GoCPS has helpful Family Training Sessions to explain the application process for K-8th grade Elementary and 9th grade High School Applicants. Be sure to RSVP to view the Zoom sessions. Recordings will be available on the GoCPS Resources page.
Signup form for GoCPS Elementary Training Sessions in English is HERE. Spanish is HERE. GoCPS ES Application Training in English Sessions: Tuesday, September 30th at 10:00 AM Wednesday, October 8th at Noon Thursday, October 16th at 5:00 PM Friday, October 24th at 10:00 AM
Sign up form for GoCPS High School Training Sessions in English is HERE. Spanish HERE. GoCPS HS Application Training in English Sessions: October 7th at 10am October 9th at 12pm October 23rd at 2pm October 28th at 5pm
While the process to apply for CPS Kindergarten to 9th grade programs is not first come first serve, CPS applications will be open from 10am on September 23, 2025 to 5pm on November 14, 2025 (so far). Families can apply to any school programs outside of their neighborhood school’s general education program.
Each applicant can apply and rank up to 20 CHOICE programs and up to 6 SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT programs. Elementary applicants do NOT have to test into any CHOICE (magnet, magnet cluster, open enrollment & dual language) programs but they DO have to test for any SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT (Classical, Regional Gifted, Academic Center and RG for English Learners) programs. For high school admissions, all CPS 8th graders can take the High School Admissions Test (HSAT) on Oct 8 at their CPS school while non-CPS 8th graders can register to take the HSAT on either Oct 18, 19, 26 or 27.
More info regarding applying to K-8th grade Elementary programs HERE and info regarding 9th grade High School programs HERE.
GoCPS announced that results for the 2025-2026 school year application will be released in the GoCPS portal on:
March 14, 2025 for 9th grade (high school) offers and April 11, 2025 for Kindergarten through 8th grade (elementary school) offers.
Students can receive one offer each for Choice and Selective Enrollment programs and their neighborhood school is always an option. There will be an opportunity to tour offered programs and then a deadline to accept or decline their offer(s). A Rolling Waitlist will go into effect after that time. Good luck to students!
The deadline for Selective Enrollment Elementary applicants who have not tested yet and need to request a resheduled date is Feb 2, 2025. Last day for Kindergarten SEES testing is Feb 21, 2025 and last day for 1st-8th grade SEES testing is Feb 16, 2025. Email gocpstestingteam@cps.edu or call 773-553-2060 to reschedule.
Families have more time to apply to next year’s Kindergarten through 9th grade Chicago Public School (CPS) programs via the online portal at https://www.apply.cps.edu/. The new deadline is Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 5pm.
High School (9th grade) resources are at https://www.cps.edu/gocps/resources/high-school-resources/ and families can view the GoCPS webinar on 2025-2026 High School applications HERE. For high school transfers into 10th-12th grade, contact each individual high school for information.
Preschool applications for 3 and 4 year olds are on a separate timeline and do not open until April 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year. Check out the preschool website at https://www.cps.edu/ChicagoEarlyLearning/
CPS announced a change to their elementary “Choice” admissions process that will require RANKING up to 20 Choice options, instead of just listing 20 with no order. That means a family can only get up to ONE Choice program AND up to ONE Selective Enrollment program in additional to their guaranteed neighborhood school. Preliminary info was released in this email: https://mailchi.mp/cps.edu/gocps-monthly-memo-for-school-leaders-administrators-17584631?e=8f974d4b4b
“ES Choice Single Best Offer:
Another important update for the upcoming application cycle is that the elementary choice selections process is moving to the single best offer model.
This is the model currently in place for all other GoCPS programs (Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools, Grade 9, and PreK admissions. Please see below for further information on the process.
How It Works:
Students select up to 20 choice programs they want to include on their application AND RANK them in order of preference.
They will be considered for all programs on the application and receive up to 1 offer from the highest-ranked program for which they qualify, based on seat availability, their status for the specific program’s selection process (such as lottery number or priority preferences), and the status of other students who applied to those programs.
Students who receive offers will be placed on the waitlist for all programs that are ranked higher than the one they received an offer to.
The decision to implement the single best offer model for Elementary Choice is rooted in making the process as equitable and straightforward for families as possible. Please be sure to rank your choice programs in order of preference and apply to schools that are of interest for you and your child. If you have questions about the ranking process for elementary school choice programs, please sign up for one of our trainings. “
They also changed their portal from SchoolMint to EnrollWise, so all families will need to create a new account in EnrollWise for 2025-2026 applications.
