How Do I Apply to Philadelphia School Choice Programs?

School choice in Philadelphia runs on two separate tracks: a centralized selection process for magnet and citywide schools, and direct applications to charter schools, each of which runs its own lottery. The two tracks operate on different calendars and use different forms, and a family that wants both options manages both processes at once.

Your catchment school sits underneath both tracks. It is the school that serves your address, and it does not require any application. Choice programs are on top of that guarantee, which is the right way to think about risk: apply to the tracks you want, but never lose track of the school you already have.

The district runs a centralized selection process for its magnet and citywide schools. In the current model, you submit one application listing your school preferences in rank order, the district applies each school's selection criteria, and offers go out on a published schedule.

Key things to know:

• Read each school's criteria before ranking, because academic magnets weigh grades and assessments while arts magnets require auditions or portfolios.
• Your ranking matters, so put real preferences, not guesses.
• Offers have a response deadline, and families who decline go back into the pool for their next choice.

Charters are separate from the district selection process. You apply to each charter directly, each with its own form, deadline, and lottery.

When a charter receives more applications than seats, it holds a lottery. Siblings of current students receive priority in most cases. Families who do not win a seat are placed on a waitlist, and movement happens as seats open through the school year, so some families do get in from a waitlist well into the fall.

Applications ask for information about the student, and some schools request records like report cards or attendance data. The documents that stop an application cold are the ones tied to residency and identity, so have proof of residency, a birth certificate or equivalent, and immunization records ready before you start.

Deadlines are the real killer. The district's selection calendar and each charter's deadlines are published, and they move every year. Put the dates on your family calendar the day they are announced, and confirm them with the district before you finalize any plan.