Spring 2026- CPS SEES Gifted and Classical Results

Home Forums Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CPS Elementary Schools Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools (SEES) Spring 2026- CPS SEES Gifted and Classical Results

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    • #21078 Reply

      CPS will release elementary school offers for any programs applied to via the GoCPS applications (SEES & Choice Programs) as follows:

      • MARCH 13th, 2026 – Elementary School Initial GoCPS Results Release & Elementary School Appeals Process Opens
      • APRIL 3rd, 2026 – Elementary School Offer Acceptance Deadline
      • APRIL 10th, 2026 – Elementary School Appeals Window Closes
      • April 27th, 2026 – Elementary School Rolling Waitlist Opens

      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!

      Helpful resources: https://www.cps.edu/gocps/resources/elementary-school-resources/

      Here is a slidedeck on “Selections Process Explained” (Zoom recording HERE)
      Cutoff Scores for 2026-2027 for entry year only of Classical, Gifted and Academic Centers

      Guide to Understanding Rankings & Cutoff Scores is HERE.  Accepting a GoCPS Offer is HERE. Cutoff scores will be posted for Classical and Gifted SEES programs HERE. Tiers are only applicable for the entry year of a program (typically K for RGC & Classical or 7th for Academic Centers).

    • #21109 Reply
      Herm
      Guest

      Looks like scores are live!

    • #21110 Reply
      Testprepmooom
      Guest

      I dont see offers, just scores. Is that right?

    • #21111 Reply
      Leilmom
      Guest

      All I see are scores too- no offers.

      • #21112 Reply
        Jay
        Guest

        Offers are out now!

    • #21113 Reply
      chitownmom
      Guest

      CPS official release time is 5pm today. Hopefully it will release offer or waitlist ranking by then.

      • #21114 Reply
        chitownmom
        Guest

        Yes it’s out now, including WL ranking

      • #21116 Reply
        Sees-testing
        Guest

        If you aren’t seeing offers, you probably don’t have one. If you aren’t seeing waitlists, you should try refreshing your page.

    • #21115 Reply
      Alice
      Guest

      Got into Skinner West (5th choice) – 99p math (138) and 97p reading (129)… total score says 233.8. RG only 212.5, so I assume we are out of the running for those and will likely accept offer. (tier 4, child was in for 70 min)

      • #21153 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Alice, that is a great score, congratulations! Ms.Growe the kindergarten teacher for classical program at Skinner West is amazing!

        • #21178 Reply
          Alice
          Guest

          Thank you so much!! You have been such a kind and helpful resource these past few days. Excited to hear about the great teacher!

    • #21117 Reply
      LPMom
      Guest

      Two transfer kids (moved mid-year). One got an offer at Bronzeville and the other got waitlisted for classical and RGCs but is 50+ into all waitlists so I’m guessing he’s not getting in.

      Question- if we decline the Bronzeville offer, can he be added to the waitlist for the other schools? I didn’t know where we’d be living when I made our list and it’s just too far of a drive. If he can’t, does anyone think it makes sense to go there over our neighborhood school (Lincoln Park / highly ranked elementary school).

      • #21123 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        Yes, you can! It’s just once you decline it – you will lose your spot at that school.

      • #21124 Reply
        ORS Mama
        Guest

        @LPMom
        Can I ask what tier and grade your child is at?

    • #21119 Reply
      ChiDad
      Guest

      #4 on Hawthorne Tier 3 WL. Any idea how much it moves?

      • #21121 Reply
        chitownmom
        Guest

        #4 has a big chance to get in for Hawthorne. Congrats.

      • #21611 Reply
        JM83
        Guest

        Our kindergartener was waitlisted #3 last year, Tier 3, and we got in. But we were told that only 3 kids got in off the waitlist last year. That’s probably not super helpful but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

    • #21120 Reply
      Herm
      Guest

      This took me some time to find, but here is the offer point totals breakdown for each school. Hope this link works here:

      https://cdn.bfldr.com/MXCD21SV/as/mkmrqmsqm385h9k6wg8kc4kn/OAE_GoCPS_626408_SEESPointTotals_EN_V1

    • #21122 Reply
      HP
      Guest

      #3 waitlist Tier 3 at Decatur (score 207.5).

      Anyone know anything about how likely that is? It’s our top choice, as we live not far.

      • #21151 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        High chances! 😊

        • #21269 Reply
          HP
          Guest

          Thank you for chiming in, Val! Did you see similar movement from previous years? Could you share any details?

    • #21125 Reply
      CC
      Guest

      Is there a percentile conversion for the RGC score somewhere or some point of reference to know what’s considered a strong score?

      We moved here recently and missed the boat for applying for SEES for K entry, so we’re doing first grade entry this year. Got an offer for Beaubien, though this was low on our list due to location. We’re near Bell and Pritzker.

      My son got a 245 on the RGC exam. Serious question: is this a good score? Wondering if I should accept the Beaubien spot and a long commute or roll the dice with the waitlist for Bell or Pritzker. Possibly relevant – we are actually fairly happy with our neighborhood school and staying there is not a bad outcome.

      Thanks!

      • #21127 Reply
        Herm
        Guest

        Here is the link to a point conversion chart for Grades 1-8. It looks like a 245 converts to a composite score of 138, which I think would be too low to get into Bell in a 1st grade entry situation (I haven’t followed Pritzker too much in the past years). I think you generally need around at least a 150 to have a chance for Bell for entry years Grade 1 and above.

        https://cdn.bfldr.com/MXCD21SV/as/xbt42rtwkbnc4s44n3n9gh9/OAE_GoCPS_626408_SEESApplying1-8_EN_V1

        • #21328 Reply
          CC
          Guest

          Thank you, this is helpful. Pritzker is walking distance to us, so perhaps it’s a better option anyway if we were to receive an offer from the waitlist.

        • #21383 Reply
          Kay Cad
          Guest

          Actually- if you read it closely, based on the info in that link, for RGC a student needs at least 150 total points (that is- 150/300) in order to have the possibility of being placed on waitlist etc. Anything below 150/300 is below the median and will not be considered.The link does not reference the composite score of 150 being a cut off, but rather 150 total points (total points being the composite scores converted into N/300). While I don’t have peer scores/percentiles to reference, 245/300 is a strong score and well above the 150/300 needed for minimum/consideration… Good luck!

      • #21189 Reply
        summertime
        Guest

        Put the exact scores in an ai tool. Helped us understand percentile

        • #21330 Reply
          CC
          Guest

          Thank you, this idea didn’t even occur to me as I’m a bit of a luddite. ChatGPT was informative not only for understanding percentile but also the chances at each school. It agreed with above that Bell is almost certainly out and Pritzker is a maybe.

          It recommended taking the Beaubien spot and getting on the waitlist for Pritzker. The only problem is, we’re not actually at our neighborhood school but rather a magnet that is equidistant to our house and our neighborhood school. So, if we accept the Beaubien spot, we lose our magnet spot that we lotteried into at the end of last summer. Given we’re fairly happy with our current school, it’s a tough choice. We’ll learn more about Beaubien on the tour, but would love input from anyone here who has experience with it.

          • #21331 Reply
            summertime
            Guest

            Maybe not the popular opinion but if you’re walking distance from a school you’re happy at, I think that’s worth something.

            We made the decision to do our neighborhood school last year with our current kindergartner and haven’t really looked back. And even for our older child, we haven’t considered switching to sees because we’re happy. We need to supplement academically, and do, but that was the choice we made.

            Every family is different but think through the tradeoffs and what matters to you.