The GoCPS application for Chicago Public School (CPS) Kindergarten through 9th grade 2025-2026 programs will open on Sept 24, 2024 at 10am and close on Nov 15, 2024 (changed to Nov 22) at 5pm. Start your application at https://www.apply.cps.edu/ but know you do not have to complete your application right away, just don’t miss the deadline of 11/15/24 11/22/24!
Learn about Hidden Gem High Schools (public, private, boarding) along with informative IN PERSON seminars on admissions, testing and more on 9/29/24 from 1-4pm. RSVP Here.
Note, CPS preschool applications for 3 & 4 year olds open in the spring.
CPS is releasing 9th grade (high school) selection results on Friday, February 23 at 5pm and K-8th grade (elementary) selection results on Friday, March 22 at 5pm for Fall 2024 entry. Families will have approximately 4 weeks to tour schools and decide to accept or decline their offer(s). Then approximately 2 weeks after the deadline to accept/decline an offer, the real-time, rolling waitlist process occurs for any programs with remaining, unfilled seats. Only selective enrollment high schools (SEHS) offer a holistic Principal’s Discretion process to retry for entry based on an essay, recommendations and supporting documentation.
OCTOBER 24th – 25th – HSAT Re-test for CPS Students
OCTOBER 28th – 29th, NOVEMBER 5th– HSAT Exam for Non-CPS Students
NOVEMBER 9th, 2023 – Application Period Closes
DECEMBER 1st, 2023 – Re-rank Period Closes
FEBRUARY 23rd, 2024 – Results Released
FEBRUARY 28th, 2024 – SEHS Principal Discretion Process Opens
MARCH 15th, 2024 – Accept/Decline Deadline
MARCH 15th, 2024 – SEHS Principal Discretion Application Closes
APRIL 1st, 2024 – Rolling Waitlist Process Opens
APRIL 19th, 2024 – SEHS Principal Discretion Results Released
2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED – Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
Elementary School
SEPTEMBER 13th, 2023 – Application Period Opens
NOVEMBER 9th, 2023 – Application Period Closes
DECEMBER 1st, 2024 – Re-rank Period Closes
MARCH 22nd, 2024 – Results Released
APRIL 19th, 2024 – Accept/Decline Deadline
MAY 1st, 2024 – Rolling Waitlist Process Opens
2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED – Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
For anyone who missed applying to CPS schools during the Fall application cycle, you can do so during the rolling waitlist process which opens on 4/1/24 for high schools and 5/1/24 for elementary schools. Public preschools (for 3 and 4 year olds) have separate applications available on April 9 at https://www.cps.edu/ChicagoEarlyLearning
The December 14, 2023 announcement by the Chicago Board of Education regarding Mayor Johnson’s plan to prioritize neighborhood schools and reduce reliance on selective enrollment and magnet programs has caused worry among parents wondering what it could mean to their family’s school options.
We know that there are concerns around school choice, and we want to be clear: this resolution outlines the Board’s parameters and values as we draft the District’s goals and objectives for the next five years. This resolution is not a vote to close selective enrollment, magnet, or charter schools. This resolution is about ensuring high-quality pre-k–12 pathways in neighborhood schools, prioritizing our most under-resourced communities. To read the full resolution, visit the Board website.
WBEZ attempted to tamp down parent speculation by emphasizing that CPS did not make any changes to the current process for families, and is outlining a goal but any change would need to be voted on by the school board, which will be changing in November 2024: WBEZ Article from 12/21/23
Bottom line: SEHS, SEES & Magnet schools aren’t necessarily going away but resources may shift away from them and more to neighborhood schools. Neighborhood schools house most of the IB (international baccalaureate) programs, many fine & performing arts programs, many dual language programs, etc. Increasing support for those specialty programs housed in neighborhood schools will benefit a greater number and broader range of students. Free Universal PK for all 4 year olds has also served to introduce more families to neighborhood schools throughout Chicago. Strengthening offerings at neighborhood schools can serve to release pressure on parents trying for the limited seats at selective enrollment and magnet programs.
