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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 11th, 2025 – Results Released
- MAY 2nd, 2025 – Accept/Decline Deadline
- MAY 19th, 2025 – 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 and one Choice offer (if applicable). 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 are videos slidedeck on “Selections Process Explained”
Guide to Understanding Rankings & Cutoff Scores is HERE. Cutoff scores are now posted for Classical and Gifted SEES programs. Tiers are only applicable for the entry year of a program (typically K for RGC & Classical or 7th for Academic Centers). Cut scores are HERE.
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Login is available at the apply.cps.edu website! This year’s website is harder to navigate than last year’s, but once you login, click on View at “Classical and Regional Gifted Center Programs 2025-26 Application” and then scroll all the way down to see your place at the schools you selected. Good luck everyone!
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How much do waitlists move for non-entry grades? My child is on the waitlist for a non-entry grade at McPherson. Does anyone have experience with those waitlists and willing to share a waitlist number and whether they got an offer?
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Last year my child was #12 on McPherson’s waitlist for 2nd grade. We got an offer by late July. I hope this helps.
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Did you accept an offer before then? What happens to your spots on the waitlist if you accept a choice offer?
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Yes actually I tracked that. Last year my daughter was 19 for NTA 1st grade and got down to 8, and 54 at Pritzker and ended up at 40.
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The NTA movement is surprisingly high given they have 28 spots.
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Yeah, my lesson from having a kid there is that kids move around for all sorts of reasons. To be with siblings,
To be closer to home, to the suburbs, they move out of state, etc. I think that’s true a lot of places, and I imagine NTA in particular has a lot of people who consider it their second or third choice and get in to preferred schools, so the list moves.
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It says #3 on my highest rank classical waitlist and #12 for RGC. I’m not quite sure what a tier waitlist is. What are my odds of getting into either?
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Last year, my daughter was #8 in Tier 3 for Decatur in Kindergarten, and it only moved to #3 in Tier 3 by the end of July. This year, she is on general waitlist #2 for Decatur and general waitlist #30 for Edison. Depending on the school you applied to and the demand for it, it is possible the waitlist does not move at all or moves very slowly, because kids who get into these top schools don’t want to give up their spot. #3 waitlist seems promising though. Sorry, I hope this helps.
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What did you end up doing if you don’t mind me asking? Did you apply to choice and if so did you accept an offer before the rolling waitlist?
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Is there a scoring rubric again this year? One of my kids actually had the point total for RGC, but the other one did not have a total for the Classical. And also, I’d be interested in the cut scores.
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I think this is the cut scores, they are calling in Point total now.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RUmvrTbe7j4gK3fEhrB8zWGL10aK4U9a/view-
Thanks!
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How does the general waitlist work for grades 1 and above? are all the students ahead of us really on the waitlist? I have heard that a lot of students that are already in classical or RGC will take the test every year for practice, so do these kids list other schools to see how they do?
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I’d like to know about this too. My daughter is #2 in Decatur and General waitlist #30 in Edison for Grade 1. I know a few families who are in classical/RGC already and they take the test every year like you said to see where they stand. If they get into a better school, they take it.
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Which Grade did she test for? What are her Verbal/Math scores?
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Kindergarten, T4, offered SN. There will be a spot at Sheridan opening up.
Good luck everyone!
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We got into Skinner North Kindergarten. Tier 4. 242.5/300 on Classical and 245/300 on Gifted. Skinner was our top choice.
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Tier 1, tested for K at 4 years, 8 months and offered SW (1st choice). Good luck everyone.
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apologies, meant tier 4
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Anyone know how to interpret the results? Last year there was chart that showed you what the scores meant. Esp RGC scores
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My child applied to 3 regional gifted programs. We did not receive an offer but it says we are “general waitlist” for each of these programs and it tells us the waitlist number for each school. We only applied for RGC, not anything else, but waitlist says “general.” Does that mean we are that waitlist number for the RGC program at each school or does “general waitlist” mean something different? My understanding is that if her score wasn’t high enough to be considered that the response would have been “not offered” but the terminology “general waitlist” is confusing.
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That means you’re on the waitlist for the RGC program and there are no tier considerations (you must not be an entry level). Your kids score qualified them for the waitlist, otherwise as you say, it would say Admin declined.
