love to know anything anyone has info on!
Thanks!
AC
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I’ve heard a lot of great stuff from those in the program. In retrospect I wish I’d ranked it higher, but I wasn’t sure if they offered aftercare and we wouldn’t have been able to make it work without that. I’ve since heard that they offer free aftercare, but that info is second-hand.
They’re having an open house/tour on May 2 (according to their website), so I’d definitely recommend checking that out too!
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Hi, my daughter is at Morton RGC! It’s been a really great experience. The school was not on my radar screen initially, but I’m really glad we decided on it. It is the newest RGC, so this school year there are only K and 1st grade RGC classes. They will add a 2nd grade RGC class for next year as the program grows. The class sizes for both the K and 1st grade RGC classes are quite small as the program ramps up, and my daughter has thrived with the level of attention she receives.
The school itself prides itself on social emotional learning, and that is a value for teachers in the neighborhood and RGC programs. Both K and 1st grade are racially diverse, and an overall nice group of kids. The school got a new playground a few years ago, which is a plus. To cps-thoughts, I can confirm before and after-care are offered. They were offered at no additional cost this school year.
It’s been an overall positive experience for us. Since it is a new program, some of the program features are still being developed, so not everything is in place yet. And Morton is a smaller school that doesn’t have the resources of some of the more established RGCs. On the plus side, it feels like we are getting in on the ground floor and helping shape and contribute to the program’s growth.
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We ranked it 1 based on small class size and proximity and got an offer there as well. Going to the open house May 2nd to learn more and decide to accept or not.
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Kinder, Tier 2
English 39
Math 49
RGC 132
About 40 minutes for test.
Offered Bell but not sure we will take it. We were also offered dual language spots at closer neighborhood schools.
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I’m a current Bell parent, and happy to answer any questions that you have.
I would highly recommend taking a tour, if that is possible.
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We were offered Bell RGC for K. Would love to know how you feel about the school. We have a tour planned for 5/9, but hoping to make the decision sooner.
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So far we have had a fantastic experience. My child is in 1st grade this year. The kindergarten teacher changed this year (the previous k options teacher moved to 2nd grade neighborhood program) So I do not have experience with the current k teacher. The 1st grade teacher quite possibly could be the best teacher we will ever have. She really keeps the kids busy, but fully engaged and excited to learn. They have a few challenging long term projects!
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Same here. We got an offer for Bell entering K (our first choice). We are very excited but have not been seen the school yet 🙂
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We are in the Kindergarten class right now and I can tell you that the current teacher is fabulous. The kids are literally in love with her and she’s able to motivate/push the kids to learn. I would not skip a beat accepting the offer to Bell based on our 8 months experience in the school. We were very anxious at the beginning, knowing that the teacher changed and that the new one was less experienced, but she goes above and beyond in her daily practice to exceed the needs of the kids.
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You should find each other and get your kids together for playdates over the summer. The options classrooms at Bell tend to be tight-knit. Perhaps look for each other at the open house! There will be a kindergarten play date towards the end of the summer. But you have the unique option of knowing you will be in the same classroom early on.
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K entry, Tier 3, RGC 132, 43 minutes of test time
Offered McPherson RGC, 2nd choice after Edison, will accept as we don’t think we will receive an Edison offer in later rounds
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Tier: 4
RGC Score: 120
Test time: In for around 15 min (Did zero prep. Was late to the game and only able to apply to RCG as no classical test slots left!)
Offers: #1 choice at Morton RGC
For reference, kinder testing in for around 30 min, I think mid/upper 13o-something RGC, 98 reading, 80-something math and no offer from the two schools we applied to.
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If we are entering 1 grade do you think my son has any chance of getting into Skinner or Bell RGC with 99/90 and RGC 138 scores, tier 4
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Unfortunately, no. If they have any openings due to students leaving, they will make offers to those with 99/99 or high rgc scores like above 140+
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Makes sense – thanks!
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Applied: Kindergarten, Tier 4
Reading: 99.7
Math: 96
RGC: 131Didn’t get 1st choice, Edison RGC. Ranked it 1st because we liked the school a lot and it’s not too far.
Got 2nd choice, Decatur Classical, which we ranked because we liked it best among the schools we visited. But it’s a tough commute, 20-40 min each way according to Google Maps (the variability is especially rough). Also not close to our offices or our younger child’s preschool.
Also got Hawthorne, a choice/lottery school that has a strong reputation and is just 5 min from us.
