Admission Process

For the 2023-2024 application year, we are using Ravenna, a third-party web-based application service. Catherine Cook is one of several Chicago schools using this tool for the submission of all application materials.

Through Ravenna, you will be able to:

• Submit an Application
• Email teacher recommendation forms (LMAIS Common Recommendation Forms) directly to your child's teacher/principal
• Check the status of your application

To initiate the application process, you must create an account on Ravenna and register your child.

If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact Ravenna Solutions via email at customercare@ravennasolutions.com.

The application process will begin once we receive your child's completed application form along with the submission of the $75 application fee. We begin accepting applications one year prior to the fall your child would enroll. We will begin accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year on September 1, 2022. Applications are due by December 12, 2023.

Once we receive your child's application, the Office of Admission will contact you to schedule a student visit. Catherine Cook holds play dates for students applying to Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Senior Kindergarten. Students applying to Grades 1-8 will have a classroom shadow day. You will be notified about your date options.

Once we receive your child's application, the Office of Admission will contact you to schedule a parent interview in addition to your child's visit. We require that all parents or guardians attend the interview, which will last approximately 45 minutes. You will be notified about your date and time options.

1. Submit the Confidential Record Release Form to your child's current school. Copies of transcripts/report cards from the last year and the current year are required for applicants of Grades SK-8. We would also like to receive copies of any standardized test scores, if available. These items can be submitted separately from the application form, however, we require that all transcripts and test scores be submitted no later than January 20, 2023.
    
2. We are required to collect “Certified Copies of Birth Certificates” for every enrolled student, as mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education, prior to the first day of school. These Certified Birth Certificate Copies can be mailed or delivered in person during a planned visit.

3. Complete the required information in Ravenna to send the LMAIS Common Recommendation Form (CRF) to your child's current teacher and principal. Ravenna refers to these people as "Delegates." You will need to enter their names and email addresses.

   For the Early Childhood students that do not currently attend school, this form can be completed by a non-relative adult that knows your child well such as a nanny, coach, or single class instructor. These forms are not required at the time you submit your application. The Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS) has a standardized form for each grade level. We must receive this form no later than January 20, 2023, for all applicants. For applicants to each grade listed, we require the following forms:

• Preschool - Senior Kindergarten: CRF Teacher Report Form
• Grades 1-5: CRF Teacher Report Form, Head of School/Division Report Form
• Grades 6-8: CRF Math Teacher Report Form, English Teacher Report Form, Head of School/Division Report Form

Eligibility for admission is determined independently from a family's application for financial support. Families applying for financial support will need to complete an online application and submit the necessary supporting documentation to FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment.

1. Applications can be completed online on the FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment website. Applicants can apply online beginning November 1, 2022. Applications must be received by February 6, 2023, for review for the 2023-2024 school year.
2. Submit copies of your 2022 W2/1099 form(s)* as soon as available. Applications are not complete until FACTS receives your 2021 submitted tax return(s) and your 2022 W2/1099 form(s). FACTS may request additional documentation to verify information provided on the application.
3. If you have questions or concerns about the application process, you may speak with a FACTS Customer Care Representative at 866.315.9262.
4. For specific information regarding FACTS, please view the FACTS Flyer.

*In cases of divorce or separation, both parents must submit all required forms. The family's ability to contribute is based on both parents' income and assets.
 

FACTS Website Address & Phone Number

Website Address:

For Parents: https://online.factsmgt.com/signin/41XZY

Phone Number:

For Parents: 866.315.9262.
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CST Monday-Thursday
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST on Friday