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Sorry, one other thing to note: This is for 4th grade entry to RGC (oddly enough, the cutoff scores listed are only specified for kindergarten, so I’m not even sure how to interpret her score). I also have not been able to locate the scores from last year–we used to be able to see the history. Any insights on where to get her prior scores?
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My understanding is that for non-entry years, tiers no longer count, so that’s why it says general waitlist.
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Sorry, just to add – I don’t think they give cutoff scores for non-entry years, either (but I could be wrong on this!) I can see my child’s scores from last year if I log in to the old schoolmint site where the application was last year. Hope this is helpful!
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For my son’s entry, into 3rd grade, his composure score was a 134. He got in off the waitlist. I think the K scores run about 10 points higher than the non-K scores because they’re scored on a different metric but don’t quote me on that.
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We are #4 on Tier Waitlist (Tier 4) for Beaubien RGC for 1st grade (entry year). Wondering if we stand any kind of chance but assuming we likely don’t? And can anyone help explain how the tiers work with waitlists?
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There were at least some tier 4 off the waitlist last year at Beaubien for 1st grade. No idea how many.
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Thanks for the insight!
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28 on wait-list at Lane, Tier 4, RGC point total: 257.5, academic center: 557.5
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My kiddo is number 2 on waitlist at Pritzker gifted program for second grade. What are the chances of her getting in? Does anyone have any similar experience and got in?
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Very high. The rising first grade list moved 15 points last summer.
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Was this for non entry level grade? My daughter is a rising second grader.
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Yes, 1st isn’t an entry grade. I assume older grade waitlists move less but 2 is still good odds.
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Thanks. Was that for Pritzker? I’m hoping she is able to get in 🤞
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Chances may be good depending on class movement. Currently kiddo is in 2nd grade at Pritzker. We had 2 kids leave last year and 4 new students join this year.
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Our daughter received an offer for Pritzker’s gifted program for kindergarten, but we recently saw comments from another parent who pulled their child after two years in the gifted program due to problems at the school. Wondering if anyone here could share thoughts on their experience at Pritzker, good or bad?
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Our oldest was offered Pritzker for PreK shortly after the pandemic hit. We ended up withdrawing, mainly for logistical reasons, but also because we were very unimpressed by the school’s communication. I distinctly remember asking what options there were for working parents given the 9am start time and being treated like this was an absurd question. It eventually became clear that before care programming was up in the air due to the pandemic, which is understandable, but I’m not sure why I had to be chastised for asking about it. I also went to their open house this fall and found it absolutely chaotic. It was by far the least impressive school tour I’ve ever experienced. I’m acquainted with a few families and their feedback (bad for diverse learners, poor communication) has reinforced my perception that it’s probably not the best option out there.
We’re located about the same distance from Morton as we are from Pritzker and were really impressed after their tour, so although it’s less established and in a less desirable area, we felt it was a stronger choice. We also ended up getting offered Morton, so I may be biased, but I would recommend giving them a look if you have misgivings about Pritzker. Given their lower cut score, it could be a possible alternative option if you’re up for trying the waitlist.
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We are considering Morton for our rising 2nd grader but are interested in the community factor. Have you found that the parents are involved and kids see each other outside of school? I know it varies from class to class but wasn’t sure how spread out people are throughout the city. We have heard great things about the principal and were impressed on our tour but community is an important factor for us.
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Our offer is for Kinder, so not a lot of insight on the community yet unfortunately, but I agree that the principal seems great, as does the RGC coordinator. I appreciate that their program seems to be coherent and intentional, and I love that one of their specials is “genius hour”. I think I am concerned that other families may be basing their decisions on school reputations without giving the school a good look, as I know from the class sizes they shared during their fall tour that they have not filled all their seats in the past. We are going to wait until after the 4/23 open house to accept, as right now our main fear is what if they end up with a class size of 10? 15? Our child is very social. But as I see others in our circle tending to be more interested in Pritzker/Bell or SW/SN (even through I hear complaints about Pritzker and SW), now that we have a Morton offer, I am hoping others will give the program a look and see what we see so that we end up being able to be a part of a growing, viable program.
To go back to your original question, since that went on a tangent, the RGC coordinator did address the community aspect some on the fall tour we took. The way they put it is that they have seen a divide between the way RGC parents want to engage vs the neighborhood families, but the RGC parent involvement is strong, and the school is actively working to bridge the gap and build a more connected and engaged school community. They seem to have a lot of activities and events if you look at their calendar, which seems encouraging.
