Dear Prospective Central High School Families,
The 2025-2026 School Selection window opens on September 8, 2025!
Here is the timeline:
- September 8th 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:
The approved standardized assessment list ONLY includes the following assessments:
- PSSA
- TerraNova
- ERB-CTP
- State standardized assessments from other states.
Because the list has changed since last year’s application, this will be considered a transition year. That means that this year only, for assessment results from 2024, we will accept any of the previously approved assessments (i.e., valid CAT, ERB-ISEE, Iowa, or SSAT assessments dated 2024) in addition to the approved assessments on the updated Fall 2025 list.
For assessments dated 2025, only the standardized assessments on the updated Fall 2025 list will be accepted (i.e., PSSA, TerraNova, ERB-CTP, other states’ standardized assessments).
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.
Our virtual Open Houses will take place from 5:30pm – 6:30pm on September 15 and October 15. Zoom information is found here:
Topic: Central High School Virtual Open House
Kate Davis (Central High School) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
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
