Walter Payton College Preparatory High School Print

Contact Information

Principal: Ellen Estrada
Admissions Director: Naomi Nakayama
Phone: 773-534-0034
Web site: http://www.wpcp.org/dnn/
Address: 1034 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60610    
Freshman class size: 210
Total enrollment: 835 (grades 9 - 12)

 

Admissions

The average score of an admitted student has increased dramatically from 921 in 2004-2005 to 962 in 2009-2010 (+ 41 points) on the 1,000 point admissions scale. The average score of an admitted student jumped to 888 in 2010-2011 on the new 900 point admissions scale, making Payton the toughest school to get into -- even slightly more competitive than the ultra competitive Northside College Prep. After "adjusting" for the new point scale, the increase in admissions scores in 2010-2011 represents an increase of 20 points from the previous year.

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Programs

Walter Payton College Prep opened its doors in the fall of 2000. Payton's motto is "We Nurture Leaders." To encourage leadership among its students, Payton has established two mentoring systems - Payton Advisory Leaders (PALS) for juniors who want to guide freshmen; and Best Buddies, for students who assist special needs students.

Payton offers a technology rich environment. Students have access to smart desks (e.g., with both data and electrical outlets) in every classroom, a World Language Lab, a Distance Learning Lab, and various computer and science centers. The mathematics department uses a range of computer software in its curriculum to provide students with a hands-on application of quantitative concepts. College credit courses are available through partnerships with area schools. Payton uses block or modified scheduling with its longer class sessions to allow for the deeper exploration of topics. Academic highlights:

  • Math Team: In 2004, after only four years in existence, Payton became the first Chicago Public High School ever to win a state math championship, beating the University of Chicago Laboratory School. Payton has since moved up divisions and now competes against larger schools but has nevertheless maintained its winning record, taking the state title in 2005 and 2006 and the city title in 2007. In 2007, Payton scored among the top 60 schools in the country in the American Mathematics Competition.
  • Seminar Program: Payton students can choose from over 50 seminars including athletic oriented offers (e.g., badminton, ballroom dance, climbing, fencing, jazz dance, line dancing, yoga, etc.), to cultural (e.g., cinema, drama, gospel choir, poetry, etc.) to intellectual (e.g., human behavior, short story writing, weird science, etc.). Students can even take "Explore Your Inner Geek" - an actual seminar offer. Seminars are taken on a pass/fail basis.
  • Distance Learning Center: Payton's Distance Learning Center allows it to connect to a variety of institutions including museums, universities, hospitals and other schools. Past programs have included Live from the Heart (open-heart surgery as it was performed), Cooking Science (demonstration of truffle making), and a Virtual College Fair (virtual tours of colleges hosted by the college admissions director).
  • International Orientation: Payton has taken a number of steps to provide global exposure to its students. Payton has six sister schools, in China, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, and South Africa. Payton is a member of the Illinois International Career Academy, an organization designed by the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy to encourage a deeper appreciation of international issues and has been designated an Illinois International High School.

Activities/Clubs/Sports

Payton offers over 30 different clubs from academic clubs (e.g., Academic Decathlon, Debate Team, Math Team, National Honor Society, etc.) to cultural clubs (e.g., Art Attack, Anime and Japanese Culture, Music Production, Payton Players, Photography, etc.) to social service clubs (e.g., Animal Rights, Amnesty International, Best Buddies, Environmental Club, Model UN, etc.). Payton offers basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Academics

The ACT is the most widely used college admissions test, so its scores are a useful guide for comparing high school academic performance. The test contains four sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, a composite score is the average of these sections. The score of any of these sections and the composite range from 1 to 36.

Selective Enrollment High School students achieved an average composite score of 24.1 (75th percentile nationally) in 2009. This compares to Payton's 2008 composite of 27.6 (90th percentile nationally) and Chicago's 17.6 (30th percentile nationally), putting Payton significantly above both the District (City of Chicago) average and the national average.

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Trends in ACT Scores

From 2005 to 2009, Payton's composite ACT score has inched up from 25.6 (82nd percentile) to 27.6 (90th percentile) as shown below.

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Payton's State of Illinois Ranking and National Ranking

  • State of Illinois rank: 2. In 2009, Payton was ranked 2nd in the state, repeating a position that it has held for the past several years, based on a Chicago Sun-Times analysis of average 11th grade reading and math scores on the Prairie State Exams.
  • Percentile: 90.74%. The percentile of students statewide who scored the same or worse than the average student at Payton rose from 84.9% in 2007 to 88.20% in 2008 to 90.74% in 2009.
  • National Rank: 96. Payton has been ranked #96 in the country by U.S. News & World Reports. This ranking is based on a number of criteria including test performance, the performance of minority students in comparison with their peers across the state, and college readiness as assed by AP (Advance Placement) performance.

For additional academic information about Payton, click here for a state report card.