CPS and Catholic School Application Process

CPS Applications

All high school and elementary students who wish to apply to CPS schools outside of their neighborhood must apply through GoCPS. Families are required to rank their top choice schools and apply by the extended deadline of December 15th at 5:00 PM. The ranking process requires applicants to order their top 20 choice programs or top 6 selective enrollment schools. Applicants can be offered one choice school option and one selective enrollment option.  Students applying to selective enrollment schools or academic centers are required to participate in the testing requirements while all other applicants will be chosen via an independent lottery system or audition process. All offers will be announced in the spring of 2025.

Catholic School Applications

Students looking to test into Catholic Schools are required to complete their applications prior to the coming holiday break. While most students have already completed the required testing for exams, all remaining application requirements must be completed in the coming weeks to be considered for the 2025-26 school year. Students who were unable to test on their originally scheduled test date will be able to attend a make-up test on December 14th at specific schools such as St. Patrick’s and De La Salle.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

HSPT Information for Chicago Students

8th grade students looking to apply to Catholic high schools are required to take the High School Parochial Test (HSPT). This year, the exam will take place on Saturday, December 7th at 8:00 AM. Students will take the exam at their 1st choice Catholic high school (Loyola, St. Ignatius, Depaul, or Fenwick). Students can only apply to one of these schools. If a student is not admitted to one of these, they should have a second choice (unmentioned school) prepared. Any student pursuing a scholarship opportunity is required to sit for the exam at the corresponding school.

The HSPT covers both math and verbal topics including verbal analogies, logic, verbal classifications, quantitative skills, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language. The exam is composed of 298 questions and will be in multiple-choice format. The exam will take approximately two and a half hours to complete. Students should be prepared to solve all problems without the use of a calculator. However, they may use scratch paper for calculations.

Chicago Catholic schools that require HSPT scores include the following: Brother Rice High School, Carmel Catholic High School, Christ the King Jesuit High School Preparatory School, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, De La Salle Institute, Depaul College Prep, Fenwich High School, St. Francis de Sales High School, Holy Trinity High School, St. Ignatius College Prep, Josephinum Academy, St. Laurence High School, Leo High School, Loyola Academy, Marian Catholic High School, Marist High School, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, Mount Carmel High School, Nazareth Academy, Notre Dame College Prep, Our Lady or Tepeyac High School, Saint Patrick High School, Regina Dominican High School, Resurrection College Prep High School, St. Rita of Cascia High School, Trinity High School, Saint Viator High School, and Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart.

Kayley Horton, Tutoring Coordinator
kayley@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

AP Course Decisions

For high school students, taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes can offer numerous benefits such as gaining college credit, improving academic skills, and strengthening college applications. However, it can be challenging to decide how many AP classes to take. 

AP classes are designed to provide college-level coursework to high school students. These courses offer students an opportunity to explore challenging subjects in greater depth and prepare them for college-level academic rigor. However, the workload of AP courses is typically higher than that of regular high school courses. Students should consider their academic ability based on their performance in previous academic years, including their grades, course difficulty, and study habits. Students must also factor in their workload, including from extracurricular activities.

Another factor to consider is a student's future goals. If a student is planning to attend a highly competitive college or pursue a career in a challenging field, taking multiple AP courses can demonstrate their academic readiness and preparedness. Even so, colleges take other factors into account, and there is no guaranteed number of AP courses that will substitute for a well-rounded and individual background.

Counselors, researchers, and consultants agree that it’s far more important to select a schedule that will be manageable to a student based on their workload, academic level, and future goals, rather than loading their schedule with as many AP courses as possible.

Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

High School Entrance Exam Prep Courses in the Fall

This fall, Test Prep Chicago will offer classes which encompass all three high school entrance exams: the CPS High School Admissions Test (formerly known as the SEHS), the independent school entrance exam (ISEE), and the high school placement test (HSPT). Over the course of eight weeks, students will dive into the content of the tests, test-taking strategies, as well as the formatting and timing of each test. Though eight weeks may seem like a short amount of time to prepare for three tests, it’s an accessible timeframe given the likeness of each exam.

First, the content is exceedingly alike. Each of the tests include math (up through geometry), reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language skills (multiple choice for the CPS High School Admissions Test and HSPT, essay for ISEE). Given these similarities, students studying for any or all exams are able to work toward reviewing or learning the same concepts. Where there are a few differences, such as the essay section on the ISEE, students studying specifically for the ISEE will be provided with supplementary, exam- specific material for homework. However, since the student is engaging in language and grammar in our class, they will still be getting their fair share of in-class language and grammar prep for the ISEE.

Next, the time permitted to take each test ranges from two hours and thirty minutes to three hours.  Accordingly, the stamina needed to build up in order to successfully take each exam is almost indistinguishable. The only exception is that the HSPT has quite a few more questions than the other two exams. Similar to the essay section with the ISEE, supplementary materials will be provided for those students who wish to work specifically on quickly getting through the many questions that the HSPT will inevitably have.

Lastly, since the formatting of each exam is slightly different, we include questions formatted in the likeness of each exam, so students feel fully prepared. If you’re interested in enrolling in our comprehensive high school admissions course, visit testprepchicago.com and sign up for our newsletter. Once we add dates for the fall (including online and in-person courses), we’ll send an email notification to let you know registration has opened. We will likely add dates sometime in July for our courses that will begin in late August or early September.

