CPS Selective Enrollment Process: What You Need To Know

The Selective Enrollment High School (SEHS) admissions process for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) uses students' High School Admissions Test (HSAT) scores and final 7th grade scores in math, English, science, and social studies to determine eligibility. Each applicant is ranked using this criteria to match students with the highest-ranked school on their GoCPS application that still has available seats.

Admission begins by awarding the top 30% of seats to students with the highest overall points, regardless of socioeconomic tier. The remaining 70% of seats are evenly divided among four tier groups, with placement based on point rankings within each tier.

Students can receive only one selective enrollment offer—their highest-ranked match. Once offered a seat, they are removed from consideration for all lower-ranked programs and cannot be waitlisted for any selective enrollment programs, even if ranked higher. If no offer is made, students are waitlisted for all eligible programs to which they have applied. Tiebreakers are applied in this order: HSAT Math score, then HSAT Reading score, and finally, a computerized random lottery.

We offer 8-week group courses to prepare students for the CPS High School Admissions Test (HSAT), Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), and Parochial School Entrance Exam (HSPT). Our course prepares students for these tests by focusing on math, reading comprehension, and test-taking strategies. To register your student for one of our courses, click here. We also offer 1-day palooza workshops where students can take a practice exam and review the answers with a skilled instructor. To register your student for one of our paloozas, click here. Finally, we offer individual tutoring, which can begin at any time. You can see our tutoring rates by clicking here. 

CPS High School Admissions Test Dates Announced

CPS recently announced test dates for the CPS High School Admissions Test (CPS HSAT). 8th graders are required to take this exam to test into Selective Enrollment High Schools. This year, CPS students will take the exam at their school on October 9th while alternative language students will take the exam on October 15th. 

Non-CPS students will have the option to take the exam in the following weeks at a CPS testing center. They will choose to test on October 19th, 20th, 26th, or 27th. You can find a list of all testing dates below.

CPS HSAT Test Dates
Wednesday, October 9 (For CPS Students)
Tuesday, October 15 (For Alternative Language Testing)
Saturday, October 19 (For non-CPS Students)
Sunday, October 20 (For non-CPS Students)
Saturday, October 26 (For non-CPS Students)
Sunday, October 27 (For non-CPS Students)

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator

kayley@testprepchicago.com

312-848-1266

CPS Announces Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam (SEHS) Test Dates

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has announced the test dates for the Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam (SEHS). This year, the SEHS will be offered 7 times. The 7 dates are listed below.

SEHS Test Dates 
Saturday, November 16
Saturday, December 7
Saturday, December 14
Sunday, December 15
Saturday, January 18
Sunday, January 19
Saturday, January 25

The SEHS will be offered at five sites:  King College Preparatory High School, Lane Tech High School, Lindblom Math and Science Academy, Westinghouse College Preparatory High School, and Whitney Young Magnet High School.

Applicants who apply using the GoCPS online application will schedule their exam after they submit their application. Applicants who apply using a paper application will have their test scheduled by the Office of Access and Enrollment and will be notified of their test date, time, and location via U.S. mail.

The application process for the 2019-2020 school year opens September 30 and ends December 6th.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of John Hancock College Preparatory High School

Founded in 1999 as an elementary school and then converted into a selective enrollment high school in 2002, John Hancock College Preparatory High School (also known as Hancock) is located in the West Elsdon community of the southwest side of Chicago. Hancock is ranked 217th in the state of Illinois. Enrollment at Hancock is 887 with a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. Of their total enrollment, 98% of students are people of color and 91% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. The graduation rate of Hancock is 94%.

Courses offered at Hancock include both standard courses as well as a few which are unique to the school; these include four different law classes (encompassing criminology and pre-law), decision theory, forensic science, financial algebra, and drama. In addition, they have departments in pre-engineering and computer science, both of which are noteworthy compared to neighborhood high schools. Hancock also incorporates a wide range of AP classes, honors classes, and electives in fine arts. Languages offered are Spanish and French with an opportunity to take a class trip to Costa Rica with the Spanish class. Another uncommon program which Hancock provides is an opportunity for students to earn high school credit through an internship. Many students previously interned with Urban Alliance, Genesys Works, and more.

Athletics at Hancock include but are not limited to cross country, bowling, track and field, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Hancock has a rich tradition of sports and is decorated in Regional and Conference Championships in soccer, baseball, softball, and volleyball.

To learn more about academics or athletics at Hancock, visit their website: hancockhs.org.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy

A selective enrollment high school located in Chicago’s far south side community of Roseland, Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy (also known as Brooks) first opened in 1998. It is named in honor of the famous African American poet, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and former resident of Chicago’s south side, Gwendolyn Brooks. Brooks is ranked as the 8th best public school in the state of Illinois and 186th in the nation. Their total enrollment is 859 with a student to teacher ratio of 22:1. Of their total enrollment, 99% of students are people of color and 74% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Brooks’s graduation rate is 99%.

