2019-20 GoCPS Applications are Now Available!
Don’t Rush. Take Your Time.
You have been preparing for this date for a long time and we know many of you are anxious to get started, but the most important tip we can give you right now is to breathe, relax and take your time.
Whether you apply on October 1st or December 14th, you have the same chances of receiving an offer to a program of your choice. It is a common misconception that applying early gives families an advantage in selection when, in fact, it does not. The selection process that generates offers for all applicants is run after the application process ends, so it is important that you take your time and use the full application window to plan and make good application decisions.
Learn More
Activate Your Account
In order to apply online, you’ll need to activate your account. The process is quick and simple; just follow the link below and we’ll show you how.
Activate Account
High School Application Basics
As a reminder, you can select and rank up to 20 Choice Programs and, if you are eligible, up to 6 Selective Enrollment Programs. You can receive a maximum of one single best offer from each category of school to which you apply, and you always have a guaranteed seat in the general education program of your neighborhood school whether you apply or not. Please be sure to rank your programs in your true order of preference; rank the program you want to attend most as your first choice, the program you want to attend next as your second choice, and so on. This is the order in which you will be considered for a seat.
Learn More
Non-CPS Students Applying to Ninth Grade
All students applying to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria must be administered the NWEA MAP by the Chicago Public Schools. This is the standardized test used by CPS to determine students’ eligibility to apply for these schools. If your child plans to apply to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria, and you registered your child to take the NWEA MAP in September, you will be receiving an Activation Code via U.S. mail, if you have not already received it. You will use this Activation Code to create your online application account at GoCPS. Your child's NWEA MAP scores will be uploaded to your GoCPS account within two weeks of your child's NWEA MAP test date.
If your child is applying to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria and you did not register for the September sessions of the NWEA MAP, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or gocps@cps.edu for information about the January 2019 NWEA MAP. Please note that you will need to submit a paper application before the December 14th application deadline. For more information, please visit the NWEA MAP page on GoCPS.
Open Houses
Be sure to visit the high schools in which you are interested by attending an open house. Check out the Dates and Events calendar at GoCPS to view these events by date, or search by school or zip code.
Web Browsers
GoCPS is optimized for view on Chrome and Safari web browsers. We recommend using one of these to access the site.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about the activation process, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email gocps@cps.edu.
Don’t Rush. Take Your Time.
You have been preparing for this date for a long time and we know many of you are anxious to get started, but the most important tip we can give you right now is to breathe, relax and take your time.
Whether you apply on October 1st or December 14th, you have the same chances of receiving an offer to a program of your choice. It is a common misconception that applying early gives families an advantage in selection when, in fact, it does not. The selection process that generates offers for all applicants is run after the application process ends, so it is important that you take your time and use the full application window to plan and make good application decisions.
Learn More
Activate Your Account
In order to apply online, you’ll need to activate your account. The process is quick and simple; just follow the link below and we’ll show you how.
Activate Account
High School Application Basics
As a reminder, you can select and rank up to 20 Choice Programs and, if you are eligible, up to 6 Selective Enrollment Programs. You can receive a maximum of one single best offer from each category of school to which you apply, and you always have a guaranteed seat in the general education program of your neighborhood school whether you apply or not. Please be sure to rank your programs in your true order of preference; rank the program you want to attend most as your first choice, the program you want to attend next as your second choice, and so on. This is the order in which you will be considered for a seat.
Learn More
Non-CPS Students Applying to Ninth Grade
All students applying to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria must be administered the NWEA MAP by the Chicago Public Schools. This is the standardized test used by CPS to determine students’ eligibility to apply for these schools. If your child plans to apply to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria, and you registered your child to take the NWEA MAP in September, you will be receiving an Activation Code via U.S. mail, if you have not already received it. You will use this Activation Code to create your online application account at GoCPS. Your child's NWEA MAP scores will be uploaded to your GoCPS account within two weeks of your child's NWEA MAP test date.
If your child is applying to ninth grade for schools/programs with academic criteria and you did not register for the September sessions of the NWEA MAP, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or gocps@cps.edu for information about the January 2019 NWEA MAP. Please note that you will need to submit a paper application before the December 14th application deadline. For more information, please visit the NWEA MAP page on GoCPS.
Open Houses
Be sure to visit the high schools in which you are interested by attending an open house. Check out the Dates and Events calendar at GoCPS to view these events by date, or search by school or zip code.
Web Browsers
GoCPS is optimized for view on Chrome and Safari web browsers. We recommend using one of these to access the site.
Need Help?
If you have any questions about the activation process, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email gocps@cps.edu.
