All About Walter Payton College Prep: Learn More about One of Chicago’s Top Selective Enrollment High Schools
Leading up to the PreACT 9 this October, Test Prep Chicago is spotlighting all eleven CPS selective enrollment high schools, along with some of the city's top AP, IB, and Honors programs, right here on our blog. This week, we're taking a closer look at Walter Payton College Prep.
Walter Payton stands out for its rigorous academics, strong emphasis on world languages, and reputation as one of the most competitive selective enrollment schools in the city to gain admission to. Located in the Old Town neighborhood on Chicago's North Side, the school has built its identity around a global, college-prep curriculum designed to prepare students to think and engage internationally.
Academically, Payton is known for its strength across math, science, and world languages, with a curriculum focused on mathematics, science, and world languages that has helped more than 99% of Payton students meet or exceed state math standards. Students have access to a wide range of Honors and AP coursework across core subjects, along with weekly seminars on topics like Zulu language and culture, Latin America in film, and world religion, giving students the chance to dig into subjects well beyond the standard curriculum.
Payton's world languages program is one of its most distinctive features. One of the school's distinguishing characteristics is a requirement for every student to complete four years of foreign language instruction, with offerings that have included Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Latin. The school's commitment to language education runs deep, as Payton is home to the only Confucius Institute in the world inside a high school, a partnership that supports Chinese language and cultural exchange programs. Students in the language program have also had opportunities to travel abroad and participate in home-stays through exchange partnerships with schools in China, France, Morocco, Japan, and Chile, giving students a chance to build real fluency while immersing themselves in new cultures.
Outside the classroom, Payton's extracurricular scene reflects the same academic intensity found in its classrooms. Students can get involved in a wide range of student-led clubs, including academic groups like Robotics and Science Olympiad, as well as identity-based organizations such as the Black Student Union and Latin American Coalition. The arts have a strong presence as well, with club offerings like choir, drama, photography, and more. Students looking for competition and leadership opportunities can also get involved in debate, journalism, and other academic competitions, while athletics round out the extracurricular offerings across a variety of sports.
Between its emphasis on math and science, its standout world language program, and its deeply engaged student community, Payton gives students an unusually global high school experience. This is a big reason the school remains one of Chicago's most sought-after (and most competitive) selective enrollment programs. It's a great fit for students who thrive in a highly rigorous academic environment and want to build real fluency in a world language alongside a strong foundation in math and science.
Admission to Walter Payton is competitive and based on seventh-grade core grades and the new PreACT 9. If your student is interested in attending Payton or another selective enrollment high school, Test Prep Chicago can help your student prepare for the new PreACT 9, helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to succeed. As a licensed participant in the NTPA ACT Affiliate Tutor Program, we had been aware of the change from the CPS HSAT to the PreACT 9, and our team had already begun creating new PreACT 9 Secure curriculum. As such, students enrolled or looking to enroll in any courses or one-day workshops, or students beginning individual tutoring, can be assured that the content and test-taking strategies they are being taught will reflect the content seen on the new exam. All of our scheduled courses (sign up here) and one-day Palooza workshops (sign up here) will continue to run as planned, as will our individual tutoring sessions (sign up here), with the new PreACT 9 Secure content and test-taking strategies instead of the old CPS HSAT curriculum. Sign up now to help your student prepare!