A single "B" on a seventh-grade report card reduces the student's starting score by 37.5 points, immediately impacting their chances at the most competitive programs. 2. The CPS High School Admissions Exam / HSAT (450 Points)
Points are awarded for final grades in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies. A: 112.5 points B: 75 points C: 38 points
Based on the CPS data for the , which was released in February 2026, the cutoffs remained intensely competitive, especially at the top-tier schools. You can view the complete list of initial offer point totals for all Selective Enrollment High Schools for the 2026-2027 school year in the official CPS document. cps selective enrollment cutoff scores 20242024 updated
The remaining 50% comes from the standardized CPS HSAT , typically administered during the fall of an applicant's 8th-grade year. The exam tests core competencies across Math (225 points max) and Reading (225 points max).
Admission to Chicago’s Selective Enrollment High Schools (SEHS) is entirely data-driven. The total score of is divided into two distinct components: 1. Core Seventh-Grade Grades (450 Points) A single "B" on a seventh-grade report card
Points are awarded for final grades in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies. An 'A' is worth 112.5 points , a 'B' is 75 points , and a 'C' is 38 points .
CPS converts your 7th-grade core course grades (Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies) into a scale. An A in an honors class is worth more than an A in a standard class. A: 112
These two elements are combined into a single raw composite score out of 900. However, the final "cutoff" varies by school and by (Tiers 1 through 4, representing different socioeconomic levels across Chicago neighborhoods).
Admissions into a Selective Enrollment High School (SEHS) are strictly data-driven, heavily relying on a point system split evenly between classroom grades and standardized test execution.