          • #21454 Reply
            Skyler
            Participant

            I’m sorry but ChatGPT is incorrect. I don’t think you can accept Beaubien and get on the WL for Bell and Pritzker, as they are in the same selective schools category. You either have to accept Beaubien OR let the offer expire and add Bell and Pritzker to the waitlist. “If an applicant’s Selective Enrollment offer expires or is declined, they will be able to add themselves to a waitlist in the same program category.” https://www.cps.edu/gocps/elementary-school/results/rolling-waitlist/

      • #21264 Reply
        ChiMama
        Guest

        Here’s a percentile calculator.

        https://www.omnicalculator.com/health/iq-percentile

        Assume 15 standard deviation. Put in the RGC composite score. In general yes, 138 is an excellent score. Just not always enough for cut offs in this competitive setting.

    • #21126 Reply
      Aville
      Guest

      Our son is 17 on waitlist for Decatur (tier 4). Any chance? Feels like a long shot, sadly.

      • #21154 Reply
        ASmallStepIn1
        Guest

        Curious as well. How much does the waitlist usually move? Does something in the #15-20 range have a shot?

        • #21165 Reply
          Birdie
          Guest

          Realistically, probably not. If you look at the admission data from previous years, it shows how many offers were made. For example, last year Skinner North Classical School had 53 offers for 50 spots, meaning only about 3 offers were made from the waitlist.

          • #21169 Reply
            ASmallStepIn1
            Guest

            Thanks!

          • #21186 Reply
            WY Mom
            Guest

            Where can you find data on spots and seats offered for elementary schools?

            • #21202 Reply
              Birdie
              Guest

              I think you could ask OAE for the detailed reports from prior years. Another option is to check CPS School Profiles → Admissions → Prior Cycle. For Decatur, you can see it here:
              https://www.cps.edu/schools/profiles/school-overview/admissions/decatur
              I’m not sure how precise the data is, but based on that information it appears that last year Decatur had zero offers made from the waitlist.

              • #21218 Reply
                HP
                Guest

                I’m not sure if that’s a correct interpretation of that stat. There were people on this forum last year who mentioned declining an offer to Decatur, so presumably at least one person got in off the waitlist. And people posting on this forum represent only a share of people taking part of the SEES process, so there were likely more.

                • #21225 Reply
                  Birdie
                  Guest

                  agree — it doesn’t seem correct. It’s probably best to reach out to OAE and ask specifically how many offers were made from the waitlist last year for Decatur or any other school. The number for SN did seem accurate, though that might just be a coincidence.

      • #21300 Reply
        ABCparent
        Guest

        Low chance. I’d find another option

      • #21302 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Honestly no!

    • #21128 Reply
      LPMom
      Guest

      If I understand correctly, tier doesn’t matter for transfers (presumably because they’re up against the added factor of an opening needing to be available) but we’re tier 4. Older kid who got the Bronzeville offer got 252/300 on RGC and 297/300 for Classical.

      • #21228 Reply
        ChiMama
        Guest

        Correct. Tiers only matter in the entry year. Kindergarten for most. 1st for Beaubien and Keller

    • #21129 Reply
      LC
      Guest

      We got an offer for Pritzker Regional Gifted Center (K), which we ranked 1st. Score is 247.5, Tier 4, was in for about 55 minutes for the test. Torn between this with ~15-20 min driving commute each way vs a magnet that’s a 5 min walk from our house. Would love to hear any current Pritzker experiences & thoughts. Wishing everyone luck with their offers and waitlists!

    • #21139 Reply
      LD
      Guest

      kindergarten app waitlisted across the board with 200/300 gifted and 197.5/300 classical point totals. tier 3. we ranked mcpherson 3 and we’re #11 on their waitlist. anybody know our chances? our son’s best daycare friend got an offer from mcpherson and we’d love to keep them together… but trying not to get our hopes up!

      we ranked bell #2 and we’re #17 on their waitlist, but i see someone’s comment above saying we’d likely need a composite score of 150 to get through there (our son’s is 120). thanks, all.

      • #21143 Reply
        LD
        Guest

        i don’t know how to amend my initial message – sorry, i’m new here :). i now see the link someone posted above with school-specific scores. really helpful! i’ll stay hopeful we might see some movement for mcpherson…

      • #21162 Reply
        ChiDad
        Guest

        Can I ask what your son’s friend scored for McPherson and the tier? We got a classical offer at SN but would have preferred Bell/McP because of location

        • #21167 Reply
          LD
          Guest

          i’d be happy to share if i knew – i don’t! i know they’re also in tier 3 and, based on that table someone linked in another message, 222.5 seems to have been the score cutoff for tier 3. so their score must have been higher than 222.5! trying not to get our hopes up with a score of 200, but we’d so love to get a spot!

        • #21168 Reply
          Birdie
          Guest

          This is just my personal perspective, but since SN is ranked #2 in the state, I personally wouldn’t trade it for McP. But I’m biased:)

          • #21179 Reply
            ChiDad
            Guest

            That’s fair and I know we are in a very fortunate position! Any thoughts on SN vs Hawthorne?

            • #21182 Reply
              Birdie
              Guest

              Still no. It’s a good school, but not really comparable to SN. I would only trade an SN offer for Edison or Bell, but it’s RGC, and it looks like your child scored higher on Classical exam. Again, it’s a biased opinion.

              • #21487 Reply
                ChiMom300
                Guest

                I don’t know if you would see this message or not… but I was curious what you think if a child’s classical score is only 10 more points than RGC. Does that mean he’s more suitable in Classical or 10pts really can’t make any difference here. Thanks!

                • #21490 Reply
                  Birdie
                  Guest

                  @ChiMom300 Both the Classical and Gifted programs advance students roughly one grade level while still following the CPS core curriculum, with some differences in approach. Your child will do great in either one!

                • #21495 Reply
                  ChiMama
                  Guest

                  The CPS constructed out of 300 scales aren’t really equivalent between RGC and classical. I’d suggest looking at percentiles if you want to see how your child did on one relative to the other (many iq calculators on the web, us SD of 15 mean of 100 and your child’s composite score).

                  Also agree with what Birdie said above).

        • #21435 Reply
          Mombie
          Guest

          Same opinion as birdie! You are lucky to have offered at SN. We drive 20 min for SN. Most of parents live far away

    • #21146 Reply
      MKC138
      Guest

      Hi. We just received our results and we’re having a tough time deciding what to do. If anyone has any idea of the best path forward for us, please let us know what you think.

      My son is in 4th grade in the gifted program at McPherson. He got a 300 on the RGC Point Total and got into Edison. We live near Bell, and it was our first choice.

      My daughter is in 1st grade in the regular program at Bell. She got 262.5 on the RGC and is #4 on the waitlist at Bell, #5 on the waitlist at Edison, and #1 on the waitlist at McPherson.

      We really don’t want to turn down the offer to Edison, but are wondering if there’s a decent chance my son’s 300 score would get him into Bell if we moved him to the waitlist? He had a friend transfer from McPherson to Bell last year.

      And what is the likelihood that my daughter will get an acceptance at Edison (or Bell) with her 262? We’re Tier 4 by the way.

      Thanks for the feedback. So hard to make sense of this, and good luck to everyone else!

      • #21155 Reply
        KT22
        Guest

        With a 300 in 4th grade I think you would be very likely to get into Bell RGC.

        For instance, my 4th grade child got a 245 RGC score and is #28 on waitlist for Bell and #32 on waitlist for Edison. So it seems Bell is easier to get into for 5th grade entry this year.

        • #21222 Reply
          MKC138
          Guest

          Thank you so much! This is exactly the info we were hoping for. Really appreciate it!

      • #21166 Reply
        Herm
        Guest

        I think your son has a very good chance to get into Bell. I would assume that if you decline Edison, and add his name to the Bell waitlist, he would most likely be #1 on the waitlist. So it all depends on if someone is leaving the class. If you can connect with a parent in the 4th grade Bell Options program, to see if there is anyone planning on leaving, that might give you a heads up to stay on the waitlist. You can always re-join the Edison waitlist and jump back to #1 on their waitlist if you know for sure that there won’t be any openings in the Bell class.

