For Parents, By Parents, About Public & Private Chicago Schools
GoCPS will release Round 1 offers for 2022-2023 Elementary Magnet (including Suder & Drummond), Open Enrollment, Magnet Cluster and Selective Enrollment Gifted, Classical and Academic Center programs on 4/29/22. The deadline to accept or decline offers is 5/13/22. https://go.cps.edu/
View helpful Selection Videos HERE.
Sign up for a Family Training webinar (4/19 @ 10am or 4/27 at 2pm) to understand offers via this LINK.
Current 8th graders who applied to Chicago Public Schools for Fall 2022 will receive their Round 1 results at 5pm on Friday, March 18. Good luck to all applicants! From https://go.cps.edu/
Families interested in Chicago Public School programs for 3 year olds through 9th grade for the 2022-2023 school year must submit applications by 5pm on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021 at https://cps.schoolmint.com/login.
This is also the deadline to add or subtract schools and re-rank any Selective Enrollment or high school choices. Any CPS testing dates must be requested by this deadline as well.
Notifications should arrive in the spring, with high school notifications coming a month before elementary notifications. More information and FAQs for preschool, elementary and high school at https://go.cps.edu/
One’s neighborhood school is always guaranteed and does not require an application.
Chicago Public Schools are now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year until Dec. 15, 2021. Families can explore https://go.cps.edu/ to learn about the school options and request an account at https://cps.schoolmint.com/login. One account per family and each student can be added as they become eligible to apply to CPS programs. A CPS Student ID can be requested through the portal for any student not already in the CPS system.
Always apply one year before a program begins, and CPS has a Sept 1st cutoff date to be eligible for preschool through 1st grade programs. An “age exception” is provided only for families with a fall birthday child who wants to start K or 1st grade early.
You do NOT have to apply to your assigned neighborhood school and there is never a deadline to register at your neighborhood school. For all other programs, including a neighborhood school that is not your own, CPS allows for “Open Enrollment” and you can apply to programs for which your student is age-eligible or meets a pre-requisite via a GoCPS CHOICE (up to 20 lottery or minimal criteria based admission programs) and/or SEES (up to 6 ranked test based admission programs) application. Read more about CPS school types here: Elementary and High School.
Scoring rubrics have been updated for this application cycle to reflect the discontinuation of NWEA MAP testing for 5th through 9th grade programs. There are no scoring rubrics and no cutoffs will be posted for K-8th grade Classical or Regional Gifted Center Selective Enrollment programs.
Find helpful CPS FAQ’s on the application process HERE: https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps/faq/elementary (be sure to click on the proper tab: HS, Elem or Preschool)Each student can apply up to 20 CHOICE programs (multiple offers for elementary programs listed in no particular order, and single offer for ranked high school programs) AND up to 6 ranked Selective Enrollment programs (single offer for elementary or high school). If testing is required, you will be asked to choose a test date AFTER you choose the school programs that require testing.Good luck to families applying for Fall 2022 CPS programs! More info at https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps
Beginning this year, the Chicago Public Schools will not use the NWEA MAP exam for the GoCPS eligibility or selection process for any schools or programs. For students applying to ninth grade, no schools or programs will have minimum eligibility requirements based on NWEA. Instead, a single admissions exam, the CPS High School Admissions Test, will be available for all students.
The CPS High School Admissions Test will be available to all current CPS students applying to ninth grade on Tuesday, November 9th, 2021. Students will take the exam at their school during the school day.
The CPS High School Admissions Test will be available to all non-CPS students applying to ninth grade at a designated CPS location on the following dates:
Registration information for all students will be forthcoming.
For Non-CPS students, these are the four testing dates for this application cycle. Please hold these dates now to ensure that you are available to test if you are planning to apply to a CPS high school.
Using one test will streamline the GoCPS application process by decreasing the number of exams required, and allowing the same single exam to be applied to the selection processes for all programs, where applicable.
For students applying to fifth through eighth grades, eligibility to take the admissions exam(s) for academic centers, classical schools and regional gifted centers will be based on GPA. Dates for these exams will be released at a later date.
We look forward to a great year ahead, and our staff is here to support your family through the application process. You can contact our office by phone at 773-553-2060, or via email at GOCPS@CPS.EDU.
See below for an informational webinar and FAQs on the admissions process for the 2022-2023 school year.INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR
This was from https://go.cps.edu/admissiontest/high-school
$15 for the whole family, and fee waivers are available upon request.
