News

SelectivePrep Spring Newsletter: Navigating the Admissions Maze

How did the new admissions process affect Selective Enrollment High School admissions scores?

Click here to read an analysis of the latest admissions scores and advice on what you need to do to get admitted.

Federal officials recently subpoenaed the CPS seeking information on the Selective Enrollment Admissions policy, August 2, 2009

Just one week after the Chicago Public School (CPS) system announced an internal investigation into admissions practices at all application-based Chicago area schools (e.g., selective enrollment, gifted, classical, magnet, etc.), it has been revealed that the federal government is launching its own investigation into admissions practices. The federal probe, at least initially, is limited to the nine Selective Enrollment High Schools.

According to Matthew Greenberg, Partner, SelectivePrep, "The additional federal interest will ensure that Selective Enrollment admissions policies will be thoroughly investigated. It's intriguing that that the federal government is also probing the Chicago Public School admissions policy," he continued. "The existence of any admissions procedures that are not based on merit makes the system less transparent and can lead to unfairness. Efforts by both CPS and the federal government can only strengthen the hand of students who enter the process with strong grades and test scores," concluded Greenberg.

Click here to read the Chicago Tribune article.

CPS is launching an investigation into the District's Selective Enrollment admissions process

Currently students are admitted to one of the nine Selective Enrollment high schools on the basis of their score on a 1,000 point system. Students can receive a potential 300 points for 7^th grade grades, 100 points for 7^th grade attendance, 300 points for 7^th grade ISAT scores, and 300 points for the Selective Enrollment Entrance Exam. CPS has long touted their admissions policy as objective since each component can be easily measured and has claimed that admissions decisions are made solely on the basis of this objective measurement.

According to Matthew Greenberg, Partner, SelectivePrep, "Ensuring that there is fair play is vitally important to these schools' reputations. This investigation can only strengthen the integrity of the system by ensuring that the rules are indeed being followed and will strengthen the hand of students who study hard, perform well, and play by the rules. In short, it's a great idea."

Click here to read the CPS press release.

Jones College Prep continues to consider various architectural and enrollment plans including the addition of up to 300 neighborhood students, which would move total enrollment to 1,200.

Click here for more information.

The scores needed to attend one of Chicago's nine Selective Enrollment High Schools rose yet again this year, with the average score of an admitted student increasing by 10 points.

A University of Chicago study finds that many academically advanced Chicago students are not applying to the best possible universities and that some choose not to attend college altogether.  To read more, click the link below.

http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/content/publications.php?pub_id=133

A recent Chicago Sun-Times article, Too much power to principals?, (February 24, 2009) discusses how many parents are uninformed about this new procedure and unhappy over its apparent lack of objectivity. In March 2009, SelectivePrep asked parents for their opinions and experience with the new principal discretion guidelines. To read more, click here.

Selective Enrollment High Schools have recently changed their admissions policy to allow up to three excused 7^th grade absences without penalty. To read more, click the link below.

http://www.selectiveenrollment.org/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=79374&id=0