Learn More: Lindblom’s Academic Center

With the Academic Center Entrance Exam coming up in January/February of 2026, Test Prep Chicago is featuring some of the top Academic Center options in Chicago for 6th and 7th graders. This week, we’re spotlighting Lindblom’s Academic Center, a strong choice for students who are ready for advanced academics and an early start on high school-level learning.

Lindblom Academic Center is part of Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy, a selective enrollment public high school located on Chicago’s South Side. Lindblom is widely known for its rigorous academic expectations, especially in math and science, and for its unique year-round school calendar. The Academic Center serves students in grades 7 and 8 and students admitted to Lindblom’s Academic Center are guaranteed a seat in Lindblom’s high school if they choose to continue there, creating a smooth transition into ninth grade. 

Academic Center students take accelerated courses that go deeper and move faster than standard middle school classes. In math, students typically complete an integrated two-year Algebra sequence, allowing many to begin geometry when they enter high school. In science, students receive laboratory-based training and participate in in-depth experiments. Lindblom also offers unique world language opportunities, including Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, giving students exposure to languages not commonly available at the middle school level.

Furthermore, Lindblom uses a block schedule, which allows students to spend longer periods in each class and explore topics in greater depth. In addition to core subjects, students participate in enrichment courses called colloquia, which are project-based classes that explore a wide range of topics such as science, culture, the arts, and real-world problem solving. 

Outside the classroom, Academic Center students are connected to Lindblom’s broader school community and can take part in extracurricular activities alongside older students, including Debate, Robotics, Art Club, Chess Club, Drama Club, and Gay/Straight Alliance. The school’s athletic teams compete in the Chicago Public League, with sports such as basketball, football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, wrestling, cheerleading, and track and field. 

Admission to Lindblom is selective and competitive, based on grades and performance on the CPS Academic Center Entrance Exam. At Test Prep Chicago, we support students preparing for the ACEE and more by offering one-day workshops (click here), ACEE prep courses (click here), and individual tutoring (click here), providing clear test-taking strategies, practice exams, homework, and a deep dive on material to help students feel prepared for the exam.

A Spotlight on the Brooks Academic Center

As we lead up to the Academic Center Entrance Exam, Test Prep Chicago is featuring some of the top Academic Center options in Chicago for 7th and 8th graders. This week, we are spotlighting the Brooks Academic Center at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, an excellent opportunity for motivated students who are ready for an advanced program at a young age.

The Brooks Academic Center is part of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, a highly regarded selective enrollment public high school located on Chicago’s South Side. The school is known for its strong academic focus and commitment to preparing students for college and high school, potentially at Brooks. 

Students at the Brooks Academic Center take courses that go beyond standard middle school material. The program is designed to prepare students for the rigorous high school curriculum offered at Brooks, which includes honors and Advanced Placement classes. One major benefit of attending the Academic Center is that students who successfully complete the program are guaranteed a seat in the Brooks high school, giving them a smooth transition into ninth grade. Teachers encourage curiosity, problem-solving, and strong study habits that help students succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Student life at Brooks emphasizes both learning and personal growth. While specific club offerings can vary from year to year and depend on student interest and teacher sponsorship, Brooks supports a range of student organizations that allow kids to build leadership and teamwork skills. Organizations such as Student Ambassadors are open to Academic Center students, and allow students to represent Brooks at events, help with tours, and develop leadership skills. Furthermore, the school offers many sports, including cross country, football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, bowling, baseball, softball, tennis, track and field, and swimming for both boys and girls, as well as cheerleading and wrestling. Brooks also supports teams like chess for their Academic Center, a distinctive activity that has drawn attention as one of the few of its kind in the CPS system.

Admission to the Brooks Academic Center is competitive and based on academic performance and entrance exam results. For families interested in Brooks or other Academic Centers, strong test preparation can be very helpful. Test Prep Chicago supports students preparing for the ACEE and more by offering one-day workshops (click here), ACEE prep courses (click here), and individual tutoring (click here), providing clear test-taking strategies, practice exams, homework, and a deep dive on material to help students feel confident and ready for test day.

