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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 CentersGuide 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).
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Looks like scores are live!
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I dont see offers, just scores. Is that right?
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All I see are scores too- no offers.
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Offers are out now!
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CPS official release time is 5pm today. Hopefully it will release offer or waitlist ranking by then.
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Yes it’s out now, including WL ranking
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If you aren’t seeing offers, you probably don’t have one. If you aren’t seeing waitlists, you should try refreshing your page.
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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)
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Alice, that is a great score, congratulations! Ms.Growe the kindergarten teacher for classical program at Skinner West is amazing!
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Thank you so much!! You have been such a kind and helpful resource these past few days. Excited to hear about the great teacher!
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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).
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Yes, you can! It’s just once you decline it – you will lose your spot at that school.
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@LPMom
Can I ask what tier and grade your child is at?
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#4 on Hawthorne Tier 3 WL. Any idea how much it moves?
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#4 has a big chance to get in for Hawthorne. Congrats.
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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.
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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
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#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.
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High chances! 😊
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Thank you for chiming in, Val! Did you see similar movement from previous years? Could you share any details?
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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!
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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
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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.
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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!
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Put the exact scores in an ai tool. Helped us understand percentile
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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.
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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.
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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/
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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.
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Our son is 17 on waitlist for Decatur (tier 4). Any chance? Feels like a long shot, sadly.
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Curious as well. How much does the waitlist usually move? Does something in the #15-20 range have a shot?
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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.
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Thanks!
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Where can you find data on spots and seats offered for elementary schools?
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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.-
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.
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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.
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Low chance. I’d find another option
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Honestly no!
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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.
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Correct. Tiers only matter in the entry year. Kindergarten for most. 1st for Beaubien and Keller
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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!
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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.
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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…
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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
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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!
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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:)
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That’s fair and I know we are in a very fortunate position! Any thoughts on SN vs Hawthorne?
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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.
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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!
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@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!
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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).
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Same opinion as birdie! You are lucky to have offered at SN. We drive 20 min for SN. Most of parents live far away
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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!
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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.
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Thank you so much! This is exactly the info we were hoping for. Really appreciate it!
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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!
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Wow, thank you so much! this is really great info and we appreciate it.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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What are the growing pains you’re referring to? How is the aftercare specifically?
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#6 for waitlist at Bell – does anyone have a sense if we will get in or not?
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Which Tier? Is possible , but do have a Plan B in place.
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Can I ask your tier and score? Trying to gauge where on the wait-list we would be with tier 3 207.5
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Tier 4 Decatur offer! 99 percentile Math, 98 percentile reading
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Congrats!
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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.
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Hi! It means the scores are too low, so they declined it.
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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.”
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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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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Yes you can accept the choice option and then re add yourself onto the selective enrollment wait-lists.
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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.
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Yes it so far kept me on the other waitlists phew!
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I accepted the choice offer and didn’t have to relist for the selective schools so far – will keep checking.
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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?).-
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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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I’m curious why you were looking to test into another RGC from McPherson. Would you mind sharing? Any issues with the program?
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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.
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NWdad – I can answer some of your questions about current 1st grade classes. Feel free to email me at SeesCPS@yahoo.com .
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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 ReadingKeller top choice and offered a spot.
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Curious about SN vs Hawthorne, daughter has offer for 1st for SN, is currently enrolled in K at Hawthorne. Any insight is appreciated!
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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!
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Thank you for sharing your experience. Please let us know what you decide!
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I’d stay at Hawthorne if you have younger kids you’ll be trying to get into school. Hawthorne has sibling preference!
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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.
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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?
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I consider them to be equally strong schools. Would probably suggest using location/commute as the tiebreaker
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Commute is same, about 20 minutes for either.
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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.
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Thank you for sharing. Can you elaborate on what swayed you towards Hawthorne? We are doing the tour at end of the month
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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@summerchi how did you prepare your child? What level of reading they are at? Any specific math books?
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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
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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! -
Can i ask what tier you’re in for hawthorne? We’re tier 3 and trying to see if the waitlist will move much.
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Did you end up accepting Bell or Hawthorne?
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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?
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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!
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We were 99/98 and didn’t get Skinner North (we got West, though, which we ranked below it).
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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?
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Ok, I see it’s very clear that tiers only apply for entry grades!
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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.
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Ah ok that makes sense! Thank you so much!
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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?
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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!
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Will you accept at SN for first? Looking to connect with other families entering SN for 1st!
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My kiddo will be with you at the 1st grade. We can connect via birdieparent@gmail.com
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For parents with kids currently at McPherson RCG, what’s been your experience?