        Two years ago, my 1st grade child at the time scored a composite score of 152 and was waitlisted #3 at Edison. We were offered a spot sometime in July I think, but we declined, and knew the next person at #4 accepted the offer. I think that was the last spot offered, so the waitlist offers went all the way to #4 two years ago for 2nd grade entry. So for your daughter, I might guess it’s a 25-50% chance that she gets an offer from Edison. That same year, the Bell waitlist for 2nd grade had only one spot open up. Hope that helps!

        • #21223 Reply
          MKC138
          Guest

          Wow, thank you so much! this is really great info and we appreciate it.

      • #21278 Reply
        friendly dad
        Guest

        Hi, my son (going to K) got an offer from McPherson RCG. How was your family’s experience? What does a typical RCG day look like vs regular classroom?

        • #21304 Reply
          Mkc138
          Guest

          McPherson was great for us. My son transferred in from Bell (regular) in second grade and definitely found lots of scholastic success and a nice community of friends. The program is fairly new, so there are some growing pains, but we found it to be a great experience.

        • #21305 Reply
          Mkc138
          Guest

          McPherson was great for us. My son transferred in from Bell (regular) in second grade and definitely found lots of scholastic success and a nice community of friends. The program is fairly new, so there are some growing pains, but we found it to be a great experience.

          • #21325 Reply
            friendly dad
            Guest

            What are the growing pains you’re referring to? How is the aftercare specifically?

    • #21149 Reply
      Michele
      Guest

      #6 for waitlist at Bell – does anyone have a sense if we will get in or not?

      • #21303 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Which Tier? Is possible , but do have a Plan B in place.

      • #21308 Reply
        ChiDad
        Guest

        Can I ask your tier and score? Trying to gauge where on the wait-list we would be with tier 3 207.5

    • #21152 Reply
      NewCPSMom
      Guest

      Tier 4 Decatur offer! 99 percentile Math, 98 percentile reading

      • #21161 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Congrats!

    • #21157 Reply
      Angii
      Guest

      Hi,

      Can someone please tell me what admin decline means? We got an offer from a lower choice school but the 2 other selections we have admin decline.

      • #21160 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Hi! It means the scores are too low, so they declined it.

    • #21164 Reply
      LLA
      Guest

      Admin decline isn’t about the scores. From elsewhere on this site:

      “For Choice programs, students are automatically “Waitlist”-ed for any programs ranked higher than the one offered. A waitlist number (that can change nightly) will be shown as well. Otherwise “Admin Declined” will appear next to programs ranked lower than their offer or programs where a student was automatically removed by not meeting requirements for a program.”

    • #21174 Reply
      LoganSquareMom
      Participant

      Does anyone know if principals have access to the tiered waitlist scores? I understand admissions are not up to them but I’m curious if they could let us know generally where we’d fall on their waitlist if we reach out to them. (We got an offer so we’re not able to see waitlist for schools we ranked higher.) Also can you add the schools that were admin declined back to your app when the rolling waitlist opens, even if you’ve accepted another selective offer?

      • #21207 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Hi! Principals do not see the scores. After the first round you can call the school that you are interested in and ask how many seats available they have for your Tier. If you accept a SEES offer, that is it, you will be taken off the list for the rest of SEES schools. You could still be on Choice school list though

        • #21215 Reply
          LoganSquareMom
          Participant

          Thank you!

          So frustrating – I don’t see why they can’t treat the Selective side like the Choice side (allow people to see their waitlist number for schools they’ve ranked higher than one from which they’ve received an offer) – I’d love to be able to make a more informed decision. If we knew our WL number was high enough at our preferred schools that an offer was unlikely we wouldn’t risk declining the offer we have.

    • #21180 Reply
      Chi-mama
      Guest

      We have a 1st grader with a classical total of 297/300 98% in math and 98% in reading. We have an offer from a choice school – if we accept can we keep waiting for selective enrollment? Also does she have a chance to get into Skinner North #9 waitlist and Skinner west #5 waitlist? We’d prefer Skinner North. We’re tier 4.

      • #21181 Reply
        CpsDad
        Guest

        Yes you can accept the choice option and then re add yourself onto the selective enrollment wait-lists.

        • #21226 Reply
          ChiMama
          Guest

          I don’t believe accepting a choice offer would knock you off selective waitlists. They are separate. I’d suggest double Checking after you accept, but that’s been my understanding from the training CPS held.

          • #21235 Reply
            Chi-mama
            Guest

            Yes it so far kept me on the other waitlists phew!

        • #21233 Reply
          Chi-mama
          Guest

          I accepted the choice offer and didn’t have to relist for the selective schools so far – will keep checking.

      • #21220 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Hi Chi-mama!
        Honestly no chance, sorry! 9 kids would have to leave the class for your kid to get in ( we are talking about 1st Grade and not kindergarten,right?).

        • #21234 Reply
          Chi-mama
          Guest

          This would be for 2nd grade but I def see your point. Would #5 for skinner west seem likely or also probably not a chance?

          • #21241 Reply
            Birdie
            Guest

            Probably not at # 5, Skinner West has only 1 class for classical program (28 kids, I assume), so 5 kids need to leave the school. On the positive note, kids from WL 1 to 4 might get other offers and will remove themselves from the WL.

          • #21245 Reply
            Val
            Guest

            Don’t think #5 will get in, sorry. I’m not sure about 2nd grade, but I can tell you that the kindergarten class going into 1st grade has 24 seats, and no one is leaving. Maybe they will open one more spot up to 25 , but not sure about it.

    • #21183 Reply
      Dplan
      Guest

      We got an offer into Morton with a score of 232.5/500 for 1st grade. All other schools are Admin declined probably because we got an offer. If we decline this offer do you think there is any chance to get into another RGC like Pritzker or Bell? Do we have an option to add these schools in the rolling waitlist as they were not a part of my initial selection?

    • #21188 Reply
      Vdad
      Guest

      My kid got classical math score of 130 and 68 percentile. Is that accurate? I was thinking the score of 130 should be in 80 percentile?

    • #21190 Reply
      KMama
      Guest

      We are waitlisted for K @ McPherson and Edison in the middle teens. Any chance we will get in? We are looking for housing for next year, so not sure if its worth holding hope. McPherson would be our top choice.

      RGC 225/300 and classical 197.5/300 Tier 4

      • #21196 Reply
        Jay
        Guest

        My son scored the same in math with the same 68th percentile on the classical test. I have the same question as you as the conversion rubric shows 86th percentile matching the 130 score. What am I missing? https://www.cps.edu/globalassets/cps-pages/gocps/resources/elementary-school/25-26.sees-applying-to-1-8.pdf

        • #21214 Reply
          Sees-testing
          Guest

          You’re missing that “score” and “points” are different. 1st-8th grade Classical percentiles convert to points, as shown on the rubric.

          The “score” (standard score) isn’t on the rubric at all, except in the tiebreaker section. It’s basically exactly like HSAT.

    • #21191 Reply
      NWdad
      Guest

      Our first grader got 300/300 on RGC and 298.5/300 on classical, 99 %-tile math and 98%-tile reading. Tier 4.

      He is currently in McPherson RGC and received an offer from Pritzker. Wife was hoping for Bell or Edison. Some of the online comments about bullying at the elite schools were concerning to me.

      • #21192 Reply
        KMama
        Guest

        I’m curious why you were looking to test into another RGC from McPherson. Would you mind sharing? Any issues with the program?

        • #21194 Reply
          NWdad
          Guest

          I really like the McPherson RGC. I especially appreciate the interaction with the neighborhood program kids which has been very enriching. My partner is a striver though and always wants #1 so our son tests every year.

      • #21254 Reply
        Ldad
        Guest

        NWdad – I can answer some of your questions about current 1st grade classes. Feel free to email me at SeesCPS@yahoo.com .

    • #21197 Reply
      ChicagoMama
      Guest

      Current Kindergartner goes to a Montessori school. Tested for Keller, Tier 3

      RGC Point Total – 247.5/300
      Classical Point Total – 290.9/300
      96 percentile in Math and Reading

      Keller top choice and offered a spot.