The CPS K-9th grade application process is beginning and ending earlier than ever. Applicants interested in a program outside of their assigned neighborhood school for 2024-2025 can apply to up to 20 Choice programs and up to 6 Selective Enrollment programs starting at 10am on Sept 13, 2023 and (currently) ending by 5pm on Nov 9, 2023. It is not “first come, first serve” so there is no need to rush to be the first applicant but be sure NOT to miss the application window when it closes on 11/9/23. For programs that require ranking choices, the ranking deadline is 11/22/23, but the original programs must have been added by 11/9/23. Read more at https://www.cps.edu/gocps/
Elementary School
SEPTEMBER 13th, 2023 – Application Period Opens
NOVEMBER 9th, 2023 – Application Period Closes
NOVEMBER 22nd – Re-rank Period Closes
High School
SEPTEMBER 13th, 2023 – Application Period Opens
OCTOBER 11th, 2023 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for CPS Students
OCTOBER 14-15, 21 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for Non-CPS Students
NOVEMBER 9th, 2023 – Application Period Closes
NOVEMBER 22nd, 2023 – Re-rank Period Closes
Sign up for helpful virtual GoCPS Application Family Training sessions during Sept-Nov in English & Spanish HERE.
Because there are so many schools, programs and options for schooling in Chicago, parents who apply to multiple programs may receive more than one offer. Because a student can only attend one school at a time, there actually can be a lot of movement in program availability throughout the summer and into the new school year. Both public (CPS) and private (parochial and independent) schools fill those changing seats by utilizing waitlists before school starts, and sometimes into the new school year.
For private schools, an unfilled seat is a missed tuition and similarly, each student at a public school comes with a per pupil funding amount (until the 20th day of school). Families can add or remove a student from a waitlist if desired during the Rolling Admission cycle.
Preschool (PK3 or PK4): Chicago Early Learning students can get up to one offer out of 5 ranked choices and will be waitlisted for any higher ranked schools they did not qualify for.
Elementary (K-8th grade): CPS applicants can get multiple offers at various Choice (non test-based, non-selective) programs in addition to up to one SEES (test-based, selective enrollment) offer, in addition to a guaranteed neighborhood K-8th grade seat.
For CPS 9th graders (high school), students can get up to one offer each for SEHS and Choice programs as well as a guaranteed neighborhood 9th-12th grade seat.
Private school applicants can get offers for multiple schools at once, too, but a student can only attend one school at a time. Therefore, public and private waitlist movement happens throughout late Spring into Summer and even Fall.
All CPS preschool, elementary, and 9th grade high school programs are using a rolling waitlist system as of late May 2023.
CPS’s new rolling waitlist is meant to simplify what was once a separate transfer process for K-9th grade as well as a separate late application. All CPS applicants can view their GoCPS portal to see which remaining programs have immediate seats to accept (green), which have an open waitlist to join (yellow), and which are full or have a low likelihood of an offer (red). Your student will only be shown programs they are eligible to receive an offer for based on whether they participated in any required admissions screenings and if they met the threshold.
Original waitlists are those programs that you applied to in the Initial Application Process (was open from 9/21/22-12/8/22) and if an offer was not received, students either were automatically waitlisted for any programs that were listed above their offer (for ranked applications such as preschool, selective enrollment or high school) or they can be on multiple, independent waitlists for K-8th grade Choice programs. More info HERE.
Rolling waitlists (updated nightly) will run through the summer into the 20th day of the new school year for Selective Enrollment (SE) programs, through January 2024 for K-9th grade Choice programs, and until Spring 2024 for Preschool programs. You can only be on a Selective Enrollment waitlist if you have not accepted any SE offer, and you can remain on the waitlists for up to 20 Choice K-9th grade programs. Applicants can choose to remove schools from a waitlist if they are no longer interested or can add themselves to a waitlist if desired. Waitlists will re-sort every evening and those based on a point system can cause a student’s waitlist position to go up or down depending on the scores of new waitlist students. Slidedeck about Offer/Waitlists HERE and more info on rolling waitlists HERE.
Because CPS is funded on a per pupil spending model and their budgeting is set by the 20th day of school, most waitlist movement is seen at the end of the summer, just before school starts. Neighborhood & magnet cluster schools typically refrain from calling waitlist families until close to the start of school (Aug 21) and that can affect all other waitlists as well. Families should be ready to accept or decline a spot within 2 business days from receiving a call.