Grappling with the choice between our favorite school that’s far vs. a very good school that’s near. Welcome others’ thoughts and experiences.
Thanks!
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Wow that is a hard choice. I know a couple of families at Hawthorne and they LOVE it. It is a rigorous and challenging program. It kind of feels like a SEES. Edison was our first choice too, tier 4 and we ended up getting Skinner North. I think my comfort is in the fact that with my child’s score for RGC, I don’t think she’ll ever make it from the waitlist if we decline our SN offer. However, we don’t have a really great offer from a choice school to throw into the mix. This is a tough one! Also, isn’t decatur only through 5th grade? That might be something to take into consideration. I thought Hawthorne was through 8th. What is the matriculation for each school? I’d look at that. So assuming matriculation is similar between Decatur and Hawthorne, I’d lean toward Hawthorne for being through 8th grade and the commute.
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Decatur is now through 8th. It used to not be but is now.
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I think this is a no-brainer. A bad commute is really rough on a kid (and the parents) and Hawthorne has a fantastic reputation if you’re looking for an academically rigorous program.
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We were in your shoes last year around this time. We accepted Hawthorne only to receive a offer from Bell in the second round. I can not speak of the teachers at Hawthorne, as we accepted Bell, but the administration side of things at Hawthorne was top notch, dare I say better than Bell. Ms. Davlantes, the principal, really runs a tight ship, she left a very good impression on us. I would not hesitate going for Hawthorne.
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Applied: Grade 2, Tier 4
Reading: 96
Math: 991st choice Decatur
2nd choice Skinner North
waiting listed on all the classical school .is there anyone who got offered from Decatur or SN ?
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My kids got into Decatur a couple of years ago (not enetry grade-2nd and 4th-meaning tier doesn’t matter. offers go to the highest scored-kid)
Their scores were 99/98(2nd) and 99/97(4th) and got an offer from Decatur for the first round.so I guess you might hear from them during summer if there is a spot.
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My kids got into Decatur a couple of years ago (not enetry grade-2nd and 4th-meaning tier doesn’t matter. offers go to the highest scored-kid)
Their scores were 99/98(2nd) and 99/97(4th) and got an offer from Decatur for the first round.
so I guess you might hear from them during summer if there is a spot.
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Thanks ..so your kids are in Decatur.. do you know how many seats they will have for higher grades like grade 2
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We applied for Kindergarten – Tier 4, 45 minutes for test.
Reading – 99.9
Math – 60
Offered at Decatur (1st choice).
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just curious if 60 was a typo.
# 16235 – A kid from a tier 4 has scored 98 in Math and 97 in Reading, and is currently on a waitlist for Decatur…
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Not a typo, unless it was on the CPS end of things. I was surprised as well. The 99.x-score must be weighted differently than an integer score.
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oh, there might be something with the 99.9 thing.
Congratulations, by the way! Did you end up accepting the offer?
My two kids are in Decatur and they are happy, as are we.
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How does one interpret the Regional Gifted center score? I also dont see a score for english/math
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The gifted score appears to be patterned on the IQ score scales with a max of 160 and an average of 100 (such that 50% of children that age score below and 50% above 100). The Standard Deviation (SD) is 15. This means that a score of 115 is ~the 84th percentile and a score of 130 is 2 SD above or the 98th percentile.
I would not necessarily interpret this as a child’s IQ given they don’t release what the test is, it seems to be an abbreviated form given the length of times, and IQ scores aren’t stable at 4yo; however the same scoring/scaling is used for interpretation of percentiles.
If you only applied to RGC they don’t provide english/math scores as those are only used for Classical school entry
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We applied for Kindergarten. Tier 4. 80 – 85 minutes for the test.
Reding 98
Math 97
RGC 129
Waitlisted at Bell, McPherson, Edison, and Decatur.
It is what it is but the scoring is a mystery to me. Our 5 year old does his 2nd grade brother’s homework every night just for fun. He’s been reading since he was 3 and can give you accurate driving or public tranist directions from memory.
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Those are good scores. Clearly your child is very smart and inquisitive. Given the max of 160, average of 100, and Standard deviation (SD) of 15, a 130 is in the 98% percentile! They just aren’t scores that solidly get an admission in CPS SES (especially the RGC score). I think sometimes with the really high cut offs for these SES schools it’s easy to lose track of how good/high some scores that don’t get offers are.
