Overwhelming Majority of CPS Students Receive Offers to Preferred School Choices Through GoCPS High School Application Process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, March 30, 2018

CHICAGO - This afternoon, the majority of CPS 8th graders will receive offers to their top high school choices when offers for the 2018-19 school year are issued through GoCPS. GoCPS is the district’s new school application system that is making the high school admissions process more accessible, equitable and transparent for families in every part of the city.

“We’re thrilled that nearly all of our students participated in this new application process in its first year, and we believe this high level of participation will help make the high school selection process more equitable and transparent,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “GoCPS was created to empower families to find the best schools for their children, and I am highly encouraged that so many of our families embraced GoCPS and matched with their top choices.

In its first year, more than 93 percent of incoming freshman (26,909 students) used GoCPS to apply to high school, and 92 percent (24,806) of those students were matched to a school on their application. Among students who matched, 81 percent of students were offered a seat at one of their top three school choices.

The district launched GoCPS with the goal of simplifying the school application process. The prior system was overly complex, with a variety of deadlines, application processes and requirements. GoCPS was created to streamline the previous patchwork of applications by establishing a single hub for applications under a common timeline, while making the process more transparent and equitable.

This afternoon, all GoCPS applicants who applied online will receive their offers. Through GoCPS, all incoming freshman were able to rank their preferred non-selective enrollment schools, and qualifying students were also able to rank their preferred selective enrollment schools. Students were matched with a high school based on their own program ranking, the number of seats available at each school, each program’s admissions requirements, and whether any priority preferences were considered, such as sibling or proximity preferences. Students can receive a maximum of one non-selective enrollment offer and one selective enrollment offer through this process.

In addition to the offers issued today, students who did not receive their top choice may still have an opportunity to attend a school they ranked higher on their preference list through a waitlist process built into GoCPS. This process will make waitlists a more accurate measure of demand for schools than in the past and create opportunities for students who did not receive their top choice.

All students will always have the option to attend their designated neighborhood school and any student who chose not to apply through GoCPS will have a spot held for them at their neighborhood school.

To support families, the district’s Office of Access and Enrollment operates a call center to address questions about GoCPS. The call center can be reached at (773) 553-2060 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To learn more about GoCPS and applying to Chicago Public Schools, please visit www.go.cps.edu.

Chicago Public Schools serves 371,000 students in 646 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

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