Families may need to stay patient, but much movement happens toward the end of the summer as public & private waitlists become more active at that time. Good luck to all families and don’t be surprised if your child is offered a spot at the start of the school year.
From a recent cps.edu newsletter: Release Dates Announced for GoCPS Offers
GoCPS is now in the final stages of preparing offers for the 2023–24 school year. High school offers will be released on Friday, March 24, 2023 after 5 p.m., and elementary school offers will be released on Friday, April 21, 2023 after 5 p.m. Families who have completed an application should log into their GoCPS accounts to make sure that all information is correct. For questions, please call (773) 553-2060 or email gocps@cps.edu.
High School dates to note:
SEPTEMBER 21st, 2022 – Application Period Opens
OCTOBER 26th, 2022 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for CPS Students
NOVEMBER 5-6,12-13 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for Non-CPS Students
DECEMBER 8th, 2022 – Application Period Closes
MARCH 24th, 2023 – Results Released
MARCH 29th, 2023 – Principal Discretion Process Opens
APRIL 14th, 2023 – Accept/Decline Deadline
APRIL 14th, 2023 – Principal Discretion Application Closes
APRIL 24th, 2023 – Rolling Waitlist Process Opens
2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED – Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
APRIL 28th, 2023 – Principal Discretion Results Released
Elementary School dates to note:
SEPTEMBER 21st, 2022 – Application Period Opens
DECEMBER 8th, 2022 – Application Period Closes
APRIL 21st, 2023 – Results Released
MAY 12th, 2023 – Accept/Decline Deadline
MAY 22nd, 2023 – Rolling Waitlist Process Opens
2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED – Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
The GoCPS Kindergarten through 9th grade application portal for 2023-2024 has been extended to Thursday, December 8th at 5pm. https://www.cps.edu/gocps/
A parent’s school search typically starts by sitting down at the computer and typing in “Best Elementary/High Schools” in your area. The results are populated with hits from sources such as GreatSchools, Niche, Schooldigger or School Sparrow, but what do these results mean, and should parents just add the #1 school to their list while ignoring the other schools closer or more familiar to them? How reliable are the ratings and how should a parent use them?
The fact of the matter is that school ratings and rankings are a very messy, very inexact method to quantify schools. Because they are summarized in a “number” or “grade” or listed in a “ranking order”, parents tend to put undue emphasis on ratings/rankings yet aren’t aware of what is being measured. While test scores are typically the largest component to rankings, “School Fit” is much more than test performance and is ultimately a very personal matter that can even vary within a family from child to child. What truly qualifies as “best” for one family may not be well suited to another. While it is understandable that parents need some metric to start with, the metrics used can be skewed, out of date, or not reflective of the cohort your family will be entering the school with.
Common misunderstandings of rankings:
Ratings typically put the greatest emphasis on test scores, so better resourced families often have higher test scores and those family resources continue to benefit their children throughout their education
Ratings/rankings are not set in stone and can change as demographics in a school changes
Ratings typically reflect 3rd to 8th grade, so younger families should be wary of looking at metrics that may include a very different demographic than the one their family will be in school with
Ratings often lump in all programs within a school, so those with a higher population of students with learning needs may still be a great or even better option for your student but the “rankings” may not reflect the level of supports
Schools can and do change and schools in gentrifying areas may have more resources added to the school by the time your family will be attending
Using rankings and ratings to be the first or only metric in choosing a school can also serve to negatively suppress positive changes at a school. Instead, we highly recommend that families tour their local school or those near them as well as talk to families with children their age who may have older siblings at the school. Reaching out to a school’s parent group or attending local school council (LSC) meetings is also a great way to get the “real time” scoop on a school.
It is somewhat pre-ordaining to use rankings to choose a school because if test scores are a big factor in ratings/rankings, then children who have advantages and resources from birth are certainly going to test better overall and the schools near them will reap the benefits of well resourced students and parents. While new parents may be more swayed by rankings, eventually parents come to realize that academics alone are not a single trait to look for in a school and social emotional factors as well as culture, climate and community are just as impactful yet are hard to capture in objective metrics because they are inherently more subjective. School visits can be invaluable to dispel pre-conceptions or help a family picture themselves in a school, but people gravitate toward or crave the easier route of following rankings.