There are also a lot of factors that may impact the usefulness of these numbers for any particular child. Maybe a child is anxious that day or doesn’t want to go back with a total stranger or second guesses themselves a lot. Also IQ type (I say type cause these seem to be abbreviated and CPS doesn’t disclose what they use) tests aren’t super stable nor predictive at 4.
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ManofChicago,
My son is very similar to your child both in behavior and scores:
Tier 4, Reading 93, Math 98
he was waitlisted at all the same schools you listed for K. My daughter is in first grade at Decatur, but she had gotten a 99/99 to get in there. Sigh.
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I forgot to add RGC 133
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Your most likely waitlist offer with those scores is McPherson. In previous years they’ve seen quite a bit of waitlist movement, so I think you’re honestly pretty likely to get an offer there.
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We also ranked Pritzker, which we would prefer. What do you think about odds there?
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I think it’s possible, but you’d have to wait for them to work through more of their waitlist before they get to you. I think you’ll probably receive a McPherson offer before a Pritzker offer — assuming you do, declining a McPherson offer to go on Pritzker’s waitlist feels like a 50/50 gamble to me. An offer is definitely possible, but by no means guaranteed.
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You’re likely right on the cusp of a Decatur offer with that score. If they have any tier 4 offers declined, you’ll probably be next in line (or very close to it). There’s certainly no guarantee, but I think you’re safe to hold out hope for a waitlist offer.
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Has anyone ever filed for an appeal? or Can someone provide insight on how I should position myself when applying for one?
Applied: K
Reading: 87
Math: 13
RG: 104
Waitlisted for Lenart, no offers for the other Classical programs (but didn’t get a Not eligible), received an offer for Hamilton and Beasley (not gifted program). I was extremely shocked by the discrepancy between my son’s test scores especially given math is his strongest area. Any advice?
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Not appeal related, but Hamilton is a fantastic school. Their reading program is already re engineered and their k-2 teachers are trained in the science of reading, whereas many schools still have not made that change. They’ve had a lot of changes over the years (for the better). Principal Blathras seems very committed to the school.
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I just finished the “sold a story” podcast. So this discussion is so relevant.. given all the chatter this podcast has caused. For a lot of us on this thread, our kids are going into k either fluently reading or with solid pre-reading ground work laid. But if you are sending your child to school expecting school to teach or advance their skills… then finding out how they are doing it is important. I asked my child that is now in 1st what they were being taught last year and she can not remember. But she went to k, reading fluently. I wish I was more knowledgeable on this subject last year!
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Your son just probably had a bad testing day.
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I have twins and one tested in to Edison for K (RGC score 150). My other tested at 109 and was waitlisted. Since testing occurred he has been placed on an 504 Plan and didn’t have those accommodations for testing. Considering retesting if we can because I suspect his results are lower than they would be with accommodations.
Does anyone know what the top score is for RGC Kindergarten testing?
Does anyone know what options, if any, exist for retesting with accommodations and what happens if he does score higher on a round 2 test?
If I decided to keep them together and put my daughter in K at our neighborhood school, what chances do we have of her getting in next year with her score?
Thanks
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Hi,
The top score for kindergarten testing is 160. I’m not sure if CPS does retesting this year or if you would have to wait for next year. I would recommend you reach out to Office of Access and Enrollment as soon as possible. The test score you received this year would not matter next year as the test and scoring is different for first grade. I would highly recommend if Edison is a top choice you consider accepting the spot for one child and retesting the other child next year. You can always go back to your neighborhood school but it is harder to get a spot at Edison after Kindergarten since there is only one class per grade. Someone would have to leave for a spot to be made available. There are other families in your situation at Edison who have one twin at the school and another at a different school. Some retest and others are fine with their kids at different schools.
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Thanks for your reply. Giving me the office to follow up with is a helpful starting point.
Are you an Edison parent? I am so conflicted. If both kids got in I would sent them there for sure but with one in and one not I am torn. I loved Edison when we toured but actually had my quirky 2E, highly verbal, memorizes everything, engineering brain, kiddo front of mind when applying. My twin that got in is also clearly very bright but in a different way. She is also very verbal but she stands out in her perceptive, creative problem solving, and interpersonal skills.
I think she will do well in most any setting but I worry about her tendency to latch on to older cool girls when in most settings and am hoping being with peers who are more advanced may help her make peer age friends. Luckily our neighborhood school is good and has a gifted track in 1st grade but I don’t know much about it yet.
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I am a current Edison parent and have a child in who will be in the incoming Kindergarten class. Is there a large difference in their RGC scores?
