High Jump Chicago Application for Cohort 38 (2026)

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Welcome to High Jump’s Application Portal!
We're excited to review your application for Cohort 38. The application deadline is Friday, February 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Submitting your application sooner helps us ensure we can give it full attention as we review all applicants.
Please Note: The application must be completed by a legal guardian of the student.
Please read all the information below carefully before moving forward with your application.

Eligibility Criteria:
At High Jump, we encourage all interested students to apply to our academic enrichment program. While we have specific criteria, we welcome all applications and encourage families to share their unique circumstances. Below is what we typically look for in an applicant:

Current 6th Grade Students Applicants must currently be enrolled in 6th grade
Academic Performance Students should have a B average or higher

Chicago Based Students Students must live in the city of Chicago

Intellectual Curiosity & Motivation We seek students who are intellectually curious and academically motivated. Students who are excited to learn and explore something new!

Demonstrate Financial Need Our program typically looks at families with a household income of $71,000 or below. However, families with higher income are welcome to apply by providing additional context regarding their financial situation. We use the Illinois Board of Education's Free and Reduced Lunch Eligibility guidelines to help assess financial need. You can find ISBE's eligibility chart linked here.

Documents You Will Need:

To ensure a smooth application process, please have the following documents ready:

6th Grade Quarter 1 Report Card (Page 4)
5th Grade Full-Year Report Card (Page 4)
First two pages of family’s 2024 tax returns (Page 3)
1 student essay (Page 6 has essay prompts and instructions)

SAVE and RESUME LATER:

Save Your Progress:*
This application is detailed, so we recommend using the “Save & Resume Later” option. You can find the link at the top of each page. After saving, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to continue. **Note, you will need to fill out the student and primary guardian info in order to save your progress*
Important: Do not use a CPS email to save your progress as the confirmation email may not reach you. Check your spam or junk folder if you do not receive it.
Submit All Required Documents:
Missing documents may delay your application. Be sure all required documents are uploaded before submitting.
Ask Questions:
If you need assistance or have any questions, please reach out to our team at apply@highjumpchicago.org! We’re here to help.
Confidentiality Statement
High Jump holds all personal information and records as confidential. We will not disclose student, parent, or any stakeholder information without written consent.

Is the applicant currently in the 6th grade?

Thank you for your interest in the program, however, only students who are currently in the 6th grade are eligible for the High Jump Program.

Application Details

This application must be completed by a legal guardian for the student. I attest that I am a legal guardian for this student

Yes, I am a legal guardian

I give permission to High Jump to call and text me updates regarding my application. I understand that if I do not answer "yes", I may miss important updates and reminders.

YesNo

Commitment: High Jump requires a strong 2-year commitment with an expectation that students will attend programming in the summer for approximately 5 weeks and about 18 Saturday sessions during the school year. Programming begins the summer after 6th grade is completed (June 2024) and students graduate from the program in May of their 8th grade year. Students are expected to attend all sessions and are only allowed 3 unexcused absences per year. Are you and your child able to make this level of commitment?

Transportation: High Jump does not provide transportation. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to ensure their child can attend every High Jump session. Regardless of any transportation options, parents or guardians remain solely responsible for getting their child to and from all High Jump programming. Are you able to make this commitment?

High Jump is only accepting applicants who can make the 2-year commitment and can meet the transportation expectations for the program.

Student's Primary Address

What is the primary Mailing and Home address for your High Jump student's household?

Street Address + Unit Number

City

State

Zip Code

How many people live in the primary residence?

Student School Information

Does the student attend a Chicago Public School

YesNoNot Sure

Current School Name

If you do not see your school listed above, please find and select "Other" at the very bottom.

CPS Email

If you picked "Other", please enter your school name here

CPS ID

Additional Details

If your child requires any classroom accommodations, please describe below. (e.g. IEP, 504)

Are you planning on applying to an accelerated program for 7th or 8th grade, such as an Academic Center?

Is anyone else in your family applying for the High Jump program?

What is the other applicant's name?

What is the other applicant's relationship to this applicant?

Is anyone in your family currently in the High Jump Program or an alumni of the High Jump Program?

What is the other student's name?

What is the other student's relationship to this applicant?

Hidden Fields

Applicant

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High Jump • 820 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60607 • apply@highjumpchicago.org

Guardian Contact Information

Primary guardian must be the preparer, and reside with the student

Primary Guardian

Primary Guardian First Name

Primary Guardian Last Name

Suffix

Relationship to Student

Mobile Phone Number

Work Phone Number

Home Phone Number

Preferred Phone Number

Personal Email Address

Work Email Address

Preferred Email

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EMAIL YOU PROVIDED IS ACTIVE AND CORRECT.

Does the student reside with this guardian?

Highest level of education of Primary Guardian

Marital Status

Which part of Chicago does the student live at most of the time?

Check the box below if your university or college degree was obtained outside the USA

Yes

Is there a 2nd Legal Guardian?

Secondary Guardian

Secondary Guardian First Name

Secondary Guardian Last Name

Suffix

Relationship to Student

Mobile Phone Number

Work Phone Number

Home Phone Number

Preferred Phone Number

Personal Email Address

Work Email Address

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EMAIL YOU PROVIDED IS ACTIVE AND CORRECT.