Parents who blindly follow blanket rankings/ratings may well pass up a school their student could grow and thrive at in favor of one that a 3rd party metric says is 10 spots “above” the other school yet that family needs to drive across town to attend. In the end there may not be any marked difference in outcome for their particular child attending one or the other, but the lifestyle impact is can be much greater at the farther school. One school’s overall scores may be lower because it serves a broader range of backgrounds or has more special needs students, but that doesn’t mean your child’s success can happen only from one and not the other. What your child can achieve and what they score on an exam does NOT have to be the “average” number. Ultimately, the greatest arbiter of student success is parent involvement in their children’s lives beyond one school over another school, public or private, city or suburbs.
September 14th, 2022 – Application Period Opens December 2nd, 2022- – Application Period Closes TBD- Results Released TBD- Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Waitlist Process Opens 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED- Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline
September 14th, 2022- Application Period Opens October 26th, 2022- CPS High School Admissions Exam for CPS Students 11/5-6, 11/12-13 – CPS High School Admissions Exam for Non-CPS Students December 2nd, 2022- Application Period Closes TBD- Results Released TBD- Principal Discretion Process Opens TBD- Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Principal Discretion Application Closes TBD- Waitlist Process Opens 2 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER OFFER ISSUED- Waitlist Accept/Decline Deadline TBD- Principal Discretion Results Released
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/
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.
If your child will be 3 by Sept 1, 2022, then they can submit a CHOICE (lottery based) application for Drummond & Suder.
If your child will be 4 by Sept 1, 2022, then they can submit a CHOICE (lottery based) application for Inter-American.
If your child will be 5 by Sept 1, 2022 or applying to grades K-8, then they can submit up to 20 CHOICE (lottery) elementary applications for magnet, magnet cluster, and open enrollment elementary schools AND they can submit up to 6 SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT (test based) elementary applications for Classical and Regional Gifted Programs, as well as up to 6 Academic Centers (7th & 8th grade). Selective enrollment options will need to be ranked in order of preference and a test date must be scheduled. Elementary Choice programs do not have to be ranked and no test is required.
If your child is applying to 9th grade, then they can choose up to 20 CHOICE high school programs (some high schools have multiple programs within them such as International Baccalaureate, CTE, fine arts, magnet, etc) and up to 6 SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT programs. Both CHOICE and SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT high schools options must be ranked in order of preference, as as a single offer is given for each type. In many cases, a CPS HS Admissions Test must also be taken, and in some cases, additional screenings are required.
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 GoCPSCHOICE (up to 20 lottery or minimal criteria based admission programs) and/orSEES (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.
CPS Elementary programs: only 7th grade Academic Centers have a scoring rubric listed HERE.
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
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).
Round 1 accept/decline deadline is June 11
Round 1 waitlists open on June 16 (48 hour waitlist decision window)
Round 2 elementary applications (for programs with unfilled seats) open June 21-25
Round 2 results released & waitlists open July 16 (48 hour waitlist window)
Round 2 accept/decline deadline is July 23
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.
While applications for the first round of 2020-2021 Entry to Chicago Public Schools closed on 12/13/19, families can re-rank their selective enrollment and/or their high school Choice selections until Feb 3, 2020. Contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or GOCPS@CPS.EDU for instructions on re-ranking
These ranked applications will only offer a single choice for each list (selective enrollment RGC/Classical, Academic Centers, SE schools and non-selective Choice high schools). A family’s neighborhood school never has a deadline for enrollment.
Elementary Choice (non-selective) programs such as magnet and open enrollment schools are not ranked. Families can get multiple offers for those elementary programs.
First round notifications for high schools will be released on March 27, 2020 and elementary schools will be released on April 24, 2020.
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
APRIL 22, 2019
Round 1 – Offers Posted
MAY 6, 2019
Round 1 – Accept/Decline Deadline
MAY 10, 2019
Round 1 Waitlist Process Opens
48 BUSINESS HOURS AFTER ACCEPTANCE IS OFFERED
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:
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.
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.
Families who are still seeking elementary school options for the 2018-19 school year will have another chance to apply to elementary schools during the End-of-Year Citywide Options Program. This paper application process will feature high-quality magnet, magnet cluster and open enrollment schools, including three new STEM Magnet schools at Claremont, Jungman and W. Brown; as well as one new STEAM Magnet program at Southwest Chicago (Sor Juana). You can still apply during this application period if you have already accepted an elementary school offer or are on any elementary school waitlists. The End-of-Year application will be available from May 28 – June 1, 2018.