I think one of the most amazing things about Edison is the kids who go there. They are so unique and each one brings something special to the class. There are typically less than 25 families with siblings at the school and I think only one set of twins in the whole school. Given that it is only one class per grade, it’s incredibly difficult to get two kids into the school. I think Edison provides differentiated learning, meeting kids where they are while also challenging them. Ms. Silvers, the K teacher, is tremendous. She’s a blue ribbon winner but also just kind, thoughtful and very hands on. You are in an incredibly tough position but it sounds like both of your kids will do awesome wherever they go.
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Thanks ERx3GC, I think we will accept for our twin that got in and see how it goes so it sounds like we will have incoming kindergarteners together! It is also looking promising that our other twin will get to retest with accommodations. His 504 Plan was completed just prior to his test date so his school psychologist called the office of placement to request a retest.
There is currently a big difference in their scores, he only got a 109 but it is definitely not a true representation of his abilities. He is so bright verbally and has an amazing memory, if you show him something once he has it down, he has a total engineering brain and is completely obsessed with taking things apart and building “machines” but he can be super inattentive and lack persistence if he is not interested. He is the kid that struggled with puzzles because he wouldn’t look at the pieces but once I told him to look at the picture on the piece and find ones that matched he went from not able to do them without giving up to doing 100 piece ones… I can’t believe I am saying this but if I can get him retested I may try some practice questions with him to help him understand what he is supposed to do, otherwise he will just build structures out of the blocks…
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I think you may be trying to gauge how strong a score 150 is. It’s a really strong score. Test mean is 100 with a standard deviation of 15. A score of 150 is more than 3 SDs from the mean. A score of 145+ is greater than 99.85% of test takers.
The only trick is there can be variability with taking these tests year to year, so hard to predict what to expect when retaking it next year.
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Thanks! I couldn’t find the mean and SD.
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Grade-2
Does any one offered at Skinner North and Decatur for grade 2 ..
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HI,
my daughter applied to both skinners classical and decatur- but waitlisted — any idea what the cut off score is for acceptance.
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Your daughter applied for which grade ? I think they will make offers to those with 99/99 ..
what is your child reading and math score?
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Applied: 1st grade
Reading: 99
Math: 99
RG: 124
Waitlisted for Bell, Edison, Skinner W, Skinner N and Decatur. We might not stand a chance at RGC but do we stand a chance for Classical schools – specially both the skinners?
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Schools probably didn’t offer any seats for Classical 1st yet. People have to leave to open seats so it may or may not happen. Congrats on the scores.
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If this year is similar to past years, I imagine you would have a chance at some of the RGCs in the second round. Carnegie, McPherson, NTA, Morton, and Beasley could all be second round possibilities.
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Anyone have experience with Skinner West classical?
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Is there anyone in this group whose child has given exam for grade 2 ? If yes please let me know their status .my kid applied for Decatur and SN classical school (M-99/R-96) but didn’t get any offer
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We have twins that we applied to Pritzker and Bell Gifted programs (ranked in that order) for kindergarten.
One girl got an offer from Pritzker and the other got an offer from Bell.
Sending them to two separate schools will unfortunately not work for us so does anyone know the best process to decline the Pritzker offer and find out where we might be on the Bell gift waitlist?
Our other concern is that if we can’t get them into a gifted center together then are we risking losing our offers in a good choice school like Disney/LaSalle
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Not sure which RGC program you’d prefer, Bell or Pritzker – but the other thing to consider at Bell is that they only have 1 RGC class per grade. So if there are any sibling restrictions within the same class, maybe that’s not a viable option as you go through and figure this out? Not sure what the rules are! Also not sure how many classes there are per grade for Pritzker.
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Sorry if you were already told about this but there is one class for the Options Program (gifted) in Pritzker and depending on certain grades there are more spots open
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Another thing to keep in mind – If they got into Bell, they’ll have a solid shot at getting into Pritzker and will be a top priority off the waitlist.
You can see cutoff scores for Bell. Unless your child that didn’t get it is around the typical cutoff, it’s a risk to try to get into Bell (although it could happen, just a lower likelihood).
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Just to clarify, you ranked Pritzker first? Bell usually requires higher scores. Maybe if you provide your tier and scores, you can get more accurate feedback.
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Sorry, yes we ranked Pritzker first because it is closer to home.
Both are Tier 1
Twin A got offer from Pritzker with a 117 and Twin B got an offer from Bell with a 106.