Classes offered at Brooks include a wide range of standard and specialized classes in all subjects. In math, science, and technology students can take more specialized classes such as IT, AB or BC calculus, engineering design, inquiry science, and robotics. In English and social studies students can choose to take African American literature, film study, microeconomics, psychology, modern world, entrepreneurship, and law. Languages offered include French, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Fine arts offered encompass visual art (sculpture, graphic design, and photography) and performing arts (choir, band, and orchestra). For health and PE, students can take sports-based classes as well as aquatics, or a more standard style of PE.  Most uniquely, Brooks has seminar courses for “adulting,” gardening, poetry, food and culture, and more.

If a student is interested in athletics, they can choose from a wide range including but not limited to football, cheerleading, baseball, bowling, soccer, swimming, water polo, volleyball, and track and field. Outside of the school itself, Brooks also provides students who are interested with “enrichment opportunities.” These are “life-changing, career-inspiring opportunities” that take place during the summer or after school. Fields incorporated in the program are agriculture and urban gardening, computer science, entrepreneurship, law and law enforcement, leadership, media arts, medicine and medical sciences, STEM, and volunteerism.

For more information about Brooks’s courses, athletics, or enrichment opportunities, visit their website at http://www.brookscollegeprep.org/.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Northside College Preparatory High School

Founded in 1999, Northside College Preparatory High School (also commonly referred to as Northside) is a selective enrollment high school located in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Northside is ranked as the 23rd best public school in the nation and the 2nd best public school in the state of Illinois. The total enrollment of Northside is 1,069 students with a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. Of that enrollment, 70% of students are people of color and 41% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Northside also boasts an impressive graduation rate of 98%. 

 All of Northside’s classes are either honors or AP level, with the most unique departmental offerings found in math. The math department uses “IMP” or “Interactive Mathematics Program” as its core curriculum. IMP is a more writing-based understanding of math where students write and create portfolios and projects in addition to the standard solving of mathematical equations. Its math college prep program was one of five 9-12 mathematics curricula in the country to receive the highest rating of Exemplary from the U.S. Board of Education. 

 In addition to math, Northside offers a great variety of courses in English, science, social studies, and computer science. Each offers typical coursework in its respective subject as well as varied elective courses such as Philosophy in Literature, Experimental Literature, Creative Writing, Drama and Performance, Astronomy, Organismal Biology, Environmental Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Web Page and Mobile App Design, and Design and SQL Programming, respectively. 

Languages offered at Northside include Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and Latin. Fine arts classes offered encompass both music and visual arts with classes in choir, orchestra, band, and jazz as well as ceramics, digital imaging, painting, drawing, and sculpture. The physical education department also uniquely offers dance classes as well as weight training in addition to their more typical PE classes. 

 Athletes who would like to attend Northside will also enjoy a range of sports including soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, cheerleading, water polo, track, and dance among others. For a full list of athletics as well as courses offered at Northside, visit their website at www.northsideprep.org.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Walter Payton College Prep High School

One of Chicago’s youngest but most prestigious public high schools, Walter Payton College Prep High School, was founded in 2000 and named after the late Chicago Bears football legend, Walter Payton. Boasting impressive stats, Walter Payton College Prep High School (also known simply as “Payton”) is ranked as the 9th best public school in the nation, and the 1st best public school in the state of Illinois.

Payton’s enrollment is 977 with a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. Of their total enrollment, 57% of students are people of color, and 33% of students eat free or reduced-price lunches. Among other stats, Payton has a notable U.S. News Scorecard of 99.95%. The Scorecard is measured using the percentage of students who are proficient in math (97%) and reading (98%), took at least one AP exam (98%), passed at least one AP exam (93%), as well as their graduation rate (99%).  

The school offers a massive array of classes. Something that really stands out among other schools, however, is their seminar menu. Payton offers seminars in everything from Game Theory, Coding, Neuroscience, and Financial Investments to Film, Special Olympic Coaching, Skateboarding, Poetry, and Painting. For a full list of seminar offerings, visit https://www.wpcp.org/StudentLife/Seminars.aspx. In addition, Payton also has an exchange program for students in Melbourne, Australia and Paris, France as well as trips to Italy, Belize, and China.  

Payton also offers specialized classes in English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Technology in addition to more standard classes. Additionally, most upper level courses offered at Payton are either honors or AP with the idea that more rigorous coursework will help to better prepare students for college. Payton is also recognized as a World Language Academy offering courses in French, Spanish, Chinese, and Latin. Most students at Payton take four years of World Languages, studying both the language itself as well as the culture, technology, and global challenges of the country. The school also offers classes in theater, band, visual arts, and choir. Furthermore, the choir often travels internationally to compete or perform and will be going to China in 2020.

In addition to excellent class offerings, the school has a range of athletics with over 20 sports including water polo, sailing, ultimate frisbee, as well as more common sports like track and field, baseball, and soccer. For more information on athletics, academic curricula, or seminars, visit the school’s website:https://www.wpcp.org/StudentLife/Athletics/Teams.aspx.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School

Chicago’s first public magnet school and one of eleven selective enrollment public high schools, Whitney M. Young opened September 3, 1975. The school is ranked as the fourth best high school in the state of Illinois and seventy-first best high school in the nation. In addition to its high ranking, it also has many notable alumni, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, Astronaut Joan Higginbotham, actor and comedian Craig Robinson, as well as several professional athletes and rappers.