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Anyone here have a current SN student and willing to share their experience?
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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.-
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.
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Spanish is there – it is once a week. It’s just not like English every day for 3 hours 🙂
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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.
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disagree. So many of the teachers 2nd grade and beyond are incredible.
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Classical Reading percentile = 92
Reading score = 12192 × 1.5151 = 139 pts
Is this correct?
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1st kid applied for 5th grade:
Reading 98
Math 93
Denied at Skinner North
Accepted at BronzevilleRGC 235/300
Denied at Pritzker2nd kid applied for 3rd grade:
Reading 99
Math 99
Denied at Skinner NorthRGC 265/300
Accepted at PritzkerWild that even a 99/99 can’t get waitlisted at Skinner North.
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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…
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Probably denied at both because you received another SEES offers, I might be totally wrong.
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You can only have one selective offer. The other schools are automatically declined
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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
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Couldn’t agree more, child on tier 4 waitlist for BCS!
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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!
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1 – SN
2 – Pritzker
3 – Bronzeville-
Ok, so probably no spots available for 5th grade ( no student left to vacate a seat). Nevertheless amazing scores😊
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I think you might have to get 99.9% in order to get in SN after K.
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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!
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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.
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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 !
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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!
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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!-
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!
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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
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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?
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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.
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Thank you! Really appreciate this.
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Albany Park itself is family friendly, as are the surrounding neighborhoods (North Park, Mayfair, Irving Park, Lincoln Square, Budlong, etc).
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Thank you!
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We wanted to be within walking distance of our daughter’s,and inventory available for purchase is so so low in that area
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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!
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Thank you! Oh wow, that’s intense, yea it’s so risky.
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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.-
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.
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Hi curious did you end up joining the waitlist and what number waitlist are you for skinner north?
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Hi curious did you end up joining the waitlist and what number waitlist are you for skinner north?
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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.
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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.
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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.-
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.
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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?
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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 – 139Both 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?
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Hi. Can parents share their thoughts on NTA and Bronzeville? Thx.
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Sure, what grade is the student entering? And what would you like to know more about each?
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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.-
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.aspxBronzeville class sizes are around 26-28.
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Bronzeville classes are 28. They do not go down to 26.
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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?
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I think you have a solid chance!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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What did you decide?
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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.
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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.
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Could you share a little more about what other factors have you reconsidering Hawthorne?
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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!
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Great news! Thank you for sharing.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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A rising fourth grade spot at pritzker will soon become available
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Pritzker RGC, sorry
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Woah. Thanks for sharing this info. We are #4 on the waitlist for a fourth grade spot at Pritzker RGC.
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Curious what people think about SN vs
SW.
Does anybody know anyone declining the offer from SN?
Appreciate it.-
Correct myself… does anyone know anybody declining a seat from SN Kindergarten? And their tier. Thanks!
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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.-
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.
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Thanks for the information!
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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.-
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.
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Thank you so much!
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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.
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@CC it has to expire. There is no decline button.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Oh – I bet you’re right! Great thinking – thank you!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Have you visited the school? How do you like it?
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I was not able to visit, but I have not heard anything but glowing reviews about Bell (both neighborhood and RGC). Super heartbreaking. 😭
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I think we may also decline our offer for SN 1st grade and stay at Hawthorne. Very difficult decision.
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Sibling preference or some other reason?
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Is that possible to ask you why decided to stay at Hawthorne? Not SN?
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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.
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beaubien waitlist#3 tier4 tested for 1st grade, any chance?
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I think so, for the 2024-2025 Beaubien made 5 Tier 4 WL offers.
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That’s great to know, thanks
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We declined a tier 4 spot, so hopefully that helps you
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Thanks!
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@CPS Madre, could you let us know where you found this information?
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CB posted this in the 2025 results last year
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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Wow, not one wait-list position changed this morning across 5 SEES and 7 Choice programs. Seems weird? Anyone else see any movement for that rolling wait-list opened this morning? Maybe it’s only after this first round goes out that numbers change
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It’s early and the rolling waitlist just opened. I’m guessing there are a lot of families that haven’t actually re-added their kids to the waitlists if they let offers expire. I don’t know how many students actually do the later exams and join the waitlist at this point in the year.
Not sure when of the offers start going out now that rolling waitlist has begun. I feel like in the past it’s been Tuesdays and Fridays so maybe as soon as tomorrow?
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Oh that makes sense. I think I remember seeing Tuesday’s and Fridays too. Thanks for replying!