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Being that the twin that got the offer to Bell had a lower score, it sounds likely that your other twin could get an offer in round 2. It sounds like there were more tier 1 applications at Pritzker than Bell. I would definitely call OAE and make sure that tiers are not removed in the next round. If they are, then 117 wouldn’t get a second round offer.
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In previous years, Pritzker has been more likely to fill more of their tier 1 seats than Bell. For 2021-22, Bell made 3 tier 1 offers in Round 1, and for 2020-21, they made 2. Assuming a class size of 28, they SHOULD be making 5 tier 1 offers. They likely don’t have enough eligible applicants to fill all their tier 1 seats, so I think odds of getting a waitlist offer from Bell would be pretty good.
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The other thing you can consider is to reach out to the principal at Pritzker to see if you accept the RGC offer for your first twin, if then second twin can be added to the sibling priority list for the neighborhood program for this year. Typically schools like Pritzker and Bell will accept siblings that way. And they have been accepting all of them in the last few years because of the enrollment decline. Definitely reach out and talk this though first with the principal, as there might be nuances (such as the sibling might have had to apply though the general lottery or they already have a long list… etc) Then you can hope for an offer in a subsequent round for RGC. Just to note for others.. this is a huge perk for anyone with younger sibs (as opposed to Skinner N or Edison)
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Thank you for all the replies and helpful feedback!
I did speak with the Bell principal and the sibling priority would only be in effect after the first sibling attends the school (so not until next year for the other twin) not just when they accept an offer.
Now we just have to weigh the risk of giving up other Choice offers we have (Disney II, LaSalle, Drummond) for the chance to get both girls into Bell gifted on Round 2.
At least this isn’t stressful at all!!
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Glad you reached out. The principal at Bell is wonderful! She is very responsive and a great resource for any questions that you have.
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Good luck on your decision! It’s got to be so much harder with twins. You also have some great offers on the table! So sounds like any way you go will be a great choice.
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You do not have to give up other choice offers. You can register the 2nd twin for one of them, e.g. Disney, and if later you receive a Bell offer for her, you will just un-register from Disney and register in Bell.
Accepting a choice school offer does not take you our of the pool for either other choice schools or SEES.
It is only when you accept an SEES, you are no longer in the SEES pool although still in the choice pool.
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Thanks again to everyone that replied or gave us tips. We ended up declining our one Bell Options offer and accepting Disney ii for both twins…and then adding then both back to the Bell waitlist. We figured that it would be a longshot to get them both into Bell Options but actually saw on GoCPS this morning that they both got move from waitlist to offered!!
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Congratulations!! I’m sure you are thrilled. Glad that the suggestions helped!
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Waitlisted for all classical and RGC on our list. Got offered to Disney Magnet. Does anyone have experience on that school?
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Hello!
I read through previous messages and like others, I’m wondering how likely it is for my kiddo to get into 1st grade at SN with a 99/99. For those who have experience from previous years, how likely do you think this is and when do you imagine we might know? I know that current kiddos have to leave in order for a spot to open up and I don’t know anything about how many students they have in K now. TIA.
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I think you would know in May during the rolling waitlist. Your child has a strong chance with 99/99, if a spot opens for 1st Grade. Like you said if any K leave
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Hi, did you hear back from Skinner North?
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Any current Bronzeville families know about busing? Is there a bus from Hyde Park/Kenwood area?
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I believe Bronzeville buses any student in the Chicago area between 22nd and 71st Street. So very confident they should have a bus from Hyde Park/Kenwood area.
Congratulations on your child’s offer!
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Not sure how far south you are (and I didn’t write the bus boundaries when we attended the meeting) but we live at Garfield and we qualified for a bus.
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Hi everyone, if we decline our RGC offer now, are we able to get on waitlists for other RGCs/Classical schools we applied to right after declining or will I need to wait for the opening of waitlists on May 12? Thanks!
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If it is the same as last year, you need to wait for the waitlist to open again after the first round is over. Last year you were also able to decline an offer then readd yourself to the waitlist for that school in round two. This can be helpful for sibling admissions.
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Choice 1 Keller 2 SN 3 Bronzeville 4 Skinner. My little one has tested 96/96 and 130 on RGC, Keller was our first choice and got accept it. Now I’m having a second thought. All other schools status not offered. If we don’t accept the first offer, will there be any chance to get offers from the rest? Or let’s say we accept the first offer, can we still get other offers from other schools in second round result?