    • #21198 Reply
      ChicagoMom04
      Guest

      Curious about SN vs Hawthorne, daughter has offer for 1st for SN, is currently enrolled in K at Hawthorne. Any insight is appreciated!

      • #21232 Reply
        chidad
        Guest

        Hi may I ask what your scores were? I also had SN as top choice for my 1st grader (Classical math 90 percentile and reading 99 percentile). SN is ranked #2 in the state (#1 in the past) so is usually ranked as a top school. And to get an offer in 1st grade (non-entry yr) is quite the achievement!

        • #21237 Reply
          Chicagomom04
          Guest

          She was 99th percentile reading 96 for math. We did not prep but K at Hawthorne is very strong and I attribute her scores to that. We love Hawthorne but it feels crazy to give up #2 in the state. I wonder about the social emotional component. I like that Hawthorne is mixed level at entry and still high performing.

          • #21280 Reply
            ChiDad
            Guest

            We have a K offer from SN and are waitlisted #4 for Hawthorne. Hawthorne was our top choice going in – but now we are very torn. How was your K experience at Hawthorne? Any potential downsides?

            • #21290 Reply
              Chicagomom04
              Guest

              Our K experience at Hawthorne was very academically rigorous, I assume similar to SN. Tons of homework for a kindergarten student in my opinion but my daughter went in reading slightly above level and is now reading chapter books and doing math far above level so the outcomes have been great. I am a teacher so I was able to manage the homework load but could see that being difficult/unappealing for some families. It is not selective enrollment so not every group of students is going to be immediately doing above grade level work like they would be at at SEES.

              • #21321 Reply
                ChiDad
                Guest

                Thank you for sharing your experience. Please let us know what you decide!

          • #21542 Reply
            Chiparent
            Guest

            I’d stay at Hawthorne if you have younger kids you’ll be trying to get into school. Hawthorne has sibling preference!

      • #21372 Reply
        chitownmom
        Guest

        I have kids on both SN and Hawthorne. SN kid is the older one. My suggestion is to stay in Hawthorne. Sorry I don’t want to talk about too many details.

    • #21204 Reply
      Trollingmom
      Guest

      Thought I would share results as I’ve been trolling this site for over a year lol

      RGC 222.5/ Classical 226 Tier 3 admitted to McPherson. Also admitted to Hawthorne which seems like a great school. Is McP the automatic choice in this case?

      • #21282 Reply
        ChiDad
        Guest

        I consider them to be equally strong schools. Would probably suggest using location/commute as the tiebreaker

        • #21335 Reply
          Trollingmom
          Guest

          Commute is same, about 20 minutes for either.

          • #21444 Reply
            Trollingmom
            Guest

            Went to both school tours and we’re going with Hawthorne. So there will be at least one open spot at McPherson RGC opening up. Sad to give up a gifted spot but I think it’s the right choice for us.

            • #21445 Reply
              ChiDad
              Guest

              Thank you for sharing. Can you elaborate on what swayed you towards Hawthorne? We are doing the tour at end of the month

              • #21448 Reply
                Trollingmom
                Guest

                For us it was the overall school. My child will be in aftercare and while he may be “gifted”, he needs more time to mature emotionally and I think Hawthorne can better provide for that.

    • #21211 Reply
      summerchi
      Participant

      my child scored 99.9% in both classical reading and math with a 272.5 point total and was offered SN for kindergarten (our first choice).

      the RGC score was 192.5 – while we focused mainly on math and reading when preparing for the SEES test and did very minimal RGC preparation, it’s still surprising how there can be such a huge gap in assessment between classical and RGC.

      • #21213 Reply
        summertime
        Guest

        We had nearly an identical result last year (our kid is a year older). And the pattern continued this year, although the rgc went up. we didn’t really prep for either test.

        Agreed it’s funny but I just think their brains are overdeveloped in some areas and still developing in others. I wouldn’t worry, it’s amazing your kid did so great on classical!

        • #21242 Reply
          summerchi
          Participant

          hah, that’s a relief to know the discrepancy is not uncommon then! I know the questions between the two types are quite different.

      • #21236 Reply
        Chi-mama
        Guest

        Can you share what books or materials you used to prep your child for the kindergarten test? I’ll be doing this again in a few years for my second. We got a couple books for my first but it didn’t seem to help, maybe the wrong materials

        • #21244 Reply
          summerchi
          Participant

          If you’re in tier 4, your child must comfortably be at a first grade level in both reading and math when taking the SEES assessment. for reading I got whatever level 1 books interested my child (berestain bears, pete the cat, disney stories) so we could read them together, and I’d make flash cards of any words she struggled with. for math we used a variety of worksheets from books like IXL, spectrum, SG etc, just make sure they cover up to first grade. your child should be able to add/subtract any numbers that doesn’t include borrowing/carryover.

    • #21216 Reply
      TestNexr
      Guest

      @summerchi how did you prepare your child? What level of reading they are at? Any specific math books?

      • #21219 Reply
        ChicagoMama
        Guest

        My kiddo did not apply to Skinner North because of distance. Our composite score was a 290.9. We didn’t test for kindergarten last year but kiddo was reading at 4 and doing kindergarten level work last year I used brain quest work books and we went to the library a lot and played board games. I know a lot of people stress about what programs but I did do a different approach an got the same result and was accepted to the top RGC of choice

      • #21246 Reply
        summerchi
        Participant

        my child was 4 yrs 3 months when taking the exam, and she could read and do math at a first grade level. we read a lot of berenstain bears/pete the cat/disney stories together, and I’d make flash cards of any words she didn’t know. for math we didn’t follow any specific book, just used worksheets from a variety of sources (ixl, spectrum, sg, kumon). she could add/subtract any number under 100 that didn’t include borrowing or carryover.

    • #21239 Reply
      Kay Cad
      Guest

      We got an offer at Edison. Our daughter got a 275/300 on RGC but 170 something on classical since she’s been in play based preschool and was only just 4 when we took the test. We hadn’t started academics yet. We are in tier 3. I’m curious if anyone know what the 275/300 corresponds to percentile wise?

      • #21265 Reply
        ChiMama
        Guest

        99.96 percentile as I think the corresponds to 150. https://www.gigacalculator.com/calculators/iq-percentile-calculator.php

        Is this for Kindergarten? Will you accept? My daughter got an offer there and we will accept. If you are, I’d love to connect as we don’t know anyone else going yet.

      • #21293 Reply
        Kay Cad
        Guest

        It is for kindergarten. I think we will accept. Our other option is Hawthorne- The only reservation I have is the bell schedule since she gets to her current program between 9:30 and 10:00 so anything before 8:00 is going to be a huge adjustment.

        • #21373 Reply
          ChiMama
          Guest

          7:45 is early for sure!
          Looks like from today’s email we will get people’s contact info to have some meet ups before summer ends so that will be great for the kids to be able to make some connections before day 1. Good luck with your decision process and look forward to meeting you if you all accept!

        • #21464 Reply
          Parmand
          Guest

          Can i ask what tier you’re in for hawthorne? We’re tier 3 and trying to see if the waitlist will move much.

        • #21558 Reply
          Parmand
          Guest

          Did you end up accepting Bell or Hawthorne?

    • #21240 Reply
      cps_parent1
      Guest

      Hi all, I had a quick question and would appreciate any input!
      My child (1st grader) tested RGC total 220, classical math 90p and reading 99. Was accepted to Keller. But not Skinner North or Decatur. Any way to gauge what cutoffs for Skinner North or Decatur would be for 1st grade?
      Thank you!

      • #21248 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        The scores for Skinner North would have to be 99/99 or 99/98. For an available seat, someone would have to leave…which it happens but rarely!

      • #21467 Reply
        Alice
        Guest

        We were 99/98 and didn’t get Skinner North (we got West, though, which we ranked below it).

