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Dear School District of Philadelphia Families,

The School District of Philadelphia’s Find Your Fit school selection process for the 2026-2027 school year allows students currently in pre-kindergarten through 11th grade to apply to attend any District school, with available space, outside of their neighborhood or catchment area for the following school year. As part of the process, there are three opportunities to receive preference on your application. Each of these three preference opportunities is explained below, so that families and students can determine whether they qualify. As a reminder, the school selection process for the 2026-2027 school year will close on October 23, 2025, at 11:59 pm.

Zip Code Preference

Families with 8th graders who live in one of the priority zip codes for school selection (19121, 19132, 19133, 19135, 19136, and 19140), and would like to apply for admission to Academy at Palumbo, Carver High School for Engineering & Science, Central High School or Masterman High School, for the 2026-2027 school year, will receive priority consideration for admission as long as they meet all the required criteria for that school. As a reminder, this year each applicant will be able to rank their top five school/program choices. Students should rank their schools based on preference.

CTE Preference

Career and Technical Education (CTE) preference will be given to middle school students who attended or currently attend a District middle school CTE program and are applying to an aligned CTE program for the 2026-2027 school year. For example, students who participated in a 7th or 8th grade plumbing CTE program would receive priority when applying to a 9th grade plumbing CTE program. You can find the list of aligned programs here.

Sibling/Multiples Preference

Sibling Preference now includes both siblings and twins/multiples applying to the same catchment area or a city-wide school. To be eligible for sibling preference, siblings must have the same parent or guardian. In addition, the applying sibling must have participated in the school selection process by submitting an application, and have selected the school where another sibling is already enrolled. Twins and multiples (triplets, quadruplets, etc.) are eligible for preference if they have the same parent or guardian, have participated in the school selection process by submitting an application, and have matching selected and ranked schools on their applications. It is important to remember that these preferences are not guaranteed, but will be offered when space is available. In addition, these preferences do not apply to criteria-based schools.

School selection is a major decision in any child’s education and future. With this in mind, we hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to engage in the school selection process. We have provided a number of resources to help you navigate the process and inform your decision, including the 2026-2027 High School Directory, our user-friendly school search tool – Explore, high school open houses and school selection training/assistance labs, and more. You can find resources and frequently asked questions on the school selection website. For any additional questions, please reach out to us via our two-way communication platform, Let’s Talk, or by clicking the Contact Us tab at the bottom of the school selection website.

Thank you for choosing the School District of Philadelphia for your child’s education. We are committed to partnering with you to prepare them to imagine and realize any future they desire.

Sincerely,

The School District of Philadelphia
Office of Student Enrollment and Placement