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Congrats on the Keller offer! With a 96/96, I would not expect a waitlist offer from SN or Skinner in a non-entry year. Maaaaaybe Bronzeville, but only if they have a decent number of seats to fill for some reason. I would strongly recommend sticking with your Keller offer.
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If you accept the offer you cannot get other SES offers. One only ever has one SES offer at a time u like choice schools.
If you decline your offer you lose that spot and have to add yourself onto waitlists. It will not happen automatically. So it is a big risk to decline the spot.
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Applied: Kindergarten
Tier: 4
RGC score: 132
We were waitlisted at all 4 schools on our list (1. Bell, 2. Pritzker, 3. McPherson, 4. Edison). Anyone have any idea if he has a chance of getting in in later rounds?
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Possibly McPherson but not until round 3-4.
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Thanks! Any reason why? Just a combination of high tier and a middle of the road RGC score?
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Tiers still matter for round 2 but not after that
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There is no Round 2 (or 3, 4, 5, etc.) anymore. It’s been replaced with the rolling waitlist. Last year tiers remained intact in the process until mid-summer (July possibly?).
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It’s a rolling waitlist this year (first time). In the training they said there aren’t rounds just a rolling waitlist and tiers matter.
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Thank you. I do vaguely remember that from the training video. I’ll need to go back and watch it to bring myself back up to speed. Sounds like our chances are slim but I’ll keep my fingers crossed!
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You are right. I forgot about rolling waitlist this year. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. And I have a feeling McPhersonis getting competitivesince RGC’s in the vicinity are hard to get into (Bell/Pritzker/Edison)and people are starting to seriously consider McPherson. So get in early while you can!
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We are Tier 4 and got into McPherson with a 136. You’d probably have a good chance! We’re not sure if we’ll accept spot. At the tour I was not impressed with the first grade teacher’s classroom, although the K teacher seemed great.
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Good to know. Thank you! We have a tour at McPherson scheduled in June so haven’t seen in yet. Would you mind explaining why you weren’t impressed with the first grade teacher’s classroom?
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We received McPherson RGC offer from the waitlist (tier 3, 121 score, ranked 6 of 6 on our SEES list). We’ll likely accept and stay on a handful of other waitlists (we’re 7 for Hawthorne, tier 3). Anyone have insight or feedback about McPherson since it’s a newer program?
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Applied: 3rd grade
Tier: 4
Reading: 99
Math: 99
offered Skinner West our 2nd choice.
Any insights on Skinner west classical?
thanks!
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Wow, Congrats.
What was your 1st choice?
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I’ve been asking for skinner west classical experience without any luck. I’ve talked with one parent and her experience has been plus/minus. Seems like a lot of workbooks?
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Applied: 8th grade
Tier: 4
Math: 92
Reading: 76
AC: 561
Applied for Taft AC, and Decatur
Offered both schools
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Hi which school have you decided on? Im in the same dilema.
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With RGC score 136 my son got an offer from Beaubien RGC, tier 4. Do you think we have any chances for Bell, McPherson or Pritzker during the rolling waitlist process?
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I was told round 2 is still tier based. So you might need to wait for round 3 and onwards for a chance.
Among those schools, I’d say the chances are: McPherson > Pritzker > Bell. But it’s also based on how you ranked them on the application.
It’s a tough call. 136 is a high score if you are not living in tier 4. The result is in the hands of other people whether they accept or deny the offer.
Why going to school is so complicated. We are talking about 5 years old kids!!!
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Absolutely agreed. Just support neighborhood schools more, open more gifted and magnet schools, get more funding for all of these schools, pay teachers more and get all kids with decent scores into those gifted schools! It is such a pain especially if you have more than 1 child…
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Got Tier 4 offer with 137 @ Pritzker. Leaning towards taking it but seems quite close, right?
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Anyone declining lenart K offers?
Hello, I am wondering if anyone declined or is considering of declining Lenart K offers and reasons if you don’t mind to share.
My kiddo is waitlisted with a relatively low score (112, tier 3). Based on previous years’ results, I felt we need a miracle, lol.
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applied -2nd grade
Is there anyone in this group who has accepted an offer from Skinner North or Decatur for 2nd geade? Please reply
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@Desi
Choice #1 : Skinner North – not offered
Anyone got an offered from Skinner North applying to 3rd grade? Please share. Thanks!
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@SLmom Congratulations!
SW has the same test score requirements as SN and every year, it’s a toss-up as to who had higher score test scores for entry.