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We have been at Pritzker for years. The first couple years after the pandemic were pretty bad, both in terms of administrative and classroom communications. This year is so much better. I think it’s teacher specific and the PTO is also back together and organized, which is making a huge difference.
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My child started in the RGC program at Pritzker in fourth grade this year, and the experience has been fantastic. I have heard similar complaints from parents about poor communication by the admin, but so far we haven’t had any complaints. My kid has really thrived here in a way that has made me believe this is the right school for him. The fourth grade teacher is absolutely amazing and very supportive of neurodiverse kids. There is also before school care available now although it is quite expensive compared to the program that was available at our neighborhood school.
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We are #6, tier 2 wait-listed for gifted kinder at pritzer- guessing we don’t have a chance?
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My child got an offer from Edison, she will be grade 4, currently at Bell. So 2 spots will be available for 4th grade at Bell coming year: my child’s, and a classmate relocating to a different state
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Is it okay to know why you choose to go to Edison not staying at Bell?
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Bell is a great school, especially parents are a gem! We chose to switch only because Edison is closer to our home, it will be walking distance, we wouldn’t have to drive her to school anymore. My child and I both love Bell so much!
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And her brother already goes to Edison, so for our family logistics wise it would be easier. Thats the only reason
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Hi There,
Can someone explain how CPS determines the composite score?
RGC Non-Verbal Score — 128
RGC Verbal Score — 132
RGC Composite Score — 132
Thanks,
Confounded Dad
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This year’s scoring system confused me too. I asked chatGPT, it was able to explain well. Just as an idea, try asking chatgpt! Hope it helps! 🙂
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Hi does anyone have any experience with Pritzker gifted program? Thanks
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I do. What grade are you going into?
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She’s going into second grade.
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We’re currently in 2nd grade at Pritzker.
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Hello, does anyone know how much the waitlist moves for Bell? Daughter currently # 13 on waitlist for second grade.
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Last year’s Bell’s rising 2nd grade class had only 1 open spot.
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Does anyone know for kindergarten entry when the tiers are no longer taken into consideration for the waitlist?
Right now with the waitlists, I’m guessing my position means that that # of people in my tier would need to turn down an offer.
But at some point they combine all those waitlists and just make it all one list, right?
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Is your waitlist for General or Tiered? What’s your# and which school?
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I don’t think so. The tiered waitlist lasts throughout the whole waitlist process for kindergarten.
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They used to do this in previous years, but no longer do. You will remain on the waitlist for your specific tier throughout the waitlist process.
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Hello. We are #5-6 WL for Bell and Edison 3rd grade entry with composite RGC score 141. Does anyone have an idea if something may happen for us this summer?
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In my opinion, there is a small chance. Last year for Edison’s 2nd grade, I think someone at #6 or 7 was offered a spot near the end of the summer.
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Last year, we applied for Bell RGC, second grade, and the waitlist only moved about five spots. It was unclear how many of those were kids just dropping from the waitlist compared to actual acceptances.
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Last year’s rising 2nd grade Bell RGC class had only 1 open spot. I think Edison had 3-4 spots open up. My guess is those on the Bell waitlist took Edison spots (or other school spots, or declined for other reasons).
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For kindergarten, it says Bell had 28 offers out of 747 applicants last year. I’m guess if you’re not in the top 3 wait-list, you’re not getting in.
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I am asking for non-entry grade, not K.
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I got in to Decatur, my first choice. 298.5/300.
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Wow! That’s one genius child. Congratulations!
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my son tested for fourth grade,, he is tier 2 with a 253/300 score, im wondering why he wouldnt be offered a seat at Skinner North, anybody know how to make sense of the numbers?
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I could be wrong but you need an almost perfect score to get a seat at SN depending on your tier.
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Tier is only considered at the entry year. Since you’re applying to 4th grade, Tier doesn’t matter. There are usually very few spots open at SN if you are applying to any grade 1-6, so the score required for an offer is often 99/99 or close to it
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Tier is only a factor for Kindergarten entry.
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My kid is #1 waitlist for Tier 4 Skinner West, kindergarten. I know they have very few spots, is there still some chance to get the offer?
Thank you!-
Last year my son was #8 Tier 4, and when the rolling waitlist opened up, he dropped to #6. So there’s a chance!