Lauren Lynch, Director of Tutoring and Communications
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of Loyola Academy

A part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, Loyola Academy is a private, co-ed school located in Wilmette, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago. The school was originally founded on Loyola University’s campus in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood in 1909 but moved to its current campus in 1957. Loyola is rated as the 6th best Catholic school in Illinois and the 4th best school for athletes in Illinois. The school has a student population of approximately 2,050 with a student to teacher ratio of 14:1. Not only does Loyola have a graduation rate of 99%, but 99% of those students go on to attend a four-year college after high school.

The curriculum at Loyola provides a challenge for high achieving students, and even allows them to further specialize in their interests in the form of two honors programs: The Dumbach Scholars Program and the Clavius Scholars Program. As their website states, “The Dumbach Scholars Program is rooted in the humanities, while the Clavius Scholars Program is grounded in math and science.” Each program is competitive and requires specific AP and honors classes, service hours, and includes several interdisciplinary field trips. Loyola also uniquely offers a Global Studies Program with academic trips to France, China, Greece and Italy, Spain, Central America, or England as well as the opportunity to take a service trip to Mexico.

In addition to other resources, Loyola Academy also has a 1:1 iPad initiative which began in 2013 and continues today. While students must purchase their own, the initiative makes Loyola an Apple Distinguished School which, among other things, offers a discount to families. The school also has a proud tradition of athletics for students to participate in including 34 different sports and over 80 different teams. Many students at Loyola go on to play for reputable college teams across the nation.

As with most other Catholic schools, tuition is required for admission into Loyola Academy. Tuition for Loyola is approximately $15,260 with financial aid and payment plans available. To find out more about Loyola Academy’s tuition, how to apply, or to read more about their academics or athletics, visit their website at goramblers.org. 

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of DePaul College Prep High School

Formerly known as Gordon Technical High School, DePaul College Prep High School first opened in 1952 as a Roman Catholic high school in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood on the north side. The school was originally named after Reverend Francis Gordon, but was renamed DePaul College Prep on the Father Gordon Campus in 2014, honoring both Reverend Gordon as well as their academic partner since 2012, DePaul University. DePaul College Prep has a student population of 550 with a student to teacher ratio of 11:1. They boast a graduation rate of 98%; in addition, 98% of students who graduate go on to attend a four-year college. It also ranks 18th most diverse private school in Illinois and 25th best Catholic school in Illinois.

DePaul College Prep offers impressive academic opportunities for their students. As they state on their website, “As a student at DePaul Prep, you will develop a strong foundation in liberal arts, science, technology, engineering and math. We offer various academic options--Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, College Prep and College Enrichment. We are proud to say the DePaul College Prep is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and we also offer the unique opportunity of Dual Enrollment courses at DePaul University.”

Another exciting component of DePaul College Prep’s curriculum is their STEAM initiative (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). This program is comprised of courses in visual arts, media arts, theater, music, engineering, design and computer science. DePaul contends, “The Department adopts an interdisciplinary approach to learning that develops critical thinking and creativity using state of the art technology, fully equipped art and sculpture studio, engineering and fabrication lab, computer science lab and music studio.” Beginning their freshman year, students will take a full year of coursework in the STEAM program which can be followed up with electives of their favorite disciplines in their years as upperclassmen. In addition to STEAM, students take standard courses as well as theology classes and language classes in Spanish, French, or Chinese.

Tuition at DePaul College Prep is about $13,170 a year with payment plans and financial aid available. Approximately 40% of students use financial aid. To find out more information about DePaul College Prep’s tuition, academics, etc. visit their website at depaulprep.org.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266

An Overview of St. Ignatius College Prep

One of five extant public buildings dating back to before the Chicago Fire of 1871, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School is one of the oldest Jesuit Catholic preparatory schools in Chicago. Located between Chicago’s Near West Side and Little Italy neighborhoods, St. Ignatius is on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable alumni include stand-up comedian John Mulaney; former Chief of Staff under Barack Obama, William M. Daley; and actress Gina Rodriguez among others.

According to their website, “the academic experience at Saint Ignatius is characterized by rigor, reflection, and personal responsibility.” The school offers 40 honors class electives as well as 25 different Advanced Placement classes to choose from in order to begin gaining college credit in high school. Impressively, 90% of their teachers have a master’s degree or higher, with a student to teacher ratio of 17:1. In addition, they boast a 1:1 iPad program that allows for classroom experiences which are “enhanced by state-of-the-art technology.”

Within each department, students have a wide range of classes from which to choose. In addition to more traditional courses, students can choose electives like Shakespeare, Chicago Authors, or African American Literature within English or Microbiology: Viruses, Bacteria, and Fungi; Earth Science; or Engineering within the science department. Similar elective courses can also be found in other departments. Furthermore, there is a vast array of music, visual art, and religion courses available as well as foreign language courses in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Latin, and Greek. Students interested in sports can choose from football, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, tennis, and swimming and diving among others.

Since St. Ignatius is a Catholic school, students must apply to be admitted. Thus, students must take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) on the first Saturday of December in their 8th-grade year for a chance at going to a Catholic or Parochial school. Unlike with selective enrollment, however, Catholic schools such as St. Ignatius look at the student as a whole (resume, transcript, as well as test scores) to decide whether or not a student will be admitted.

In addition, to attend St. Ignatius, tuition is required. In the 2019-2020 school year, tuition was reportedly $19,500 (per year). However, scholarships and financial aid are available and according to their website, approximately 28% of students at St. Ignatius receive some kind of tuition assistance. In the 2019-2020 school year, $4.5 million was pledged to help students who have a financial need. In order to be eligible for scholarships at St. Ignatius, however, students must sit for the HSPT at St. Ignatius.

For more information about courses, athletics, extracurriculars, or tuition visit the school’s website at https://www.ignatius.org/.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266