    • #21271 Reply
      Rk
      Guest

      Hi! I see that my child is #1 on the general wait list (rising 1st grader) for a classical spot. Does that mean the first spot that becomes available will go to my child, or is there a separate list for each tier? Meaning, are we actually 4th in line?

      • #21272 Reply
        Rk
        Guest

        Ok, I see it’s very clear that tiers only apply for entry grades!

        • #21275 Reply
          Val
          Guest

          Hi! Tiers indeed apply only for kindergarten. #1 on the waitlist means that your kid could get in if there is actually a spot and if the kid/kids that got the offer rejects it. But also once the waitlist opens up again, kids with higher scores could take that spot. In general is much harder to get in after kindergarten because someone needs to leave in order for another kid to get that spot.

          • #21296 Reply
            Rk
            Guest

            Ah ok that makes sense! Thank you so much!

    • #21273 Reply
      Gigi
      Guest

      Can someone explain how the classical scores work. Do they add the reading and math percentile or the reading and math scores to obtain the point total?

    • #21274 Reply
      SD
      Guest

      Hello,

      I have a kindergartener appyling for 1st grade selective enrollment. They scored 295.4/300 on the classical exam and less well on the RGC. We applied to 4 RGC programs and 2 classical programs but the only offer we received was for Beaubien RGC which was our bottom ranked school. The other schools were listed as “admin declined”. I’m confused as to what that means. Surely if a seat is available and they scored as well as they did they would be waitlisted for a classical school? We received nothing about waitlists. Is that because we received an offer? If we decline would we see the waitlists for the other schools or are there just no seats available? Apologies for the many questions I’m just very confused. Also if anyone has an opinion on Beaubien RGC I would love to hear it. Thanks!

      • #21276 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Hi! Is admin declined because you already received an offer. Your kiddo has amazing scores, but it all depends if the classical schools have any seats available. For example , Skinner West might have 1, Skinner North might have 1, Decatur in general has none. So there were at least 2 other kids in the hundreds that tested that had higher scores than your kid.

        • #21277 Reply
          SD
          Guest

          Ok thanks that’s helpful to understand. I’m interested in any information about Beaubien RGC if anyone has any. We’re unfamiliar with the school as a whole.

          • #21294 Reply
            ChiMama
            Guest

            We have a second grader at Beaubien (so this is our second year). We’ve been happy. They do jump straight to second grade material in first so if your kid doesn’t have high classical/achievement scores that can be frustrating but sounds like for you that’s not an issue. Science is really strong and is also actually accelerated a year unlike many programs. The parents are chill friendly down to earth. Some interaction with the neighborhood classrooms with specials. The principal is responsive and if you reach out I’m sure would be happy to connect. You can also search this forum for Beaubien and there are a few other people’s posts from years back.

        • #21468 Reply
          Sees-testing
          Guest

          This isn’t exactly correct. There are more 1st grade seats available this year because they dropped the Kindergarten class size max to 25 last year, but 1st grade is still 28. So SN has at least 6 1st grade seats, SW and Decatur have at least 3, etc.

          • #21472 Reply
            Goldenrod
            Guest

            Interesting. Sounds like this is the dynamic across all SEES schools? Will this 25 per kinder class cap, stepping up to 28 in 1st grade framework continue going forward?

            • #21473 Reply
              Sees-testing
              Guest

              Yes, it applies across all SEES schools (and also magnets, presumably). It’s based on the CTU contract, so I imagine it will stay this way unless/until the class size caps established in the contract change.

      • #21363 Reply
        JS10
        Guest

        My child is a rising 1st grader and got accepted to SN with the same 295.4 score (math was 99P, which helps with the tiebreaker). We had both SN and SW on the list. So if you’re calibrating how your score stacks up on a classical waitlist, I think it would be quite high. Hope that helps!

        • #21501 Reply
          Chicagomom04
          Guest

          Will you accept at SN for first? Looking to connect with other families entering SN for 1st!

    • #21279 Reply
      friendly dad
      Guest

      For parents with kids currently at McPherson RCG, what’s been your experience?

    • #21291 Reply
      Chicagomom04
      Guest

      Anyone here have a current SN student and willing to share their experience?

      • #21301 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        Yes, we got in last year. Feel free to ask me anything here or email me at birdieparent@gmail.com.

        I would say the biggest difference between Skinner North and a magnet school is the pool of students. At SN, all the kids are very strong academically, and if someone needs support, the school really works with them to help them get there.

        The parents are also very involved. We communicate often and share our experiences, which creates a really supportive community.

        My kindergartener wasn’t a strong reader when he started, but now he’s reading chapter books and doing math above the first-grade level, which has been amazing to see.
        I also really love our principal — she’s extremely involved and gives parents many opportunities to share thoughts and concerns.
        If I had to mention a downside, I’d say the Spanish and art classes could be stronger, but academics are clearly the main focus of the school. There are also great after-school options like LEGO, STEM, and chess clubs, which my child really enjoys.

        • #21315 Reply
          Chicagomom04
          Guest

          Thanks for this! I will reach out. Interested in the Spanish class- my kid is bilingual and the Spanish was an appealing aspect that Hawthorne doesn’t have. Obviously not going to be immersion but nice to have some Spanish exposure.

          • #21317 Reply
            Birdie
            Guest

            Spanish is there – it is once a week. It’s just not like English every day for 3 hours 🙂

      • #21329 Reply
        mom
        Guest

        Both of my kids are in SN. I have to say the best part of the school is the peers. It’s not that easy to met families who has the same parenting style. I love our K – 1st grade teachers. They are very responsible and supportive. They can even notice some tiny things on our kids. For teachers above 1st grade, I’d say that are good, but not as good as K/ 1st grade teachers.

        • #21540 Reply
          Chiparent
          Guest

          disagree. So many of the teachers 2nd grade and beyond are incredible.

    • #21307 Reply
      Tiffani
      Guest

      Classical Reading percentile = 92
      Reading score = 121

      92 × 1.5151 = 139 pts

      Is this correct?

    • #21316 Reply
      HappyCow
      Guest

      1st kid applied for 5th grade:

      Reading 98
      Math 93
      Denied at Skinner North
      Accepted at Bronzeville

      RGC 235/300
      Denied at Pritzker

      2nd kid applied for 3rd grade:

      Reading 99
      Math 99
      Denied at Skinner North

      RGC 265/300
      Accepted at Pritzker

      Wild that even a 99/99 can’t get waitlisted at Skinner North.

      • #21318 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        Is it possible that it’s because no spots available? With 99/99 I would think you will be at the top of the WL…

        • #21320 Reply
          Birdie
          Guest

          Probably denied at both because you received another SEES offers, I might be totally wrong.

          • #21322 Reply
            ChiDad
            Guest

            You can only have one selective offer. The other schools are automatically declined

        • #21346 Reply
          jazzman
          Guest

          not sure about your travel distance but bronzeville is a great school great principle and you will have to fight to be able to be a parent volunteer because the parent participation is very very deep

          • #21370 Reply
            Tonga
            Guest

            Couldn’t agree more, child on tier 4 waitlist for BCS!

      • #21324 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Very important , what was the order of your preference for classical schools? Was SN number 1? If that s the case and you didn’t get an offer it means that no student is leaving, therefore they do not have a spot available!

        • #21340 Reply
          HappyCow
          Guest

          1 – SN
          2 – Pritzker
          3 – Bronzeville

          • #21343 Reply
            Val
            Guest

            Ok, so probably no spots available for 5th grade ( no student left to vacate a seat). Nevertheless amazing scores😊

      • #21483 Reply
        ChiMom300
        Guest

        I think you might have to get 99.9% in order to get in SN after K.

    • #21327 Reply
      Kelly Williamson
      Guest

      Can anyone provide any info on waitlist scores for Bell RGC. My son got a 242.5 (tier 4, for K). Got an offer at Pritzger RGC but wondering where that score would place us on the Bell list. Thank you!

