8th Grade Selective Enrollment Admissions Process

Early fall testing

In the 3^rd week of October, CPS administers an 8^th grade normed test to students who lack a 7^th grade ISAT score. While your child's 7^th grade Terra Nova, Iowa or Stanford score can be used in the application process, if your child took one of these non ISAT tests, it may be possible for he/she to be re-tested. Click here for more information about this testing process.

Finish Your Research

Finalize your selections. Continue your research and consider re-visiting schools that most interested your child last year. School reputations change over time, so you want to be current based on reality, not just reputation. Typically, Selective Enrollment High Schools have Open Houses in October or November. Take the time to attend, even if you have visited in the past. Hopefully, by the start of the 8th grade you have a good idea of which schools you want to target.

Prepare the Selective Enrollment Application Form

Calculate your score. Click here to calculate your child's admissions score.

Rank your schools. On the application form you will be asked to select and rank which schools you wish to apply to. You are allowed to apply to six Selective Enrollment High Schools. With the new admissions policy you will receive only one acceptance. It is still important to rank your preferred school as your first choice. If you do not have a high enough point total to get accepted to your first pick, the computer will give you your 2nd choice, if you do not have enough points for your 2nd choice, you will get your 3rd choice and so on.

If you have a very high point total (e.g., close to the mean of an accepted student) but for some reason were rejected from your most preferred school, it may be possible for you to get in during a 2nd round of decisions.

Fill in your application form. You need to fill out only one application form to apply to any Selective Enrollment High School. Your school will fill in information on your child's 7th grade performance. Applications can be obtained at any public elementary school.

The Selective Enrollment High School Application Form can be submitted beginning in early October with a final deadline in mid December (typically the Friday before Winter Break).

Submit your application form. The date your application is submitted can affect your child's test date. Submitting an application in December before the due date makes it difficult for your child to get a December test date. You can also specifically exclude one test date on the form.

Submit additional high school applications. Since the Selective Enrollment High School admissions process is intensely competitive, apply to all of your child's identified high school options. Each of these schools has its own application form and process. Note: It is very difficult to be admitted after decisions are made in February/March if an initial application is not submitted in a timely fashion.

Prepare for the Selective Enrollment Entrance Exam. The Selective Enrollment High School Entrance Exam is 300 points or 33 1/3% of the score. The Exam emphasizes reading, math, language, and vocabulary. SelectivePrep will help prepare your child for this crucial exam. Register in the summer or fall for SelectivePrep's 8^th Grade Program.

Since there is a certain amount of overlap in test content, the SelectivePrep program can increase your child's success in other competitive admissions tests (e.g., Lincoln Park IB, Catholic, independent, etc.)

Principal discretion process. Up to 5% of a school's applicants can be admitted under the principal discretion process. After the test scores and selections are released to parents, students who were not selected can submit an appeal based on extracurricular activities, leadership skills, extenuating circumstances/hardships, and siblings. The deadline for filing an appeal is short. If you are thinking about trying the appeals process, line up documentation in advance.