Information about Academic Centers
Academic Centers are Selective Enrollment programs for 7th and 8th grade students. If a student is accepted into an Academic Center, the student is automatically granted admission to the Academic Center's affiliated high school.
The 7 Academic Centers are: Brooks, Kenwood, Lane Tech, Lindblom, Morgan Park, Taft, Whitney Young.
The admissions process for Academic Centers consists of two 300 point parts (600 total points). The two parts are:
5th-grade grades in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies 300 points
Academic Center Entrance Exam 300 points
Feel free to use the calculator below to see what point totals are required for admission to the different Academic Centers (based on last year’s cutoff scores).
Click HERE to register for courses. Learn more about Test Prep Chicago AC Entrance Exam prep courses below:
6th Grade Ac Entrance Exam Test Prep Courses
What material is covered during the course? The Test Prep Chicago AC Entrance Exam course prepares students for both the Verbal and Non-Verbal sections on the AC Entrance Exam.
Why choose Test Prep Chicago? Because our courses are structured around 3 core learning principles: Teach, Practice, Apply; Building Blocks; and Practice Makes Perfect. Learn more about our philosophy.
Who should take this course? Any 6th grader who is interested in applying to an Academic Center. The Academic Center admissions process in Chicago is extremely demanding, and our course will give students a competitive advantage for the entrance exams.
What materials will my child receive? Your child will receive weekly packets that include worksheets for use in class. These handouts include easy-to-understand teaching notes as well as practice questions. Our materials are designed to facilitate active-learning by striking the right balance between instruction and student participation. Students will also have access to weekly online homework assignments (in our online testing platform) that will allow them to hone the skills learned in class. These online assignments will mimic the format of the Academic Center Entrance Exam.
How will my child's improvement be measured? Students will take an online diagnostic exam (during Session 1) to measure their strengths and weaknesses. An online final exam will be administered (during Session 6) to measure how students have improved during the course. Additionally, graded homework assignments will provide insight into your child's weekly comprehension and improvement.
What communication will I receive during the course? You will receive weekly emails from your child's teacher detailing what topics were covered in each class. Additionally, parents/students can access practice test results and weekly homework results in our online testing platform. These results include detailed analysis of each subtopic within each section.
Who will be teaching my child? Your child will be taught by one of Test Prep Chicago's highly skilled instructors. All Test Prep Chicago instructors have completed our intensive interview and training process.
How long is the course? Our course consists of 6 two-hour sessions offered once a week.
Where and when will classes be held? Classes will be held weekdays after school and on weekends. Classes will be taught in your child's middle school or, when necessary, at a nearby school or public classroom.
What is the course tuition? What is included in the tuition payment? The tuition for our 6th-grade courses is $505 (~$42/hour for in-class instruction). This tuition covers all in-class instruction, test prep material, and student feedback.