Knowing how to cast your net wide and increase your options is KEY to a successful Chicago high school search. Join Chicago School GPS as we bring together over 35 participating schools, each with unique qualities that you may not have known about prior to coming to our Hidden Gems Fair. PLUS, you can meet helpful resource vendors and partake in informative breakout sessions that will give you clarity on the high school process. Join us for an afternoon designed to make your high school journey a successful one!
Program begins at 1pm with high schools showcasing what makes them unique, and breakout sessions begin at 2:00pm. Fair ends at 4pm.
Our invaluable breakout sessions offer insights for Middle School Parents and Students on topics such as:
Round 1 CPS Elementary Notifications were posted in the GoCPS portal for Choice (lottery) and/or Selective Enrollment (test based) selections. Students could be offered multiple Choice program offers but only ONE selective enrollment offer. A family’s neighborhood school is always guaranteed.
Choice elementary offers are based on a lottery selection process and include magnet, magnet cluster (neighborhood w/focus area) and open enrollment (other neighborhood) schools. Drummond, Suder and Inter-American preschool programs are included in Choice schools. CPS Tiers and proximity are only considered for the entry year of a magnet program. All other programs conduct a general lottery (in some cases, a sibling lottery).
Selective enrollment elementary offers are based on entrance testing and include Classical & Regional Gifted Centers (K or 1st through 8th), as well as Academic Centers (7th/8th). CPS Tiers are only considered for the entry year of these programs and offers are “single offer” only, based on a student’s score.
Details, dates and Academic Center (7th grade) cutoff scores are posted on GoCPS. Helpful GoCPS videos are posted HERE (note: videos are slightly outdated since there are no longer International Gifted programs).
New applicants can request a CPS ID to apply to Round 2 (existing applicants do not need new CPS ID). Round 2 applications will open on June 21 for any schools with remaining open seats. Any unfilled seats may also be filled on an as available basis at the end of the summer by contacting a school you are interested in.
Applicant families are encouraged to “tour” schools before decisions are returned.
The first round of CPS High School Notifications for 2021-2022 were released on April 30, 2021. Depending on whether an 8th grade student applied to test based Selective Enrollment High Schools (SEHS) and/or non-test based Choice High Schools (including IB, Magnet, CTE, Military, Charter, etc), a student can have up to 3 public high school choices: one offer for SEHS, one for Choice, and their neighborhood high school.
Any Round 1 offers must be accepted or declined by May 14, 2021. Waitlists will open on May 17, but families should understand that not all high schools go to a waitlist, including at least half of the SEHS.
1st Round Cutoff scores for 2021-2021 SEHS: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14i_837GQCPcWnvU2feSN6mzPssnhVNDR/view
1st Round Cutoff scores for 2021-2021 Choice HS (note- not all programs have cutoff scores): https://drive.google.com/file/d/14YCGhBy3uK4xiTxOG2mAjvOUd7Gp2SiR/view
SEHS Principal’s Discretion is only for students who applied to Selective Enrollment High Schools (SEHS) but would like to enter a holistic appeal process that allows an SEHS Principal to select 5% of the freshman class for another SEHS on their list. SEHS PD opens May 5 and closes May 19. Results will be posted the week of June 14. A packet of information detailing the steps and timing as well as helpful FAQs are linked from here: https://go.cps.edu/high-school/principal-discretion
The GoCPS Round 2 process is for any programs that have not filled their seats from Round 1. The programs offering Round 2 seats will be listed around May 17, and the Round 2 application opens on May 17 and closes on May 21. Results will be released on June 18.
Apply now to high school, elementary school, and 3 magnet preschools via www.go.cps.edu now through Dec. 13, 2019. https://go.cps.edu/about-gocps
CPS automatically allows entry to Kindergarten for students who are 5 by September 1st, but families with students who turn 5 by Dec. 31 can request an Early Entry to Kindergarten this Fall. The evaluation process would allow a fall birthday student to start at their neighborhood school (or any Choice or selective enrollment program with available space) if the student is deemed academically and socially ready by CPS. Required to implement ISBE’s Accelerated Placement Act, CPS has outlined a new 6 step policy for evaluation. The application is open from July 1-19 and FAQs can be found here. The six steps are:
Non-CPS students who are interested in applying for 5th-9th grade CPS programs for Fall 2020 should be sure to take the CPS administered NWEA Map tests. CPS requires this qualifying test of reading and math to be taken by all non-CPS students applying to selective programs in those upper grades. Students can register by August 30 to take the tests on Sept. 21, 22, 28, 29 or Oct. 5 or 6. All students who test by those dates will be able to use the online GoCPS application system. All current CPS students will have their spring NWEA Map scores used for qualifications and rubric calculations. GoCPS applications are open 9/30/19-12/6/19.