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Wow, not one wait-list position changed this morning across 5 SEES and 7 Choice programs. Seems weird? Anyone else see any movement for that rolling wait-list opened this morning? Maybe it’s only after this first round goes out that numbers change
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We actually moved two spots backwards. Did that happen to anyone?
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How much do lottery magnet schools tend to move vs SEES and magnet clusters? We’re new to Chicago and #7 and #8 on two in the top 5. TIA
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Hi
Any one on waitlisted for skinner north kindergarten tier 4? can you please share the waitlist number and score please?
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Tier 4 SN Waitlist #2, 233.8
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thank you. Score breakdown please Reading vs Math
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thank you for sharing your composite score. Could you please share your kids score Math score and Reading separately? Really appreciate it.
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thank you for sharing your composite score. Could you please share your kids score Math score and Reading separately? Really appreciate it.
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We have accepted offer from another school but our kid has the same composite classical score of 233.8. I am wondering how multiple kids can have same classical score. Just curious
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Also, my daughter took the SEES Assessment on 7-April. We can’t apply for RGS yet, still waiting for scores.
Any idea when that’ll happen?
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My son has scored 233.8 points( 99.5% in reading and 97% in math). He has been offered our second choice which is going to be a hard commute for us. wanted to checkin if the kindergarten waitlist for tier 4 at Skinner North moves? and also if someone with this score has gotten into skinner north via waitlist last year or so?
Thanks
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Last year one offer was made from
WL in T4. The total points (cut off score) last year was different that this year, so you can’t compare. Your score looks pretty strong, maybe others in t4 who already got the offer can share their score to give you an idea how close you are to those who got in. The main question: do you have a plan B if you don’t get an offer from SN, will you regret declining current offer? Good luck!
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Based on experience from last year under the new waitlist format, is the Kindergarten waitlist expected to move much for schools such as Carnegie, Morton, and Lenart?
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I think at least Morton moves a lot since it’s new and people worry about trying a new program. I have no personal experience, but my sense from reading last years’ thread is that there’s a lot of movement on waitlists for K for schools that are not on the near north/northwest side (minimal Bell, SN, Edison movement but good movement elsewhere).
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what has changed in the waitlist process? Kindly advise
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It used to be that you could get multiple SEES offers at once. Now, you get a single best offer from the list of choices and the offer throws you out of the waitlist for any other SEES. You then have to decline and manually add yourself back to the waitlist. Most would not even include a place they would truly consider because it may hurt their chances at the school they really want their child to attend. It also speeds up the process. I am not saying I prefer it this way, and others may have a list of drawbacks.
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Why I don’t see any movement in waitlist? I thought some people on the waitlist are going to be given an offer.
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Anyone got an offer yet?
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I just got an offer for a choice school. It was a reminder to go remove myself from the choice school waitlists as I had forgotten. From previous years, I remember the waitlist numbers not moving until the day after spots were sent out. If a spot was offered today, the waitlist numbers should change in the morning. Offers tend to go out between 10 to 11am.
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No offer and no waitlist movement for us today either. Maybe this Friday first offers go out?
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I have been very confused with performance across the different classical schools and was wondering if there are any parents that may be able to offer some advice / share their experience.
Based on Kindergarten SEES entry testing, it looks like schools such as Bronzeville, Decatur, McDade, Poe, Skinner, etc. all have relatively tight min scores in the 190-220 range (https://cdn.bfldr.com/MXCD21SV/as/mkmrqmsqm385h9k6wg8kc4kn/OAE_GoCPS_626408_SEESPointTotals_EN_V1).
However, when looking at US News report on student proficiency over the long term, there seems to be significant disparities across the schools.
Schools like Skinner North and Decatur are at the 80-90% proficiency level, but schools like Bronzeville, McDade, Poe all hover in the 50-60% range. Is this a reflection of the schools that cause the gap to widen over time? If so, what are the drivers? Quality of teachers, amount of school resources, something else?
Poe: https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/illinois/poe-elementary-classical-school-238012
McDade: https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/illinois/mcdade-elementary-classical-school-237329
Skinner: https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/illinois/skinner-north-elementary-school-233903It was also interesting to see like neighborhood schools such as Lincoln Elementary have proficiency scores in the 70%+ range. It seems odd to me that a neighborhood school with broad intake / no testing requirements would perform better than classical schools that had an intake of selective, high performing students. Would it suggest that Lincoln does a better job of turning B/C students into A students, or perhaps McDade/Poe actually cause A students to slip to B/C students?
Would this suggest we would be better off sending our child to Lincoln Elementary instead of McDade or Poe?