Seats at SW are harder to get because there’s only 1 class while SN has 2. But SN is wider known and more popular with anyone outside the west loop (also it is an SEES only school while SW has the neighborhood school also for the west loop).
I like the area that SW is in much better than the area SN is in but the neighborhood part of the school makes it seem huge and less structured.
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We also went to school presentation for SW with our first a few years ago. It was big and splashy (with the old principal). But it just felt like alot with a ton of kids everywhere and it’s more chaotic even during dropoffs. I feel like SN would be more organized but we chose SW in the end so I don’t know for certain.
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Hi Pam! Would love to know how your thoughts on SW. What grade is your child in? We got an offer for SW for K, and are debating whether to go (not the most convenient, but feasible). I was also curious how separate, or not, it is from the neighborhood school.
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Congrats!
It’s integrated but separate for K. It’s all in the same building after K. I’d look into bussing which can help and know several families that were able to get it (it’s hit or miss due to the driver shortage).
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The academics are currently fully separate. I believe they mix together for lunch, afterschool, recess etc. My child is in SW and has been with her class [same class] every year even though there are 4 other classrooms in her grade, in the neighborhood program. The neighborhood program is good too, and the kiddos all seem to get along pretty well. However, no out-of-boundary siblings have been accepted for the past couple of years, so if that’s a concern for you….something to think about.
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Hello! Does anyone know how tie-breakers are decided in non entry years with identical scores for SEES rolling waitlist?
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Two questions:
1) Does anyone know where I can learn more about the process of appealing? My kiddos teachers and I have reached out to the OAE about exploring having him retested because he had a 504 plan go into effect slightly before we engaged in our testing and did not receive accommodations. So far they have only responded to his school stating that he can not retest because he has had exposure to the testing but their website says if he didn’t get accommodations he could be eligible. I sent them another email today but am not certain if I also need to file some other appeal? His RGC score was 109 and his classical scores were very middle of the road but they are likely not a true representation of his ability given lack of accommodations.
My main concern is getting him in to a program that is a good fit for him and reasonable to get him to since his twin will be at Edison, unless by some miracle I find a school that could work for both. I was just planning to start at our neighborhood school but I am worried about him being bored. Previous private testing has identified him as a 2E kiddo who easily memorizes everything and has exceptional verbal skills but has poor frustration tolerance and struggles with visual scanning and stopping to think. He is starting to read and will likely be fully reading when he enters kindergarten in the fall. I am considering if I should try for the rolling waiting list at some different programs that
2) Does anyone know of good programs on the northwest side of Chicago to consider applying to for the rolling waitlist that sound like a possible good fit for him? I am exploring McPherson and maybe Beaubien or a dual language program like Coonley. Any thoughts appreciated.
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That’s a tough spot to be in. I can’t speak to the appeals process. On schools, I commented above that Carnegie, McPherson, NTA, Morton, and Beasley could all be possibilities once the rolling waitlist starts. My understanding is tier will still be considered with rolling waitlist, though, so tier may be a factor. Beaubien starts at 1st grade for RGC, so that wouldn’t help for K.
My child is at Morton. We did have a parent last year with twins who had an Edison offer and a Morton offer, and then ending up sending both kids to Morton because that’s where she could get both in. She had to give up the Edison seat to make it work, and was in close coordination with the school to make sure there was a seat available at Morton before doing so. I mention to say it’s possible, but recognize it is a high stress (and stakes) process.
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My child is currently at Edison in Kindergarten and he has a classmate whose twin goes to Hibbard, which is the same campus.
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Hello!
Very specific question…but does anyone know about many kids are in the kinder classes at SN right now? Trying to do all the recon I can to manage expectations for our chances for a 1st grade spot…TY!
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I think they have 2 classes for each grade with 30 students per class.
Is there anyone in this group who has accepted an offer from Skinner North or Decatur for 2nd geade? -
Contractually they are only allowed 28 students per class in K – 3, 31 students for 4 – 8. That is why there is some room to move for 4th grade – principals are allowed more spots.
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From what I have heard, there are no spots in SN in 1 and 2 grades this year, but things can change during the summer…
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A question:
intentionally leaving out some context:
For a kindergartener:
Pritzker SES or Burr?
For the sake of discussion suppose that having toured the schools they both seem like great options where kiddo would thrive.
Suppose both schools are one time options (tested into Pritzker, won lottery for Burr).
Suppose entrance into a selective enrollment high school isn’t the only criteria, but would be a pretty good outcome.
