2024 Open Houses at Central High School

Dear Prospective Central High School Families,

The 2024-2025 School Selection window opened on September 13, 2024!

Click Here to Visit the School District’s School Selection Website

Here is the timeline:

  • September 13th at 4 pm: Application OPENS
  • September – October: Application Labs for students and families; office hours for counselors and school staff
  • October 23rd at 11:59 pm: Application CLOSES
  • November/December: Appeal window OPENS and CLOSES; Eligibility released
  • December – January: Individualized reviews; Auditions and project-based presentations; Appeals reviewed
  • January: Final eligibility released; Lottery; Offers, acceptances, and waitlist offers made

Central High School has the following admission requirements:

  • All As and Bs on the 6th or 7th grade report card
  • 95% attendance or higher. This does not include excused absences

80th percentile or higher on an approved standardized assessment. For most students, this is the ELA and Math PSSA. Other accepted standardized assessments include:

    • California Achievement Test (CAT-10)
    • Educational Records Bureau – Comprehensive Testing Program (ERB-CTP)
    • Education Records Bureau – Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ERB-ISEE)
    • IOWA Test of Basic Skills
    • Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT)
    • State standardized assessment for a state other than Pennsylvania
    • TerraNova

Families are responsible for scheduling testing dates before the School Selection window closes.

Central High School does not require interviews, auditions or require letters of recommendation for admission.

Central High School will offer two virtual open houses and six in-person open houses during the application window.

The registration for our in-person Open Houses is currently closed as we are at capacity. We encourage you to join our final virtual Open House on October 21.

Our virtual Open Houses will take place from 5pm – 6pm on September 26 and October 21. Zoom information is found here:

Topic: Central High School Virtual Open House

Join Zoom Meeting
https://philasd-org.zoom.us/j/83892128070?pwd=a9F85bfMmGFMXjuHaoHAZm2pqMca06.1

Meeting ID: 838 9212 8070
Passcode: 123456