Sorry to ramble and I’m sure I’ve made some incorrect assumptions somewhere. Going through this for the first time with our child and would really appreciate any advice from the community!
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I called CPS since a lot of people on here were talking about no movement, and another poster above said they hadn’t received results of the Spring testing yet. Got me curious.
Turns out, no selective enrollment offers will go out until May. Date TBD (or at least person I talked to didn’t know) but it will be after the Spring RGC test results come out.
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Thanks for the update. We had our WL spot at Galileo go down 6 spots, but had our sport at NTA RGC go up 2 and Lenart not move at all.
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I think people will see their waitlist position move higher as people add themselves to more waitlists for SEES. Probably not everyone added when it opened yesterday.
For choice schools, they are making offers starting today.
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From OAE: To ensure fairness for all applicants, the Office of Access & Enrollment will not make any Selective Enrollment Elementary School (SEES) offers until spring testing families have had the opportunity to view their scores and join waitlists.
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Thanks! Any insight on timing for this?
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It said “some time in May”, my prediction by the end of the next week, but who knows.
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We are trying to see where our kid would fall in the waitlist for Skinner north kindergarten admission if we decline our current offer. Could someone please share your kids individual Math and English score and waitlist number. Would be a huge help because if we decline we don’t have a backup school option.
thanks
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My daughter on #2 at Edison Tier 2 WL for (K) does she make it. this is our first time so excited Any idea how much it moves? Thank you.
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We’re #1 listed at Beaubien and #5 at McPherson for first grade. The neighborhood school is Coonley. Debating what should we do. Would love McPherson since it’s closer, but not sure if it the list will move.
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anyone knows of parents who will be decline skinner north? Tier 4 kindergarten offers?
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I know one decline, tier 4
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Hiya! Our rising second grader was waitlisted #2 at Beaubien and #3 at McPherson. Do they have an actual chance at getting in to either school?
Last year’s waitlists (different rankings) seemed to have little-to-no movement. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge with these schools?
Thank you in advance!
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Hi,
My daughter is a rising second grader also hoping to get into McPherson. She’s #1 on the waitlist and will likely accept. We’re counting on it for a couple reasons.
My son is at McPherson now (4th grade RGC). He got in late in the summer before 2nd grade. They clearly had quite a bit of movement, as there were several new students that year and each subsequent year. I’d approximate that there were about 5 new kids in his class each year because of either movement or expanded class size. This year, many of the students were transferred in during the first week of school, so a lot of this can happen quite late.
McPherson has gotten much more popular, so I have a feeling it’s tougher to get a spot, but I still have a feeling there would be at least 3 spots that open up each year.
Unless our daughter’s waitlist number changes after the spring test takers are added, we think it would be a lock. I hesitate to say this because I wouldn’t want to steer you wrong, but I have a feeling you stand a very good chance. Good luck and maybe our kids will be in the same class!
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We are trying to see where our kid would fall in the waitlist for Skinner north kindergarten admission if we decline our current offer. Could someone please share your kids individual Math and English score and waitlist number. Would be a huge help because if we decline we don’t have a backup school option.
thanks
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@confused parent If you’re asking the community for help, it would be really helpful to also share your scores/tier. This way, others can better understand your situation and offer more meaningful guidance.
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RGC 222.5/ Classical 226 Tier 3 admitted to McPherson and declined
#3 WL at both Edison and Bell, hope this helps! Added Pritzker, then removed bc was curious, and was #2
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our kids classical score is 233.8. Reading 99.5 percentile and Math 97 percentile. tier 4 kindergarten. Accepted Decatur
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If you look at the cut scores for skinner north, 233.8 is the cut score for kindergarten tier 4. Therefore you would likely be at the top of the tier 4 waitlist since you’re right at the cut score.
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The cutoff for T4 is 238.8, so you would be 5 points below cutoff score – IMO it’s too risky.
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If you were at the cutoff score as CPS parent said, then you had a solid chance to be at the top of the WL list.
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Oh woops! I was looking at skinner instead of skinner north.
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We took a similar risk when one of ours was top of waitlist at both Skinners, but a magnet we loved just down our street was backup.
The risk was do we wait for the nearby (1 mi) Skinner to open a seat for our tier, or accept the invite from the other Skinner (25 mi drive across two expressways). We accepted the invitation in hand. Last year’s admissions data shows we wouldn’t have received an invite to the Skinner close to us, there were no more waitlist invites that went out.