Families with 3 or 4 year olds by Sept. 1 can apply for sliding scale tuition full or half day 2019-2020 preschool programs in Chicago. Choose up to 2 program sites and find out by June if you were placed in one or on a waitlist.
Three steps to apply: 1. Create on online account; 2. Fill in family info including address, household size, employment & income; 3. Fill out info on your child and choose your top 2 program sites.
Some sites are based in CPS schools but unless it is your assigned neighborhood school, there is no guarantee that you can continue at that school for kindergarten. It is a great way to get to know a school, however, to see if you would like to put it on your application or attend it if it is your neighborhood school.
First round CPS elementary school notifications were released at 5pm on Monday, April 22.
Academic Centers (accelerated 7th/8th grade programs in high schools) have cutoff scores published here: GoCPS AC Cutoff Scores 2019-2020
All other elementary Gifted or Classical School programs do not publish cutoff scores. These offers are “single choice” and you can only receive one offer of SEES (selective enrollment elementary schools).
Magnet, magnet cluster & open enrollment schools are strictly lottery based and will have waitlist numbers published. These are multiple offer programs so you can be offered multiple schools and accept one yet be offered another option later and can change your acceptance then.
CPS Elementary notifications will come out on April 22 via the Go.CPS.edu portal or if you applied on paper, via mail. This includes first round notifications for the 4 magnet preschools, hundreds of elementary open enrollment, magnet, magnet cluster and several selective enrollment schools including Academic Centers. Good luck to all!
Round 1 – Offers Posted
Round 1 – Accept/Decline Deadline
Round 1 Waitlist Process Opens
Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
If families do not receive news of offers or missed the application deadline of December 2018, there is another opportunity to apply via an “End of Year Application” process:
Applications Opens
Applications Closes
CPS recently announced the date for 8th graders to hear about first round notifications. This is considered the “Selection” phase per GoCPS and here is their info:
The first activity in the Selection phase will be the release of Round 1 high school results on March 29, 2019.
Families who applied using the online application site will receive their results via their online GoCPS account. Families who applied with a paper application will receive a letter via U.S. mail. Paper applicant families will also be able to receive their results via an online GoCPS account that was created for them by the Office of Access and Enrollment. Notifications will be sent between March 25 and 28 to provide instructions on how to retrieve results.
Below is a complete timeline of dates related to the Selection phase for ninth grade applicants. It has also been posted in the ‘Important Dates’ section of the GoCPS home page where you can monitor for future updates.
· March 29: First-round results released
· April 12: Deadline to accept or decline first-round offers
· April 17: First-round waitlist process opens
· April 29: Second-round application process opens
· May 6: Second-round application deadline
· May 31: Second-round results released
· June 7: Deadline to accept or decline second-round offers
· June 12: Second-round waitlist process opens
Good luck to all expectant 8th graders!
From now until Dec 14, 2018, you can go to www.go.cps.edu and learn about applying to CPS programs from Preschool to High School. The applications are open and you can apply to schools and schedule testing or admissions screenings until the December deadline.
Lots of helpful info at the following links:
Remember, you can apply for up to 6 Selective Enrollment (test based) schools but must rank your choices and you will get a single offer.
You can also choose up to 20 non-selective (now called “Choice Programs”) lottery schools but elementary has no ranking and multiple offers while high school you do need to rank and it is single offer. Good luck!
Note: CPS Tiers also change each year on October 1st, so check your tier by entering your address at https://go.cps.edu/search. They can go up, down or stay the same each year.
Live in the city and have middle school aged (6th-8th grade) children? Come to the 7th Annual “Hidden Gems” Chicago High School Fair THIS Sunday, September 30th from 1-4pm to meet representatives from over 35 public and private high schools (and several resource vendors) that have terrific programs and more holistic or realistic admissions standards. 7th and 8th grade can be a stressful year for you and your students – take the pressure off by realizing all of the great options in the Chicagoland area. See our frequently updated list of participating schools online.
For those looking to discuss the 2018-2019 application cycle for CPS High school options, feel free to check out the threads at CPSObsessed- High School Application News Fall 2017 and continue your thoughts either in the comments below or on the School Forum pages.
For those looking to discuss the 2018-2019 application cycle for CPS Elementary school options, feel free to check out the threads at CPSObsessed- Fall 2017: Applying to Kindergarten/Elementary School and continue your thoughts either in the comments below or on the School Forum pages.