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Hi everyone!
I don’t see the offer I accepted on the gocps website anymore, I can’t even see results, it says “closed until 05/22”. Is that normal?
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I think it is. Same happened for us, but for the higher grade level (7th).
If you saved the acceptance confirmation, you are ok.
But in any case, I don’t think you have to worry. Call the school/OAE tomorrow if you need to check.
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Question on the waitlist – When will waitlist open on May 22? Is it 9 am or midnight? Does it matter when I add my son to RGC/classical schools waitlists if we rejected the initial RGC offer? In other words, if someone adds their child to the waitlist before me, will that person have higher chances to get an offer or will scores matter rather than your timing of being added to the waitlist? Just trying to understand how the system works and whether I have to add him at midnight or in the morning..
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I thought I understood the process, but now that the Accept/Decline deadline has gone and we can no longer view our results page until 5/22, I may have misunderstood the waitlist process.
I assumed after the 5/12 deadline, families on the initial waitlist would be notified and continue as the 5/22 rolling waitlist opens for those who had declined their offers.
So, it seems there’s just one waitlist pool for both the initial and rolling waitlist, correct? So is this week for admin/prep work before notifying families?
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Hi. There is a guide to rolling waitlists that is helpful.
if the link doesn’t work search for it under elementary schools.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13-IDiVjacUaEOvGZ2bbtOs4pvmMPcpkv/view
for sees and classical the tiers, score etc are still used. So u can add your child on may 22 anytime during days. You don’t have to be the first to add to get a higher spot on the list. The list is sorted nightly by score, or any other criteria.
Secondly, if spots were available prior to this and they had to go into the waitlist, they already did. Remember- most sees and classical don’t go into waitlists.
so odds are there are still students with higher score on the waitlist- and they have not been called.
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This is right. Thank you. We have a friend who moved to Chicago last year. Her son was in a gifted program in NY. So her son tested 99.9/99.9 and he was not accepted into SN or SW classical so far (I think he is going into 2 or 3 grade)… These were the only schools they applied to. This is just so frustrating to know you have such high scores but no spot…
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I think in regards to your friend who moved – a lot of programs for grades that are not Kindergarten – make the offers later on into the summer. That way the program knows how many kids have moved out of the program for whatever reason and can offer seats accordingly. So I think that friend probably needs to just wait it out. Schools can make offers even into the first few weeks of the school year.
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The higher the grade, the less likely you’ll get in. I really don’t get people jumping schools. Moved here is just an unfortunate set of circumstances but my sons class had two spots open this year. It’s not very prudent to try and move schools since those classes are already set.
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Scores for second round spring testing just posted . My daughter (applying for 5th) scored:
Reading: 95
Math: 99
Tier 4
We applied for Decatur. Has anyone been offered a spot off the rolling waitlist yet?
Thanks
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Some movement in Pritzker. My son got an offer today for 1 grade and we are trying to decide whether commute from downtown will be worth it. We also heard some controversial feedback. Anything this group can share on Pritzker?
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We also just got an offer for Pritzker and also trying to decide.
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We rejected a Bell offer earlier and were already meeting neighborhood classmates. But then just this week we got an Edison offer. Pretty excited and will probably accept. RGC score 140.
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For what grade?
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K
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Does anyone know if Lenart is a good choice for entering 7th graders? Many of the students leaving for ACs. I’m not sure if the teachers and students are good there in 7th and 8th grades.
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From what I understand, Lenart sends a high percentage of its 8th graders to SEHS, with most going to Young, Jones, or Brooks. Also with students leaving for ACs in the upper grades, those class sizes are probably on the smaller side (15-20ish), which seems like a benefit to me.
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Thank you for the info. how are their teachers do you know if their grading policy lenient? 7th grade’s grades are very critical. The students need to get straight As in order to get into competitive SEHS.
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We got a note from CPS saying SEES and Magnet kids will not have busses for the first day of school on 8-21 and possibly longer (or not at all) due to driver shortage. FYI in case you rely on the school bus. In the past although there were challenges, most SEES had bus routes for K-8 and many families used them.
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https://www.change.org/p/mayor-johnson-fix-our-cps-bussing-crisis
URGENT PETITION: DEMAND MAYOR JOHNSON’S INTERVENTION IN THE BUSING CRISIS!
please sign
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Please support this petition: CPS Needs to Get Selective Enrollment & Magnet Students Back to Their Schools
https://chng.it/CrLYYQWGyW
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