Being T4, you need someone to decline their T4 invite AND for no spring testing student to have jumped ahead of you in T4. OR you need four families to decline their rank seat, which would then be issued to the next on the waitlist for T1, T2, T3, T4 in that order. And priority, so they say, goes to the lowest tiers which also have fewer enrolled students vs the other tiers.
To me that’s a giant risk.
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and we knew exactly where we were on waitlist, with a backup, with an invite in hand…
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@pa what was your score last year? Since we were WL 1 last year and we got the offer. We had a cut off score
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How did you not made it in the first round if you had the cut off score? Did you decline a spot at other school and rejoined the waitlist for skinner north?
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There can be ties. If there’s one seat left and multiple students with the same score (let’s say 238.8), it goes to a tiebreaker. In this scenario, 238.8 becomes the cutoff score, but some students with that score (the ones that lost the tiebreaker) end up waitlisted or offered a school they ranked lower.
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Meeting the cutoff doesn’t guarantee a spot. There are only 50 seats: 30% go to rank, leaving ~35 seats split across tiers, so each T gets only 8–9 spots. When multiple students have similar scores, CPS applies tiebreakers: first comparing math scores over reading, and then using a lottery if needed.
In our case, we didn’t receive an offer even with cutoff score, but we knew it will place us top/high on the waitlist. That’s why IMO being 5 points below the cutoff (and having math score lower than reading) is quite risky.-
thank you! what tier were you?
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thank you! what tier were you?
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T4
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Just to give you perspective: the NewCPS mom had the same overall score as your child, but a higher math score, so she ranked above and was #2. Since she removed herself, you’d now be #2 on the waitlist.
That’s a strong position, but you’d still need at least 2 of the ~9 Tier 4 offers to decline (which does happen: historically T4 gets at least one WL offer), or for #1 to accept another school (also likely). So it’s worth trying, but only if you have a solid backup (neighborhood or private), like we did.
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Spring testing folks would join as well. secondly like you said more kids might have the same score, may be with 98 math and 99 reading.. still may not be #2 on the list… thoughts?
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I wouldn’t do it, you have a great offer in your hands. Next year SN will have 6 extra spots – you can always try again if you don’t like your current school/or commute is too long. Our situation was different, we had a private school lined up and didn’t count on any offer.
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makes sense. thank you!
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My last thought: if you decide to go for it, I wouldn’t worry too much about spring applicants, it’s a much smaller pool (probably up to 20 kids) compared to the thousands who apply in the fall.
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thank you so much! we will just stick with Decatur. OAE mentioned on Friday, skinner north hasn’t come back with any open slots as of now. which means even WL 1 might not move. Thank you so much!
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Congratulations! That sounds like the right call. Your child will do amazing there
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Same exact score for my kid (except 99 math and 98 reading) and was #2 on SN Waitlist before I took us off!
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Tier 4 to clarify!
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so you are not on waitlist anymore @ new cps mom?
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so you are not on waitlist anymore @ new cps mom?
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also what is your individual score for reading and math? that would really help us decide. thank you so so much
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Are there new offers going out today?
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not for me, we’re on the WL #1 tier4 keller
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just had an interesting conversation with the office of access and enrollment. i was told selective enrollment offers are currently on hold because spring testing results are still being processed. someone else posted this here, i know – i’m just confirming that again. when i asked about spring testing (it was NOT an option when we applied in the fall), i was told the decision to offer this additional testing opportunity was made early this year. applicants will be folded into the existing waitlists as their results are processed. we might see selective enrollment waitlist movement next week. seems like quite the mess. i was told the office might send out an email with additional clarification. i wish we could have known spring testing would be an option for the 2026-27 academic year. i definitely would have waited.
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I find this quite unfair as we chose the last appointment that was available (February) to give our daughter as much time to develop and prepare, in late march after seeing how quickly she advanced in reading and math since she completed her evaluation for kindergarten we would joke that if only we had a couple more weeks. She would have had the opportunity to score much higher. Now we’re seeing that we have to wait for parents who applied and had their child take the assessment during a much later date, and their scores will place their child in the current waitlist and possibly knock down the children who took the assessment during the original window, and some of those children could be one waitlist spot away from getting into their top choice. This does not seem right.
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i completely agree. i’m really disappointed. we asked if our child might have been able to re-test in the spring (had we known the opportunity was there) and were told no – applicants could only test one time per application cycle. our son’s birthday is two days before the CPS cutoff, meaning he was a young 4 during fall testing and he’ll still be 4 years old when kindergarten starts this year. we’re really frustrated.