Let’s Learn About Lane Tech Academic Center

The Academic Center Entrance Exam (ACEE), also known as the Regional Gifted Center Test (RGC Test), plays a major role in admissions for selective enrollment 7th and 8th grade Academic Centers. There are 7 such Academic Centers in Chicago: Brooks, Kenwood, Lane Tech, Lindblom, Morgan Park, Taft, and Whitney Young. Students will be taking the ACEE in mid to late January; in the meantime, Test Prep Chicago will be featuring some of the top Academic Centers, laying out what makes them special. 

First up is Lane Tech. Founded in 1908, Lane Technical College Prep High School and Academic Center (also known as Lane Tech) is situated in Roscoe Village, a neighborhood on the north side of Chicago. Though founded many years ago, Lane Tech’s Academic Center opened in 2011. Since Lane Tech is both a selective enrollment high school and Academic Center, students enrolled in Lane’s academic center are automatically enrolled in Lane Tech’s high school program without needing to reapply.

Much like at other Academic Centers, students enrolled can gain high school credit for classes as well as work on material that is 1-2 years advanced. Furthermore, as early as their 7th-grade year, students at Lane Tech Academic Center begin receiving high school credit for classes like algebra, biology, global issues, and electives such as world language, art, music, or computer science. As students progress to high school, all Academic Center students at Lane are expected to take either Honor or Advanced Placement courses, though, still must meet all regular prerequisites in place by course instructors and departments. This puts students on track to already be taking AP courses (that may count for college credit) during their freshman year of high school.

In addition to academics, Lane Tech Academic Center also offers extracurriculars students would find at any other elementary school. Sports offered include cross country, track, basketball, soccer, and cheerleading to name a few. There are also other clubs and activities which include Student Council, Math Team, Yearbook, Science Olympiad, and Debate.

Admission scores for Selective Enrollment Academic Centers are calculated on a 600-point scale. 300 points are determined by the Academic Center Entrance Exam, and 300 points are determined by 5th grade scores in math, reading, science, and social studies. While we cannot know the scores required for admittance into Lane Tech for the 2026-27 school year, last year’s cutoff scores for Lane Tech are listed below:

Rank                    Min. Point Total

Tier 4                                   565

Tier 3                                   552.5

Tier 2                                   530

Tier 1                                   482.5

Admission to Lane Tech is highly competitive, and the Academic Center Entrance Exam is a key component in the admissions process. Test Prep Chicago offers individualized tutoring (click here), group courses (click here), and one-day workshops (click here) to ensure our students are as prepared as possible for the exam. Our extensive curriculum covers Number Series, Verbal and Figural Analogies, Paper Folding, Number Puzzles (Algebra), Figural Matrices, and more. We prepare students for every possible section that (to our knowledge) can appear on the ACEE. It is not too late to begin your student’s prep!

Thank you to Lauren Lynch, who compiled the majority of the research for this article for Test Prep Chicago. Her prior work on the subject can be found here. To find out more about Lane Tech Academic Center’s courses or extracurriculars, visit their website: https://lanetech.org/ltac/. To see the cutoff scores for all Selective Enrollment Academic Centers, click here.

CPS Announces Academic Center Entrance Exam Test Dates (2022-23 School Year)

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has announced the test dates for the Academic Center Entrance Exam.

AC Entrance Exam Test Dates 
Saturday, January 14
Sunday, January 15
Monday, January 16
Saturday, January 21
Sunday, January 22
Saturday, January 28
Sunday, January 29

The AC Entrance Exam will be offered at a designated CPS testing site based on a family’s location.

Applicants can apply and register for a test date using the GoCPS online application portal.

The application process for the 2023-2024 school year opens Wednesday, September 21 and ends Friday, December 2nd.

Charlie Howard, Owner
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266