Admitted Student Info

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR OUR ADMITTED 2024-2025 STUDENTS WILL BE POSTED AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE! 

Offers & Rolling Waitlist Information

Round 1 offers were released via the GoCPS website at 5:00pm on Friday, February 23rd, 2024. 

The Rolling Waitlist will open via GoCPS on Monday, April 1st and will remain open until February 2025 for all students who did not have a chance to apply in Round 1.

If you have any questions regarding the application or acceptance process, please visit the GoCPS website or contact one of their representatives directly at 773-553-2060 or gocps@cps.edu. 

Admitted Student Resources

Conservatory Overviews & Course Descriptions

High School Placement Test

The ChiArts High School Placement Test for all accepted students will happen over the Summer. Specific dates and times for each student will be emailed at a later date. Please know that the HSPT is mandatory for all admitted students. Please reach out if you have not received any information regarding the HSPT. 

Admissions Office Closed:

Please be aware that the Admissions Office will be closed from July 1st – July 12th. We will return to the Office and reopen on July 15th.

The ChiArts building will be closed for summer break from July 1st – July 7th. If anything urgent is needed while the Admissions Office is closed, the Main Office can be reached when ChiArts reopens on July 8th by calling 773-534-9710 or mainoffice@chiarts.org.

Enrollment Fees

The enrollment fee of $300* is due prior to Summer Institute in August. This fee is for all students at each grade level. Payment plans and fee waivers are available and can be completed with the main office staff. Please call 773-534-9710 and follow the prompts for the main office with questions.

*Fee amount is subject to change

Summer Institute

Summer Institute is a mandatory 3-day orientation in August to prepare freshmen for ChiArts. At this time, Summer Institute has not been scheduled yet. More information to come at a later date.

This is separate from Summer Camp, which will also be running throughout the summer. ChiArts hosts an annual three-week summer camp designed for students in grades 6th – 8th (including rising 9th-graders) to explore the artistic disciplines of Band, Creative Writing, Dance, Voice, Theatre, and Visual Arts led by artists from The Chicago High School for the Arts. Campers will receive pre-professional training in the arts from ChiArts faculty and alumni teaching artists. Please reach out to summercamp@chiarts.org for more information.

First Day of School

The first day of school is Monday, August 26th, 2024. Our calendar will align with the CPS School Calendar for the remainder of the year. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there tuition to attend your school?

No, we are a public school meaning that we do not require our students to pay tuition to attend ChiArts. We do have a once-yearly $300 fee, but families are welcome to submit to have this fee waived if necessary. 

Do I need to live within the Chicago city limits to attend ChiArts?

Yes, we are a part of CPS meaning our students must live within the Chicago city limits in order to attend our school. This is Chicago Public School policy and not something we can budge on. Students must prove residency by July 1st, 2024 or they will forfeit their spot at ChiArts. 

How do I accept or decline my offer?

  • Confirm your decision via your SchoolMint account on go.cps.edu. 
  • Please respond no later than Friday, March 15th at 5:00pm. Responses received after March 15th at 5:00pm cannot be accepted by ChiArts or the CPS Office of Access and Enrollment.
  • If you are currently a student at a CPS neighborhood, contract, or charter school, you must provide this acceptance letter to your school counselor or designee. This will ensure that the proper changes are made in the CPS student information system.
  • All offers must be accepted or declined via GoCPS or else they risk the chance of being considered invalid if they are accepted past the deadline. 
  • You can reach out to GoCPS directly at 773-553-2060 and gocps@cps.edu if you need assistance accepting your offer. 

Why didn’t I receive the acceptance email?

  • Before contacting us, please first check your SchooMint account via GoCPS. You will be able to view all schools you were admitted into via your account after 5:00pm on February 23rd. 
  • Acceptance emails will start getting sent out after 5:00pm on February 23rd. If you see you have been accepted on GoCPS, but have still not received an acceptance email by the end of the day on Friday, please first check your spam to see if it was accidentally sent there. 
  • If you still do not see an acceptance email by the end of the weekend, reach out to us at admissions@chiarts.orgto let us know you did not receive the acceptance email so we can resend it and confirm we have the correct email on file.

How long is the school day?

  • The school day is from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon.
    • 8:00am – 1:00pm: Academic Portion of the day
    • 1:00pm – 2:00pm: Lunch/Clubs
    • 2:00pm – 5:00pm: Conservatory Portion of the day

Do you have to wear a uniform?

We do not have a uniform. As an arts school, we want our students to feel free to express themselves through their clothing. We only ask that students not wear anything featuring offensive, hateful, or inappropriate language/imagery.

Do you have a supply list? 

No, we do not have a school supply list for the academic portion of the day. However, in the acceptance packet that students received via email, students can see what materials or attire students may need to bring for the conservatory part of the day.

What are the transportation/school bus options?

  • Nearest Bus Routes – Division, Chicago, California, & Western
  • Train Lines – Red & Blue Line
  • We do have an independently run shuttle bus that is overseen by the Parent Organization here at ChiArts. If that is something you are interested in, we recommend reaching out to them over the summer before school starts at scholarartistpayments@gmail.com. This bus primarily serves students on the South and Southwest sides of Chicago.

Can you study more than one conservatory?

Students are only allowed to study one conservatory while they are here at ChiArts. We have opportunities for students to unofficially explore other art forms outside of their chosen one – for example: The All School Musical/Play, Open Mic Nights, collaborative performances across conservatories, Black Culture Showcase, Hispanic Heritage Showcase, and various clubs, to name a few. 

Can students switch conservatories? 

Yes, students are allowed to apply to switch conservatories, but it is not guaranteed. Students will have to audition for the conservatory they’re interested in and their admittance will be determined by available spaces in the conservatory they’re interested in.