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Overview

One (1) application submitted online

September 16th thru November 3rd

Choose up to five (5) Philly public high schools

Charter and private schools excluded from process

Criteria-based schools have specific admission criteria based on 6th and 7th grade performance

PSSAs, attendance, grades

Essay – not used this year for criteria-based schools

Letters of recommendation- not used this year for criteria-based schools

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The LeGare Consent Decree

Each student with an IEP, 504 Plan or English Language Learner (ELL) has an equal opportunity to attend criteria based high schools and programs

Students may not be excluded on the basis of admission criteria if they can participate successfully and given reasonable accommodations

The family will be assisted by the special education team and counselor in identifying the accommodations needed for the student to be successful and in recommending modifications and waivers of admission criteria.

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School Type	Admission Policy	Examples
Catchment Schools	Open for students who live within the school’s attendance boundary Students who live outside a school’s attendance area must apply. Admission is based upon space availability Selection via electronic lottery	Students living within Meade’s boundaries are given first preference for enrollment at Vaux High School (until class is full) Students who do not live in boundaries can choose to attend their neighborhood high school.

Citywide Schools	Accepts students from across the city Selection via electronic lottery	Constitution High School School of the Future Dobbins Mastbaum Randolph The U School

Criteria-Based Schools	“Magnet Schools” Unique admission criteria School based teams evaluate the applicant and make admission decisions	Masterman Bodine FLC Parkway CC Academy at Palumbo SLA Engineering & Science

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Criteria-Based Schools

General Admission Criteria

Grades A’s and B’s in core subjects (best from 6th or 7th grade)

PSSA Scores TBA

Attendance 95% or better (excused absences not counted against students)

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CityWide Schools

Admission to City Wide schools is lottery based

Examples:
School of the Future
Dobbins
Randolph
Mastbaum
The U School
Constitution

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CityWide Schools- Career and Technical Education (CTE) Schools

Schools offering programs providing intensive professional instruction in over 120 programs in 40 different career fields
10th-12th grade students pick a specific field of study and receive over 1000 hours of instruction in that field

Dobbins
Randolph
Mastbaum
Swenson
The Workshop School
Some neighborhood schools have programs

https://www.philasd.org/cte/

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Neighborhood School-

Vaux Big Picture

2300 Master Street
Project-based learning model
Internship work experiences from 10th-12th grade

https://www.vauxbpp.org/

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Interviews

Call SLA to schedule; Letter received for others

Dress appropriately

Absolutely be on time

Be prepared to talk about strengths, weaknesses, interest in the school, any projects they have completed, their community involvement, etc.

Address attendance or tardy record, if a concern

Address the disciplinary record, if a concern

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Letters of Recommendation

No longer required!

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Questions to Ask Yourself…

Am I/is my child a qualified candidate for the schools of our choice?
Do I/does my child benefit from a smaller setting or a larger setting?
What electives/extra-curricular activities are available?
What will be the travel time? Is my child an early riser? Will s/he want to go to and get out of school earlier?
Where will my/my child’s learning needs best be met?
Who can I talk to/When can I talk about specific questions/concerns I have?

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How to Apply?

https://www.philasd.org/studentplacement/services/school-selection/

Mr. Adam will conference with all students and families multiple times before submission deadline to confirm choices

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Charter Schools

Different application process than district schools
Almost all charter schools used the same application website:
https://applyphillycharter.org/
Opens September and closes in January
Lottery based- decisions in January/February
Some charters use their own websites or documentation for admission

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What’s Next?

Activity	Date/Time	Location
Counselor Meetings- student or parent to review transcripts and schools	Ongoing with all 8^th graders	-Mr. Adam’s class -Mr. Adam’s office -Phone or zoom conferences
High School Updates	Ongoing	-Homeroom -Counseling class -Google classroom -Class Dojo
High School Speakers	Ongoing	-Homeroom/Counseling Class
Open House Information	Ongoing	-Google classroom

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High School Selection Timeline

Selection Step	Date
Application window opens for public schools	September 16th at 4:00 PM
Virtual High School Fair- http://phillyhighschoolfair.com/	Ongoing
In Person High School Fair	October 14th and 15th (after school trip 4-6 on the 14th)
Application window closes- top 5 choices on school selection	November 4th at 11:59 PM
Notification of Acceptances!!	January 13th 2023
Students removed from waiting lists to fill available openings	January 13th- February 2nd

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Other Resources

The High School Directory & School Selection Website – https://wwilson.philasd.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/771/2020/10/HS-Directory-2021-for-web-2020-09-17.pdf (need to update for 2022)

Virtual High School Fair - https://www.phillyhighschoolfair.com/

School Visit / Shadow – set up directly with target school

Check to see if they have virtual open houses

Charter Schools- most applications through applyphillycharter.org

Some schools do not participate- you must look at specific admission requirements on school’s websites

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