Housing grades 7-12, Whitney Young boasts an enrollment of 1,856 students with a student to teacher ratio of 20:1 and a graduation rate well above the state median at 97%. Of the total enrollment, 71% of students are people of color, and 43% of students receive free or reduced-price lunches.

Among other fantastic departments at Whitney Young, Social Studies stands out. It’s program not only has an extensive list of classes considered more standard including American and world history as well as government, but it also offers classes in law. Additionally, Whitney Young partners with Northwestern and Loyola Law schools as well as Women Everywhere (exposing young women to careers in the legal profession) among other programs.

The science and math departments at Whitney Young are also quite expansive, offering everything from typical science and math classes to forensic science, earth/space science, accounting, several computer science classes as well as robotics. Additionally, they have fantastic teachers—of their 16 science teachers, 13 have master’s degrees and 2 have doctorate degrees.

Whitney Young also offers a wide selection of both performing and visual art classes including dance, orchestra, guitar, piano, sculpture, ceramics, video production, graphic design, and mixed media to name a few. Languages taught include Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Latin, and American Sign Language.

If students are interested in sports, Whitney Young has an immense range of athletic activities including 52 athletic teams of 12 different sports. Of these sports teams, boys and girls basketball are consistently excellent: the boys’ team won state championships in 1998, 2009, 2014, and 2017 while the girls’ team won state championships in 2008, 2012, and 2014. The girls’ tennis team also recently won a state championship in 2017.

For more information about classes offered as well as extracurriculars and sports, visit Whitney Young’s website: wyoung.org.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

CPS Announces Application Process For 2020-2021 School Year

Last week, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released information regarding the application process for the 2020-2021 school year. This refers to students who will be beginning high school during the 2020-2021 school year. The Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress exam (NWEA MAP) will once again be used for the eligibility and selection to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools and to public high schools with academic requirements (Selective Enrollment High Schools).

For students who attended a CPS elementary school during the 2018-2019 school year, their 2019 spring NWEA MAP scores will be used for the admissions process.

Students who attended a non-CPS elementary school during the 2018-2019 school year will be required to take the NWEA MAP exam this fall. CPS will be administering the NWEA MAP exam free of charge throughout the city. The test will be offered at four sites: (1) Curie Metropolitan High School, (2) Lane Tech High School, (3) Lindblom Math and Science Academy, and (4) Westinghouse College Preparatory High School. Students will be scheduled for the test location closest to their residence.  

CPS will offer the NWEA MAP exam on four dates in September and two dates in October (dates listed below). Parents must submit the registration form to the Office of Access and Enrollment by no later than on Friday, August 30, 2019.

Test Dates

• Saturday, September 21, 2019

• Sunday, September 22, 2019

• Saturday, September 28, 2019

• Sunday, September 29, 2019

• Saturday, October 5, 2019

• Sunday, October 6, 2019

For more information about the application process for the 2020-2021 school year, please visit https://go.cps.edu/. Also, feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.

Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175

An Overview of Jones College Preparatory High School

Established in 1938, Jones College Preparatory High School is located in Chicago’s Printer’s Row. Jones is ranked as the fifth best public high school in the state of Illinois and the ninety-first best in the nation. The school boasts a student population of 1,815 with a student to teacher ratio of 20:1. Of the total enrollment, 61% are students of color, 41% receive free or reduced-price lunches, and it has a graduation rate above the state median at 95%. Additionally, Jones has a notable, famous alumnus: Grammy Award winner, Chance the Rapper.

Jones offers a wide array of excellent courses from which to choose. In English, after two years of foundational work, students can choose from a larger range of classes not typically offered at other public high schools including contemporary literature, African American literature, and Asian American literature. In math, students have the opportunity to choose from unique classes like Operations Research, Financial Algebra, and Art in Math as well as more typical classes. In science, students can take honors chemistry, physics, and biology as well as a plethora of computer science classes and electives. Languages offered at Jones include Spanish, French, and Chinese. Students are also able to participate in a variety of exchange programs or travel.

Two programs which truly stand out among other selective enrollment high schools are Jones’ Pre-Law and Pre-Engineering programs. In addition to their course of study, students enrolled in the pre-law program work in internships at prestigious law firms such as Baker McKenzie, Winston & Strawn, as well as the Illinois Supreme Court and the Cook County State Attorney. The Jones engineering program partners with Thornton Tomasetti, “a leading innovator in engineering and design with a strong commitment to the Chicago community.” Engineering students also participate in a rigorous course load taking Honors Engineering Design and Honors Digital Electronics among other classes.

In addition to core classes, Jones provides access to classes in the performing and visual arts including drama, instrumental, dance, choir, drawing, painting, mixed media, ceramics, animation, photography, video production, and more. For students interested in athletics, Jones has a great deal from which to choose. They offer over 20 different sports teams ranging from water polo to cheer-leading to track.

For more information about specific classes, athletics, or extracurricular activities, visit the school’s website at www.jonescollegeprep.org.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266