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scores are age-adjusted at the time your child takes the test. I also have a younger child and we strategically chose to test earlier in the season because young 4-year-olds are expected to know less than 5-year-olds. so taking the test later won’t necessarily guarantee a higher score.
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we were told that in the fall, yes, but after seeing how this application cycle and admissions process has been managed i don’t feel terribly compelled to take their word for it.
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This is a really weird take. As a previous poster mentioned, scores are age-adjusted, so waiting to test offers literally no advantage. As was also previously mentioned, there is no guarantee that seats will even be available at your desired school(s) in the spring. Spring testers are inherently at a disadvantage.
Spring testing has been offered every year for as long as I can remember (2023-24), probably before then too. I’m not sure what this group of posters thinks is unfair about it…I guess people who missed testing in the initial window due to illness or who didn’t find out they were moving to Chicago until after the November deadline should just be SOL?
“we were told that in the fall, yes, but after seeing how this application cycle and admissions process has been managed i don’t feel terribly compelled to take their word for it.”
Can you share details on what you mean here? Of course the process is unnecessarily convoluted, but there’s no getting around that. Did something happen to make you say this?
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what i posted above was told to me this morning by an employee of the office of access and enrollment. i believe their exact words were, “we didn’t even know spring testing would be offered.” i feel the OPTION to have children tested in the spring should have been provided to parents. it was not. the transparency would have been nice. i’m sorry you feel that’s a weird take.
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Pretty sure a lot of the phone reps are new, or at least that what my impression has been when calling. I generally get a better response if I email.
Can you help me make my point in a clearer way and possibly suggest a more apt analogy? “Pretty sure a lot of the phone reps are new, or at least that what my impression has been when calling. I generally get a better response if I email.
Is there something else that happened to make you so frustrated with the management of the process, or is it just the fact that they didn’t advertise the opportunity to test in the spring and not be able to join waitlists until most seats have already been filled? Again, it’s an unnecessarily convoluted process, but it makes zero sense to proactively advertise spring testing in the fall, when missing the chance to be considered during round 1 is such a clear disadvantage. It’s like getting mad over the fact that you purchased baseball tickets in advance, but the website didn’t notify you that you’d have the option to buy tickets from scalpers the day of the game.” Here’s the message board thread for context: “This is a really weird take. As a previous poster mentioned, scores are age-adjusted, so waiting to test offers literally no advantage. As was also previously mentioned, there is no guarantee that seats will even be available at your desired school(s) in the spring. Spring testers are inherently at a disadvantage.
Spring testing has been offered every year for as long as I can remember (2023-24), probably before then too. I’m not sure what this group of posters thinks is unfair about it…I guess people who missed testing in the initial window due to illness or who didn’t find out they were moving to Chicago until after the November deadline should just be SOL?
“we were told that in the fall, yes, but after seeing how this application cycle and admissions process has been managed i don’t feel terribly compelled to take their word for it.”
Can you share details on what you mean here? Of course the process is unnecessarily convoluted, but there’s no getting around that. Did something happen to make you say this?
05/01/2026 at 12:44 pm#21729Reply
anon
Guest
what i posted above was told to me this morning by an employee of the office of access and enrollment. i believe their exact words were, “we didn’t even know spring testing would be offered.” i feel the OPTION to have children tested in the spring should have been provided to parents. it was not. the transparency would have been nice. i’m sorry you feel that’s a weird take.”
Show moreYour core point is solid—you’re just getting a little tangled between (1) acknowledging the process is imperfect and (2) pushing back on the idea that something unfair or hidden happened. Tightening that distinction will make your argument land better.
Here’s a clearer, more focused version with a cleaner analogy:
I’ve had a similar experience calling—my impression is that a lot of the phone reps are newer, so I tend to get more consistent information via email.
That said, I want to separate two things: the process being complicated (which it absolutely is) and the idea that something was hidden or unfairly withheld. Spring testing has existed for years, but it’s not really presented as an “option” on equal footing with fall testing—it’s more of a contingency for families who miss the main window. Because of that, spring testers are inherently at a disadvantage in terms of available seats.
Given that, it wouldn’t really make sense to actively promote spring testing alongside fall testing. Doing so would suggest they’re comparable pathways, when they’re not.
I’m also curious—was there something specific this cycle that made you feel like the process was mismanaged, or is the frustration mainly about not being able to access waitlists earlier?
To me, it’s less like something being hidden and more like this: it’s like buying concert tickets during the main presale window versus trying to buy them the day of the show. The day-of option technically exists, but it’s not something organizers promote as an equivalent route, because availability is limited and unpredictable.
Why this works better:
It removes the slightly confrontational “getting mad over…” phrasing.
