Spotlighting Northside College Prep: What Makes this Chicago Selective Enrollment High School Special

Northside College Prep is consistently ranked as one of the top selective enrollment high schools in Chicago. Known for its rigorous academic program, cutting-edge facilities, and strong college admissions record, Northside is a top choice for high-performing, academically-oriented students.

Regularly listed among the best public high schools in the country, Northside offers a well-rounded, academically-focused experience. Every academic course at Northside is taught at either an Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) level, giving students the opportunity to choose from approximately 24 AP classes across disciplines including math, science, English, and Social studies. Northside also employs the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP), a nationally recognized alternative to traditional high school math curriculum, and offers advanced math courses such as Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Discrete Mathematics. Additionally, students participate in a weekly Colloquium, a unique enrichment program that allows them to explore diverse topics outside the traditional curriculum. These aspects of Northside make it one of the most academically rigorous high schools in Chicago, perfect for a highly driven, academically focused student who learns well in challenging environments. While Northside offers a variety of extracurriculars, including successful sports teams and student-led clubs, its defining feature is its strong academic culture and high expectations. 

As a result, Northside is also ideal for students looking to get a competitive edge during the college application process. Students at Northside regularly achieve high standardized test scores and college acceptance rates, with over 99% of graduates going on to attend college, many at highly selective institutions.

With that being said, Northside also has a unique commitment to student wellness and holistic learning. Despite it being a challenging environment, Northside employs a block schedule and advisory system that are designed to reduce stress, which can be a rarity among high-pressure academic institutions. This makes Northside particularly attractive to students who want academic rigor without sacrificing mental well-being.

Admission to Northside is extremely competitive, based on a combination of seventh-grade core subject grades and performance on the CPS High School Admissions Test (HSAT). For students looking to attend Northside, Test Prep Chicago offers expert test prep.

Whether you're interested in a small-group course, a 1-day intensive workshop, or personalized one-on-one tutoring, our offerings include full-length practice exams, strategic homework, and targeted instruction. Our tutors emphasize proven test strategies, time management skills, and pacing to help students feel confident and capable on test day. With ongoing feedback from real students, we continually update our materials to reflect the latest exam trends.

Want to learn more about how we can support your student on the path to Northside? Explore our group courses (click here), 1-day workshops (click here), or individual tutoring sessions (click here).

Stay tuned -- we’ll be spotlighting more top selective enrollment schools in the coming weeks to help families make informed choices about their CPS high school options.

Selective Enrollment High School Cut Off Scores Rise

High School Entrance Exam scores are on the rise for 8th-grade students applying to Selective Enrollment High Schools. CPS recently released their Selective Enrollment cut-off scores for the 2023-2024 school year which details an increase in average point totals and minimum scores required for eligibility. This increase will affect applicants of all Tiers across the board.

According to the information provided by CPS, Tier 4 students must achieve a perfect 900 points to place into Walter Payton College Prep or Northside College Prep. This cut-off score remains stagnant for Payton while it has increased by 4 points at Northside in the last year. Similarly, Whitney Young has seen an increase across the board from Tier 1 to Tier 4 students. Tier 1 students must score a minimum of 834 points to be eligible which is up dramatically from 816.5 the year prior. Tier 4 students must score a minimum of 893, up 9 points from last year’s cut-off of 884. Other Selective Enrollment high schools such as Jones College Prep and Lane Tech College Prep have also seen surges in cutoff scores, though their Tier 4 eligibility requirement leaves a small margin for error.

Tier 4 cut-off scores have soared the most rapidly at King Jr. College Prep, Lindblom Math and Science Academy, South Shore International College Prep, and Brooks College Prep with some schools seeing as much as a 21% increase. Previously requiring 529 points for eligibility at Lindblom, the school now demands a score of 643, a 114-point difference. King’s requirement was raised from 501.5 to 600, followed by Southshore which now requires 613 points as opposed to last year’s 529. Lastly, Brooks’ Tier 4 cutoff has increased 46 points this testing season with a new standard of 718 points required. Because of the increasing demand for applicants to achieve higher scores, students who score under 600 points on the High School Admissions Test will not be permitted on the waitlist, making it more difficult than ever for students to test into the school of their choice.

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

An Overview of Northside College Preparatory High School

Founded in 1999, Northside College Preparatory High School (also commonly referred to as Northside) is a selective enrollment high school located in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Northside is ranked as the 23rd best public school in the nation and the 2nd best public school in the state of Illinois. The total enrollment of Northside is 1,069 students with a student to teacher ratio of 18:1. Of that enrollment, 70% of students are people of color and 41% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. Northside also boasts an impressive graduation rate of 98%. 

 All of Northside’s classes are either honors or AP level, with the most unique departmental offerings found in math. The math department uses “IMP” or “Interactive Mathematics Program” as its core curriculum. IMP is a more writing-based understanding of math where students write and create portfolios and projects in addition to the standard solving of mathematical equations. Its math college prep program was one of five 9-12 mathematics curricula in the country to receive the highest rating of Exemplary from the U.S. Board of Education. 

 In addition to math, Northside offers a great variety of courses in English, science, social studies, and computer science. Each offers typical coursework in its respective subject as well as varied elective courses such as Philosophy in Literature, Experimental Literature, Creative Writing, Drama and Performance, Astronomy, Organismal Biology, Environmental Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Web Page and Mobile App Design, and Design and SQL Programming, respectively. 

Languages offered at Northside include Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and Latin. Fine arts classes offered encompass both music and visual arts with classes in choir, orchestra, band, and jazz as well as ceramics, digital imaging, painting, drawing, and sculpture. The physical education department also uniquely offers dance classes as well as weight training in addition to their more typical PE classes. 

 Athletes who would like to attend Northside will also enjoy a range of sports including soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, cheerleading, water polo, track, and dance among others. For a full list of athletics as well as courses offered at Northside, visit their website at www.northsideprep.org.

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

Three Selective Enrollment High Schools Ranked in the top 10 Nationally

Three Chicago Selective High Schools -- Walter Payton, Northside College Prep and Whitney Young -- have been ranked by Niche.Com as among the top ten public high schools in the nation. Walter Payton was rated the number one public high school, with Northside College Prep ranked number two and Whitney Young ranked number 6.

Niche annually ranks the best public high school in the United States. The company reviews more than 17,000 schools and analyzes them based on an examination of several factors including data from the U.S. Department of Education, SAT and ACT test scores, graduation rates, and reviews from students and parents. 

Feel free to contact Charlie Howard with any questions.

Charlie Howard, Owner Test Prep Chicago
charlie@testprepchicago.com
(872) 221-0175