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(He was in the skinner west waitlist)
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My son is listed at #9, tier 2, for POE classical. Has anyone had any experience with the tier waitlist vs. general waitlist? Do the RGC’s and Classical schools both have general and tier list? Thanks
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My kid got 99% on both math and reading for classical for non entry year (rising first grader.) He is waitlisted #10 for Skinner West. Has anyone seen movement on the skinner west non-entry year waitlists in the past?
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Skinner west has only 1 classical class per grade. A spot would need to open up in this years K class for another student to enter at 1st grade level.
This happened this year twice in my daughter’s 1st grade class. Two kids dropped out of the program end of K opening up two spots.
They should let parents know how many spots are available after K so you know how to rank schools. Applying to skinner west after K makes no sense of a spot isn’t available.
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It makes sense if you don’t know whether a spot will open up when you apply in the fall.
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My older soon is at Skinner West classical, however he got accepted into Morton RGC. His brother is in Morton RGC, but got waitlisted for Skinner west classical (non entry year.)
My older son is desperate not to leave his friends. The issue is that Morton RGC is a better run, higher quality school. And they’d both be in the same school.
Any thoughts on detrimental effects on elementary school children changing schools at that age? I know there’s no perfect answer, but looking for perspectives.
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Hi there. First year applying for Regional Gifted Center for 1st grade. So confused by how these numbers add up. We’re far down on waitlist. I see on the tiers points pdf that you have to score above 150 to even be waitlisted. Our kid’s scores are listed below. So is it the 172 that counts for her? Cause if it was the Composite one listed she wouldn’t have even gotten a waitlist, right? Just no idea how to evaluate this.
Scores for School Year 2025-26
RGC Verbal Score – 115
RGC Non-Verbal Score – 104
RGC Composite Score – 109Point Calculations for School
Year 2025-26
RGC Point Total – 172.5/300We also totally misunderstood the RGC application process and only applied to the school she’s only attending for their RGC. So is it too late to see if this score could have got her into another school?
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Yes, It’s the 172 that is the comparison. Only Keller and Beaubien have first grade entry so only those scores will show for the cut-off score in the PDFs. For Non-entry years it just depends on how many seats open up and the school likely doesn’t know that yet but typically only a few and high scores. yes you can add to the waitlist of other programs when the rolling waitlists open.
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Thanks for your help!
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Rising 3 grader with a classical score 99/99 and 1st on waitlist for Skinner North. Thoughts on whether there will be movement or do other factors go into changes to rankings? Any current parents of 2nd or 3rd graders at SN that have some insight to school/program/classroom environment? Is the environment super competitive and every student for themselves or generally do the kids all get along?
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Does a 99/99 add up to 299/300? I’m new to these scores. My kid got 99/97 and composite 297/300. High on SN wait-list (we aren’t taking it even if offered). I’d assumed a kid needed 99/99 to get in, especially non entry years, but 297 also seems really high?
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99/99 is 300 for 1st-8th Classical (99/98 is 298.5). There is a rubric on the GoCPS website, but I can’t link it because it’s being flagged as spam.
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I saw an application for a 2nd round of SEES Classical, RGC and Academic testing planned for 2025-26. Am I seeing things??
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Hello! We are #2 and #4 for 3 RGCs going to 7th grade next year. Don’t want to get to excited. Anyone know anything about 7th grade waiting list? Thank you!
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Where do you see that?
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You’re very likely to get in, lots of movement in 7th because of AC acceptances.
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My son is applying for K, got #5 for Skinner West and #8 for skinner North and #7 for Decatur. Is there any chance he would get in? Really confused by this. Thank you!
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Hey tim, what tier are you?
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Hi Tim – would you mind sharing SN and the classical score? I’m hoping to add my son to the rolling waitlist and will give me an indication on where son MAY end up on the waitlist.
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Hello families – congratulations to those who were offered spots at schools of their choice.
Question – I am trying to understand from folks if tiers play a role in rolling waitlist offers for SEES school, kindergarten admission?
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Yes, tiers still play a role in waitlist offers. So if someone from Tier 3 declines their offer, then that spot will be offered to the next person in the Tier 3 waitlist, even if the Tier 4 Waitlist #1 student has a better score.
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We’re Tier 4 for Kindergarten and were offered a spot at Decatur. We won’t be accepting it, so a spot will be opening up!
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