It clarifies your main claim: spring testing exists, but it’s not meant to be co-equal.
The analogy (concert presale vs. day-of tickets) is more intuitive and less likely to derail the conversation than the scalper example.
If you want it a bit sharper/more pointed, you could tweak one line:
“Promoting spring testing in the fall would actually be misleading, because it implies it offers the same access to seats, which it doesn’t.”
Let me know if you want a version that’s more direct or more diplomatic—this could swing either way depending on your goal in the thread.
I do think there’s a difference between the process being complicated (which it definitely is) and something being hidden. Spring testing has been around for years, but it’s not really meant to be an equal “option”- it’s more of a backup for people who miss the main window, and those applicants are at a disadvantage for seats.
Because of that, it wouldn’t really make sense to advertise it alongside fall testing- it would make it seem like they’re equivalent when they’re not.
Was there something specific this cycle that made it feel mismanaged, or is it just the spring testing thing?
To me it’s kind of like concert tickets- you’ve got the main presale, and then whatever’s left closer to the event. The second option exists, but it’s not really comparable, and it would be a weird take to get mad if you bought during presale and then got mad that you didn’t know there was an option to wait to buy tickets for worse seats for more money.
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Lol I did ask AI to improve my analogy, just FYI.
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we’ve all done it! 🙂 good tip re: emailing the office. i’ll remember that next time! i understand what you’re saying, but i think you’re missing my point about this purely being about disclosure/transparency. it’s not like being mad at scalpers. that kind of implies a person had knowledge the scalpers would exist. it’s more like this – you’re told there will be no secondary market when buying concert tickets in advance, then a secondary market is created anyway. that’s not a perfect analogy either… but my bottom line is that nobody likes to feel that they didn’t get to weigh pros and cons of timing and choose for themselves.
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I suspect part of it is that the spring window is only intended to be for make-up testing and that they accordingly have extremely limited availability. If that’s the case, advertising spring testing as an option for people who *could* have tested in the fall/winter but chose not to could create serious capacity issues.
Also I think I came off ruder than necessary with the “weird take” bit, so sorry about that! I do maintain that deliberately waiting for spring testing is a shockingly Bad Idea, though.
There’s always “what if” with testing- my kiddo came down with a stomach bug the night before her test date, was up vomiting until after midnight, but felt completely better by the morning. We tested, and kiddo did prove to have recovered, though ended up taking an uncharacteristic nap in the afternoon. They scored lower on the Non-Verbal section than practice tests suggested they would, and not high enough to get an offer anywhere we applied. What if we’d asked to reschedule? Would the score have been high enough then?
Hindsight can make you wonder if you should have waited to test, and it’s easy to look at particular circumstances and construct an imaginary alternate reality where you tested at a different time and got different (better) results. I do kind of wonder…would anyone here *actually* have purposefully waited to test in the spring, or is it just easy to get frustrated now about being unaware of that option because you already know what your student’s score from February (or whenever) ended up being, know how they’ve grown since then, and can easily envision a world where they tested in April and got a better score?
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I don’t agree that it’s a weird take at all, I’m not sure how often they adjust the test based on age, but my situation is an example. My child took the last available date to test which was February 3rd. we are currently wait listed at #2 for our first choice. Late testing was offered in early April I believe, my child is 5, and has rapidly advanced since February 3rd and has been now reading full sentences and doing basic math since March. We’re being told no offers until the waitlist is adjusted for the late testers. So those who tested late had the opportunity to have extra time for their child to prepare or just continue to learn. And still be considered for the same spots on the waitlist as those who met the original cutoff date. So there is a possibility than an offer that could have gone to my child will go to someone who had the option to wait and test later whereas we had no idea that was even an option.
Unless the test/Evalution was drastically changed to one far more difficult for a 5 year old from the one administered to my child 2 months earlier then this is completely unfair. Somehow I doubt the evaluation was changed months after 2 months.
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They norm the scores based on age in years and months at the time of testing. It’s the same test, but they cut kids off when they “max out” on difficulty. That’s why some kids take 15 minutes and some take 80. Making up numbers here, but the basic idea is this: if a child is 4 years 5 months, they might only need to answer 11 questions right to be in the 95th percentile, but a child who is 5 years 1 month has to answer 17 questions right to get in the 95th percentile, and each question is a higher level of difficulty than the one before it.
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Waiting until the Spring to test is a gamble, because then no matter how well a child does, they will only get an offer if someone else in their Tier declines. I know it seems unfair but is it really?