      • #21337 Reply
        Susie
        Guest

        I would say Bell RGC is the most competitive in the city due to the location, wonderful resources and brilliant community. I would not expect many denials, maybe only 1-2 during the summer as things change, but so many people I know put Bell RGC as their first choice. Good luck anyway.

        • #21470 Reply
          GC Mom
          Guest

          My daughter , going into kindergarten / tier 4 , 242 for RGC Recieved an offer at pritzker . Are there any pritzker parents that can comment on school or program ? Or anyone that has heard feedback on the school . We live across town so going into this not knowing which way to go! She also received an offer at Tubman which was lovely and I am surprised by the low amount of applicants . Would love insight !

      • #21362 Reply
        LC
        Guest

        Hi, we got a Pritzker RGC offer too, but had it ranked 1st (location). Looking at the initial offer cut scores for this year, the Tier 4 cut at Bell was 252.5. So from what I understand, your child would be on a Tier waitlist that’s in descending order of scores from 252 on down. Given how highly desired those seats are (meaning very few people declining whether from initial offers or higher ranked on the waitlist), I think an acceptance off the waitlist is probably unlikely, but you never know!

        • #21365 Reply
          LC
          Guest

          Adding on to say that any declined offers that would help you would also have to be Tier 4 students, I believe. From what I understand, if someone declines an offer and they’re Tier 3, then it goes to the next highest Tier 3 scorer on the waitlist, and so on. So it’s a matter of how many accepted Tier 4 families would decline, and then how many higher scoring Tier 4 families would be ahead on the waitlist. A lot of unknowns.

    • #21333 Reply
      Akire
      Guest

      One child got accepted into gifted bilingual program with a score of 210. We accepted offer. I’m very sad younger sibling (current 1st grader) had a 147.5 and needed a min of 150 to be on waitlist for our tier. There isn’t sibling preference, do I have the younger sibling test again next year? Is testing only once a year?

      • #21345 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Hi! Yes, you would have to test again next year! From what I remember there is testing in the winter months ( November- January), but also in the spring . At least that is how it was last year. BUT, if you test in the spring, the kiddo wouldn’t have a real chance at a spot, and would go straight into the waitlist after the first round of offers.

    • #21334 Reply
      ChiMom300
      Guest

      Hello!
      We are Tier 4, tested for the Kindergarten, Classical Math and Reading 99.9%, total 282.5; RGC total 277.5. Got an offer from Edison, our first choice, but we are wondering if we decline the offer would we even have a chance to get in SN, our second choice? Does anyone know who got an offer from SN but won’t be going? Not sure how they determine the waitlist number….
      Thank you all!

      • #21336 Reply
        CC
        Guest

        Did you change your mind about Edison being your first choice? I would say if you got an offer at your first choice, take the offer and run!

        • #21341 Reply
          ChiMom300
          Guest

          Haha very true! Our concerns are that apparently our child did better in Classical than RGC and also moving to Edison is too far away from our work locations, which we didn’t realize at first. But we know it’s risky to give up an offer and get on a WL for SN which seems very hard to get in

      • #21342 Reply
        ChiMom300
        Guest

        Anybody knows a family friendly neighborhood to move to that’s both not too far to drive to Edison and also commune easily to downtown?

        • #21347 Reply
          cb
          Guest

          Ravenswood, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square are all fairly close to Edison. There are Metra and CTA options there, too. If you are living downtown or close to now, it would certainly be a longer commute, though.

          • #21348 Reply
            ChiMom300
            Guest

            Thank you! Really appreciate this.

        • #21361 Reply
          pothosvine
          Guest

          Albany Park itself is family friendly, as are the surrounding neighborhoods (North Park, Mayfair, Irving Park, Lincoln Square, Budlong, etc).

          • #21460 Reply
            ChiMom300
            Guest

            Thank you!

          • #21475 Reply
            KC
            Guest

            We wanted to be within walking distance of our daughter’s,and inventory available for purchase is so so low in that area

      • #21344 Reply
        Val
        Guest

        Very very risky! I’d say if is possible accept Edison. Last year when we tested for Kindergarten only 1 child got in from the waitlist ( Tier 4)! Also congratulations, amazing scores!

        • #21356 Reply
          ChiMom300
          Guest

          Thank you! Oh wow, that’s intense, yea it’s so risky.

      • #21355 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        With your score, you will be #1 on the waitlist for SN. Unfortunately, if you’re Tier 4, you would need someone from Tier 4 to decline their offer for a spot to open. I would also recommend reaching out to OAE and asking a specific question: if someone declines a rank seat, does it go to Tier 1, or to the next student who qualifies for a rank seat? Your score would qualify you for a rank seat as well.
        That said, it’s risky. We were in a similar situation last year, we declined another offer and joined the waitlist. Luckily, we did receive an offer, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that unless you have a solid Plan B. Perhaps someone on this forum might share by April if they’re planning to decline their offer.

        • #21369 Reply
          ChiMom300
          Guest

          I’m glad you got in the school! And that’s a really really good point- I will ask them that specific question. I had no clue that’s how the WL works. Thank you so much.

    • #21338 Reply
      Goldenrod
      Guest

      Any Bell RGC parents here who can share views? It has a great reputation, but I’m curious about how the program has changed over the recent years, if at all. I’m debating between this program and a solid private school that is more play-based in early years.

      • #21353 Reply
        Herm
        Guest

        Having been at Bell RGC for the past few years, hard to say if I see any major changes in the program. The principal is relatively new, she just started there 2-3 years ago. The 1st grade teacher is new this year; she just replaced a teacher who retired and had been at Bell for over 20 years. But this new teacher is excellent in her own right. But to answer your question, starting from kindergarten, it’s what you might expect from an RGC kindergarten program. A lot of play based activities, but also learning reading, writing, and math so they can bridge easily to the 1st grade curriculum. No kindergarten homework if I can remember, but just encouragement to read everyday with a parent or by themselves. The kids absolutely LOVED the kindergarten teacher because she was so sweet. 1st grade is more structured in classroom learning, about 2 pages of light math homework each day, everyday reading encouragement, and they start learning 2nd grade material around the end of the 1st quarter. The 2nd grade teacher is experienced and likes to challenge kids and teach them independence, with about 3-4 pages of math and spelling homework each day. 3rd grade has about 2 pages of math homework everyday, and weekly spelling, math, and/or reading comprehension tests. Overall, we have been very happy with the early grades at Bell RGC.

        • #21368 Reply
          Goldenrod
          Guest

          Thanks so much for this! How much time would you say kids spend on HW per day (I presume just Mon thru Thurs) in 1st, 2nd and 3rd? How satisfied are you with the enrichment during the school day and after school?

          Also I would love to hear impressions from any parents who attended the Bell RGC tour – I was so bummed I couldn’t make it. 😕

          I realize I should offer stats for the benefit of this community:
          Kid who got offer for Bell RGC 1st grade scored 255/300.
          Other kid who applied for 3rd grade scored 242.5/300 on RGC and 295.4/300 on Classical, landing roughly 20th(+/-) on waitlist for various RGC and Classical programs, so we are giving up on prospects here.

          • #21437 Reply
            Sam
            Guest

            Bell RGC elementary school homework depends on a teacher, but overall in 2-3 grades you would have 30-45 min a day for math (which is 1 grade above, and then starting from 4th or 5th grade it is 2 grades above) plus 20-30 min reading plus spelling (for our kiddo it is around 10 min per day to memorize all those difficult words), so 1-1.5 hours per day for us. And yes, there is often homework for Monday. Plus there are projects that kids have to do at home, which is an additional commitment, but I feel that it is always fun and we enjoy doing those together. In school there is further differentiation and they group kids by scores they receive during fall, winter and spring testing. It is a very holistic approach, we have been very happy. Families are amazing, kids are talented and bright, and it is just an amazing school overall. Good luck with your decision.

          • #21597 Reply
            Chicago mum
            Participant

            Hi @Goldenrod,

            Did you end up accepting the Bell offer? We just accepted offer to Bell for 1st grade. So if yes, i believe our kids will be in the same class.

