Eighth-graders seeking to become 'principal's pick' have strict guidelines
Standards aim to take clout out of college prep admissions
Chicago Public School officials Wednesday unveiled new guidelines intended to squeeze the clout out of “principal picks’’ at elite college prep high schools — even though auditors recommended such admissions be scrapped entirely.
Eighth graders have only nine days to turn in their “principal pick’’ applications, due March 26. And they must follow very strict new rules requiring a “personal statement’’ of up to 1,000 words, three letters of reference, and scannable 8 x 11-inch copies or photographs of any awards or supporting materials.
Other new guidelines for how those applications will be evaluated follow revelations last year that a federal grand jury is investigating whether clout played a role in the five percent of kids handpicked by principals for admission to the system’s nine coveted college preps.
Since then, two aldermen have acknowledged that their daughters were admitted to Whitney Young Magnet after the aldermen called the school’s principal.
Under the new rules, principals must report any “undue influence’’ by