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you have a good point! but it should have been given as an option regardless. parents should have been made aware that spring testing would be available.
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this waitlist system is a nightmare
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The fact that the waitlists are so large, and the spread between applicants and seats is so big just goes to show that CPS does not allocate their resources appropriately. If your child meets the criteria for selective enrollment there should be a viable path for your child to receive that curriculum within a reasonable drive from your house. Some of our neighborhood schools don’t have a in-school gifted program available either. It’s all very frustrating.
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exactly!!
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“meets the criteria for selective enrollment”
All you need is a score in the 50th percentile to meet the minimum eligibility criteria. You think half the city’s kindergarten students should be taught 1st grade material?
There are plenty of problems with the system, but there’s also a problem with the level of entitlement that many (not saying you specifically) feel to a selective enrollment seat for their child. What they should do is not make you wait until 5th grade before advanced students can be allowed to do single-subject acceleration, so students who need it can be academically challenged at any school- no special SEES school needed.
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I get your point. But there are many, many families with children in the 90-95th percentile and above waiting out in the cold like ours. Not to mention just the absurdity of having a med school match style system for 4 year olds – it’s ludicrous.
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90th percentile is great but not gifted. Earlier acceleration would be amazing and feels like the best win win for local schools to keep bright kids and parents to get the challenges they seek.
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Yeah, idk. We don’t need to get into the weeds on the definition of “gifted”. I’m more concerned about whether or not my child can handle 1st grade material. He’s walking around the house shouting out advanced math problems right now. I’m frustrated at the idea that he’ll start school having to learn the colors of the rainbow and be bored out of his mind. There has to be a better way to do this.
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I have 2 children. Kiddo #2 is not at a SEES school. Kiddo #1 is. The younger one is just finishing Kinder and did not spend the year learning colors of the rainbow or counting to 10 or basic baby stuff. That said, we are in a dual language program, and 80% of instruction is in Spanish (she knew a few words going in, but was by no means fluent). That in and of itself has ensured she is adequately challenged (for example, learning vowel sounds was covered extensively in class, which might bore a child who can already read, but the fact that English and Spanish vowels make different sounds adds a whole layer of complexity). Ymmv in another type of program, but not being in SEES will not necessarily doom your child to a life of boredom.
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Have to agree here. This is a major point. I think K entry is too early for gifted in an ideal world. And single subject acceleration starting in 5th grade seems far too later. The only reason I can think of for single subject acceleration being so late is the requirements are based on IAR testing, which seems to only start in 3rd grade?
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100% agree and then think about people who live on the Southwest side of the city, they have one selective enrollment elementary to pick from and no one even mentions that school when talking about SEES schools.
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A couple thoughts–they do spring testing to accommodate those who move into the district or missed the memo on RGCs entirely. Parents thinking as much as folks on here would not decline fall testing and the option of an actual offering to take a gamble on spring testing and assume their child would have the highest waitlist score, even if in hindsight it seems to make sense. So unlikely to see much, if any, movement as a result of spring testing. People don’t even know about spring testing unless they’ve just moved in and are disappointed to think they missed out on the option of SEES before even K. Also, (i) it is age adjusted and favors younger applicants in the testing stage but older age is a tie-breaker for equal scores after the others are exhausted; (ii) for later grades, I think under current contract they have to cap offers at 25 at K and then up the class size to 30 a few years later (not sure exactly what year). Finally, if looking at stats, would look only to current 2nd grade or lower –> current 4th&5th grade classes are an odd sort because Covid impacted things (which bled into but not to the extent 3rd grade [and 6th but 6th and above is totally different because at that point, ACs in play])– because of limited staffing as a result of COVID, current 5th grade at K only had 3 rounds offers total, not rolling waitlists — as a result (i) not all RGC classes were filled and (ii) kids that would have gotten into higher-scored schools with their scores almost any other year did not, and in some cases if had declined a previous offer were left with nothing, leading to more first/second grade offers than typical; current 4th grade had limited testers / limited acceptances because of COVID because people went private instead & also fewer rounds of offers, so in that case both had underfilled classes and lower-on-average scores than in past years for the K classes –> more than typical 1st/2nd grade offers.
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Quick question I think I know the answer to but has been bugging me.
We moved down on the waitlist to the top two schools (Bell and Edison). We have zero faith that she will get into either of those at this point.
Would there be any advantage to making McPherson her top choice? She’s #1 on the waitlist, and at this point, we really want this to happen. Or, will she get an offer if/when a spot opens regardless?
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No need, you’d get the spot no matter what, there’s never a need to rank kn anything other than your actual preference order.
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