    • #21349 Reply
      Chicago Dad
      Guest

      My kid got is waitlisted #11 at Oscar Mayer, #7 at Hawthrone and #17 at Bell. What are the chances my kid gets into each school is there past data that show now much the waitlist moves by these schools?

    • #21350 Reply
      Ali
      Guest

      Hi,
      My son got two offers – one for Decatur and Pulaski (EL -RGB since we are Spanish-speakers at home).

      I’m not quite sure what our Tier is, but still trying to figure out how to read our scores/points.

      Scores:
      RGB -102
      EL RGB – 128
      Classical Math Percentile – 99.9
      Classical Math Score – 149
      Classical Reading Percentile – 99.5
      Classical Reading Score – 139

      Both schools are 20 minutes from us but obviously Decatur is a better school. We honestly did not prep for the RGB/Classical test since at that time our son primarily spoke Spanish-speaking only so we had him test as a long shot even though he reads in English and Spanish and loves math.

      Any Decatur offers who are commuting far or EL-RGB parents who feel their program really challenges them?

    • #21375 Reply
      Amy
      Guest

      Hi. Can parents share their thoughts on NTA and Bronzeville? Thx.

      • #21387 Reply
        SLoopLife
        Guest

        Sure, what grade is the student entering? And what would you like to know more about each?

        • #21394 Reply
          Amy
          Guest

          Thanks! For 1st grade. I would like to know –
          1. Pros, cons
          2. Are these schools worth leaving a neighborhood school for?
          3 demographics of school.
          4. Class sizes.

          • #21405 Reply
            SLoopLife
            Guest

            We’re in the SL and were prepared to attend South Loop Elementary, NTA and Bronzeville.

            Consider commute time for before and after school and also assemblies, other events etc.

            Best resource for stats/demog on schools is below. Very thorough.
            https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx

            Bronzeville class sizes are around 26-28.

            • #21411 Reply
              ORS Mama
              Guest

              Bronzeville classes are 28. They do not go down to 26.

    • #21398 Reply
      South Loop Mom
      Guest

      My daughter is currently #1 on the Tier 4 waitlist at National Teachers Academy RGC. NTA is our first choice because it’s so close to home. Does anyone have a sense of how much movement there is typically on the waitlist for NTA RGC, and what the likelihood might be of her receiving an offer?

      • #21399 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        I think you have a solid chance!

    • #21400 Reply
      E
      Guest

      Does anyone have feedback as to how much more hand-on, problem solving, STEM focused is Bell RGC is compared to Hawthrone? They both seem accelerated and personalized learning. Hawthorne was our top choice school and Bell RGC our top SEES. My son scored 255/300 on RGB, 89% classical reading and average in classical math. His brain is very much in the problem solving, tinker, STEM realm (constantly making robots, machines, inventions, etc), but he also loves reading and we read chapter books every night. If Bell RGC is specifically catered to that sort of brain/learning that would be a strong factor in my mind.

      At the same time, Hawthorne is 10 minutes away as opposed to Bell being 20-25 min. We also have a 2.5 year old who I don’t anticipate doing as well on the RGB and I want them to be together. She may get into Bell regular through sibling preference, but there wouldn’t be any question at Hawthrone.

      My last thought is after school care at Bell seems OK but nothing praise worthy. Bell also seems HUGE. I know it has the reputation of having a great community, but do kids get lost in the fold? Thanks for reading through my stream of consciousness! I feel so lucky to have such great choices but I’m also terrified of making the wrong decision!

      • #21401 Reply
        ChiMom 19
        Guest

        You have two great options and I don’t think there is a wrong decision. I anticipate you’ll be thrilled with either option. With an entering K, I can’t speak to some of your questions but commute is a big deal with day to day satisfaction. 20 minutes in each direction is over an hour and half in the car for you a day. Commute is factoring heavily into our decision. Hope this helps and good luck!

      • #21438 Reply
        CPS Mom&Teach
        Guest

        Don’t undervalue the shorter commute time. We ultimately ranked BCS over Lenart for this reason and it was 100% the right choice. You are going to be going to your kids school way more often than you think – arriving to chaperone field trips an hour after drop off, evening events that start at 5, assemblies in the middle of the day. Adding an hour to each because your school is half an hour away is a lot.

      • #21491 Reply
        ChiDad
        Guest

        What did you decide?

        • #21529 Reply
          E
          Guest

          I think we are going to go with Hawthorne. 8 min commute vs 20 mins, we have a sibling who would get first dibs into Hawthorne as opposed to having her test/try to get into neighborhood at Bell, and I go back and forth about my son being with same 30 “gifted” kids K-8 plus navigating the gifted vs regular programs between the siblings. What’s holding me back is my son’s love for STEM and engineering, which I think bodes in favor of Bell RGC and how Bell RGC presents the curriculum with more hand on learning. So my gut is telling me Bell RGC is best for my son, but Hawthorne is best for our family overall.

          • #21610 Reply
            JM83
            Guest

            We have a kindergartener at Hawthorne. It’s very rigorous and the personalized learning is a real thing there, so I don’t think that parents should be concerned about a kid who tested into SEES not being challenged at Hawthorne. I know your question was more about STEM: the kindergarteners are doing a number of science projects/lessons at Hawthorne but they lean more biology than technology. And you’re absolutely right about your daughter likely getting into Hawthorne. The principal at Hawthorne strongly believes siblings should attend school together. Finally, we commute 25 mins to Hawthorne and that commute (plus some other factors) has us reconsidering Hawthorne.

            • #21612 Reply
              GBM
              Guest

              Could you share a little more about what other factors have you reconsidering Hawthorne?

    • #21404 Reply
      Val
      Guest

      Hi everyone!! For those on Skinner West waitlist for 1st Grade…there are chances. I found out today that they are going to open up a few spots. They are 24 kiddos now, will go up to probably 28. Good luck!

      • #21510 Reply
        Rk
        Guest

        Great news! Thank you for sharing.

    • #21406 Reply
      cream
      Guest

      Hi everyone! Does anyone have an idea of how many seats typically open up for 1st grade at Skinner North? I know it’s a non-entry year, so I’m curious if there’s usually any movement at all.

      • #21410 Reply
        mom
        Guest

        The current K only has 50 students, I assume for incoming 1st grade there should be 6 spots since both other grade has 56 students.

    • #21407 Reply
      Donutie
      Guest

      Hi everyone, I’m curious about the 6th-grade admissions for Skinner West this year. Does anyone know how many seats typically open up for this grade? Also, I’d love to know if there’s any information available regarding the cutoff scores for the students who were accepted this cycle. Thanks in advance!

      • #21509 Reply
        Rk
        Guest

        I can’t remember the exact number but there were quite a few new classical 6th graders two years ago. I would guess about 4-5.

    • #21408 Reply
      Chi mom 20
      Guest

      Hi all,

      My child got an offer to Morton RGC program. Composite score 214 (tier 4). Anyone have experience there and would be open to sharing? Our other option is our neighborhood school, Skinner.

      Thanks!

    • #21413 Reply
      faso
      Guest

      for all the waitlist no. concerns. I would love share my expierence. my kid was no.8 at bell wl(K) and no.2 at Edison. he got offer. on august bell wl suddenly move crazy and he got into Bell! I really can not believe it. and second year he was no.2 in Edison 1st grade wl but nobody left. I think who enrolled for edison is very hardcore, they wont withdraw. seems bell wl is more flexiable.

      • #21414 Reply
        Lorie
        Guest

        I disagree. We have seen Edison WL move so fast in the last couple of years for some elementary grades, but Bell was always 1-2 spots throughout the summer, not more. It depends on a year I think, but Bell is always the hardest to get in due to its North Center location. But do not lose hope.

