Step 2: Choose

As a Chicago resident, you have many choices about which school your child attends. CPS offers a variety of programs that appeal to students' interests and talents. Decide between your choices… Here are some tips on how to select a school.

Every student who resides in Chicago has a CPS neighborhood school corresponding to an attendance boundary. Generally, all students who live within the boundaries of their neighborhood schools may attend the school. Students living within the attendance boundaries typically do not need to apply to that school, unless the school is on Controlled Enrollment, which means that the school is not enrolling neighborhood children because it is overcrowded.

The CPS Open Enrollment Policy allows a student to apply to a school outside the neighborhood when space is available. The policy only applies to schools that have attendance boundaries and each school determines how many Open Enrollment students it can accept. This policy does not apply to schools on Controlled Enrollment. The table below will guide you through the process based on your choices.

If you choose this type of school:		You should do the following:

Neighborhood		No special criteria is used for students who apply to their neighborhood school. Click the “Continue with Step 3: Register” button below to learn about how to sign up and join.

Schools other than your neighborhood school		Understand and complete the application process Learn the criteria on how to get accepted based on the type of school you apply to Download the corresponding application forms and deliver them directly to the school Receive notification of acceptance
		Once you’ve completed the application process, click the “Continue with Step 3: Register” button below.

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