Preferred Email

Does the student reside with this guardian?

Highest level of education

Marital Status

Check the box below if your university or college degree was obtained outside the USA

Yes

Does this second legal guardian live at a different address than the student?

YesNo

Secondary Guardian Mailing Address

Please provide address information if it is different from the student's primary address.

Street Address + Unit Number

City

State

Zip Code

Academics

PLEASE NOTE: PROGRESS REPORTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED

Student Grade Information

Student's 5th Grade Report Card	Student's 6th Grade Report Card
6th Grade Q1 English/ELA Grade	6th Grade Q1 Math Grade
6th Grade Q1 Science Grade 6th Grade Q1 Writing Grade (optional)	6th Grade Q1 Social Studies Grade

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Scores (optional)

Test scores are optional. Sharing them helps us learn more about your academic experience, but not sharing them won’t affect your application.

ELA

Math

IAR Score Uploads

Teacher Recommendations

PLEASE CONFIRM EMAIL ADDRESS WITH TEACHERS SO THAT THEY RECEIVE THE TEACHER RECOMMENDATION FORM LINK SUCCESSFULLY.

As a reminder, teachers fill out this recommendation form, not a letter. Once you submit your application, teachers will get the email with the form link.

Teachers have until Friday, Feb 13 to submit their emailed recommendation forms.

6th Grade Math Teacher Recommendation

Teacher First Name

Teacher Last Name

Teacher School Email Address

Teacher School Phone Number

6th Grade ELA/English Teacher Recommendation

Teacher First Name

Teacher Last Name

Teacher School Email Address

Teacher School Phone Number

Additional Current School Teacher/Faculty Recommendation

First Name

Last Name

Subject

Teacher School Email Address

Teacher School Phone Number

Student Essay Directions

Step 1: Choose One Prompt Below:
Select one of the essay prompts below to respond to.

Do not write an essay with all three prompts, just choose 1!

Step 2: Write Your Essay

Write your essay by yourself. Getting help from others (family, teachers, or AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini) is not allowed and may disqualify your application.
Write it in a program like Google Docs or Microsoft Word so you can edit and save your work.
When you’re done, save your essay as a PDF, JPG, or PNG file and upload it below.

Step 3: Check Before Your Upload

Your essay should be at least 3–4 paragraphs (about 250 words).
Essays must be submitted in English. If this presents any challenges, email us at apply@highjumpchicago.org for further support!
Read your essay one last time to check for spelling and clarity.

Step 4: Check That Your Essay Has Everything We’re Looking For!

Answer Focus: Essay is clear, specific, and authentic to the writer
Supporting Details: Essay is supported with appropriate and specific details
Word Choice: Applicant uses strong vocabulary and sentences flow
HJ Voice: Student expresses desired High Jump traits in examples: growth mindset, perseverance, and a love of learning
Conventions: Essay is 3-4 paragraphs in length (at least 250 words), strong paragraph structure and convention use

Essay Prompts (choose one):

Prompt #1: Who is someone, real or fictional, who has inspired you this year? Share 2-3 reasons why they inspire you and how they’ve helped you think differently about learning or not giving up.

Prompt #2: High Jump is a program for students who keep trying when things get hard, love to learn new things, and believe they can grow with effort. What qualities do you have that show you’re ready for this kind of challenge? Give examples of how you’ve shown these qualities in your life.

Prompt #3: If you could share one lesson you’ve learned with your younger self, what would it be? Provide 2–3 examples of times this lesson has influenced the way you learn, face challenges, or make decisions, and explain how it might guide you in the future.

Student Provided Essay

Essay #1: Upload essay file here

Please read before submitting: 

We recommend you SAVE your application first before submitting using the option provided at the top of this page. Do NOT use a CPS email as it will not be delivered.

Once your application is submitted, it cannot be edited. Please submit your application only once you have completed all the sections.
Note: once you click the 'Submit' button, it may take several seconds to finish processing. Please wait for the confirmation page to appear. You will also receive an email confirmation if your application has been successfully received.

Student First Name	Student Middle Name
Student Last Name	Student Suffix
Student Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)	Student Personal Email - NOT CPS email (If student does not have an email, please use primary guardian's)
Mobile Phone (If student does not have a phone, please use primary guardian's)	What are your student's preferred pronouns?
What is your student's gender identity?	Student Race
How did you hear about High Jump? Did someone recommend you to apply to High Jump? YesNo If yes, who recommended you? Include full name and email below. Ex: Charlie Brown, cbrown@gmail.com	Is this applicant a first-generation college student? (Neither parent has graduated from a four college?) YesNo
What name does the student prefer to be called?	What is the student’s preferred language? EnglishSpanishArabicMandarinOther High Jump’s curriculum and instruction are delivered in English. I am confident my child can participate in the program and engage with the materials provided. Yes, I understand.

Loss of Job	Recent separation/divorce	Change in family living status	Change in work status
Bankruptcy	Home foreclosure	College expenses	Income reduction
Illness or injury	Death in the family	Shared custody	high debt
Child support	Medical/Dental expenses	Tuition (elementary or high school)	Refugee / Asylum Seeker in US
Other