    • #21446 Reply
      Chicagopizza
      Guest

      A rising fourth grade spot at pritzker will soon become available

      • #21447 Reply
        Chicagopizza
        Guest

        Pritzker RGC, sorry

        • #21513 Reply
          LakeEffectDays
          Guest

          Woah. Thanks for sharing this info. We are #4 on the waitlist for a fourth grade spot at Pritzker RGC.

    • #21484 Reply
      ChiMom300
      Guest

      Curious what people think about SN vs
      SW.
      Does anybody know anyone declining the offer from SN?
      Appreciate it.

      • #21488 Reply
        ChiMom300
        Guest

        Correct myself… does anyone know anybody declining a seat from SN Kindergarten? And their tier. Thanks!

    • #21492 Reply
      Jpmom
      Guest

      Quick question about waitlist.
      I’m gonna be out of country in this summer and if put my son’s name on the waitlist and will get offer while in summer, will school call me? Or will I get Email?? If only call, I might not receive the phone call because I’m gonna be out of country.. just curious.

      • #21494 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        You will get: I phone call with a voicemail about important update on your application, text message and email. Basically no need to check it manually.

        • #21499 Reply
          Jpmom
          Guest

          Thanks for the information!

    • #21505 Reply
      Jpmom
      Guest

      Sorry one more question about waitlist.

      if declined our current RGC offer,Is that possible to add my son’s name to multiple school waitlist? Is that possible to add name and remove anytime? Because I wanted to know which waitlist # each school and want to decide which school we want to focus on.
      Thanks in advance.

      • #21507 Reply
        Birdie
        Guest

        Yes, once the rolling waiting list opens up, you can add up to 5 schools. You will see your waitlist number once you add yourself to the list of the school right away.

        • #21508 Reply
          Jpmom
          Guest

          Thank you so much!

    • #21514 Reply
      CC
      Guest

      Perhaps this is a stupid question, but is it possible to decline an offer at this stage or does it simply have to expire? I only see an accept button. I’ve tried multiple browsers and looked all over the website.

      • #21518 Reply
        Jay
        Guest

        @CC it has to expire. There is no decline button.

    • #21515 Reply
      Alice
      Guest

      Does anyone have any idea how to see percentiles for each portion of the gifted test? My child scored more than 20 points higher on the nonverbal section… (77 nonverbal, 55 verbal) – curious to know if percentile wise her nonverbal scores are higher or if those scores are just higher in general.

      • #21522 Reply
        ChiMama
        Guest

        I have the same question. Would love if anyone has any ideas. For 1st grade and higher entry, the subscales seem to be on the same scale (and same percentile calculations) as the composite score. However, I think it must just be a raw score and not a standard score for the K entrance exam as the subscale scores are nowhere near the composite score.

      • #21523 Reply
        LC
        Guest

        I don’t know about percentiles (and am curious too!), but to your question of whether nonverbal & verbal are scored differently, I don’t think so. On the K test, we ended up with verbal & nonverbal scores within a point of each other in the mid 70s. So it could just be that your daughter has a lot of strength in nonverbal reasoning!

        • #21549 Reply
          Alice
          Guest

          Interesting! We got into classical for K this year, but one of the RG programs is walking distance from us… maybe we will see if we can work on the verbal portion to try to get in next year

          If I can ask, what did mid 70s in both categories get you for composite / points?

          • #21554 Reply
            LC
            Guest

            Congrats! The school proximity thing can be so frustrating– our closest and by far most convenient SE school is a classical, but turns out our kid’s learning style is more aligned with a RGC, so now we’ll be adding a 20 min driving commute to the closest one for next year. Her score was 247.5.

            • #21555 Reply
              ChiMama
              Guest

              Thinking they might be T-scores. Mean 50 SD of 10. That makes sense with our scores and seems like it would with yours. You can use this calculator to see how that maps on to percentiles (and the composite “iq” score). I’m not 100% sure but it seems to be plausible.

              https://www.psychometrica.de/normwertrechner_en.html

              • #21561 Reply
                Alice
                Guest

                Oh – I bet you’re right! Great thinking – thank you!

    • #21521 Reply
      GBM
      Guest

      Question. Tomorrow is the deadline for initial selections. We are #2 on the proximity waitlist for Hawthorne. Will offers only be made starting when the rolling waitlist opens? Or could we receive notice earlier than that point for something like proximity waitlist (which does not move initial positions when the rolling waitlist opens). Thanks for any insight.

      • #21533 Reply
        CC
        Guest

        I called them earlier today to ask a slightly related question. They said nothing happens on the waitlists until April 23. Not sure if that applies to proximity waitlists, but I’m guessing it does.

    • #21537 Reply
      Goldenrod
      Guest

      This absolutely breaks my heart, but I think we will decline our Bell RGC 1st grade offer. Logistics are just too tough for us. Hopefully this information is helpful to someone on the bubble.

      • #21538 Reply
        ChiMom300
        Guest

        Have you visited the school? How do you like it?

        • #21539 Reply
          Goldenrod
          Guest

          I was not able to visit, but I have not heard anything but glowing reviews about Bell (both neighborhood and RGC). Super heartbreaking. 😭

    • #21541 Reply
      ChicagoMom04
      Guest

      I think we may also decline our offer for SN 1st grade and stay at Hawthorne. Very difficult decision.

      • #21550 Reply
        ChiDad
        Guest

        Sibling preference or some other reason?

      • #21552 Reply
        Tgmom
        Guest

        Is that possible to ask you why decided to stay at Hawthorne? Not SN?

    • #21553 Reply
      ChicagoMom04
      Guest

      There were a few factors. Hawthorne was more convenient for us. The grounds and the neighborhood feel of Hawthorne and the overall facilities were more appealing. There are a few opportunities that Hawthorne provides that SN did not such as the opportunity to take geometry in MS. And ultimately the academic rigor seems similar.

    • #21556 Reply
      THEA
      Guest

      beaubien waitlist#3 tier4 tested for 1st grade, any chance?

      • #21557 Reply
        CPS Madre
        Guest

        I think so, for the 2024-2025 Beaubien made 5 Tier 4 WL offers.

        • #21559 Reply
          THEA
          Guest

          That’s great to know, thanks

      • #21568 Reply
        CC
        Guest

        We declined a tier 4 spot, so hopefully that helps you

        • #21573 Reply
          THEA
          Guest

          Thanks!

    • #21560 Reply
      Jay
      Guest

      @CPS Madre, could you let us know where you found this information?

      • #21565 Reply
        CPS Madre
        Guest

        CB posted this in the 2025 results last year

        • #21566 Reply
          CPS Madre
          Guest

          Previous post was supposed to include a link but the system gave me an error message. Feel free to head to the 2025 results and search FOIA and you should be able to find the information for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.

    • #21569 Reply
      Dustin
      Guest

      My daughter took her assessment today. We’re moving back to the US from Italy to start Kindergarten. The CPS process is a complete mystery at this stage.

      What is the cut-off for scoring for RG programs?

      We are currently in an Airbnb. I’m waiting on school choice to lessen commutes.

      Given we’re new to the city, what areas and schools are realistic? I’m confident she’ll do well, but I am not sure it will matter.

      • #21585 Reply
        cb
        Guest

        Not a CPS school, but wanted to share the link to a bilingual Italian preschool and kindergarten in Chicago in case helpful to your family. My kids attended there. Feel free to reach out to me at c0rinne@yahoo.com if I can answer any questions.
        https://scuolafermi.com/

        Agree with Birdie’s suggestions on wait list and picking a neighborhood w/ a strong local school.

    • #21570 Reply
      Birdie
      Guest

      Once you receive your results, be sure to add yourself to the waitlist on April 27. It’s also wise to choose a neighborhood with a strong local school as a backup (look up school ratings), since you’re applying in Round 2 and many RGC spots may already be filled. https://cdn.bfldr.com/MXCD21SV/as/mkmrqmsqm385h9k6wg8kc4kn/OAE_GoCPS_626408_SEESPointTotals_EN_V1

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