PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As students pick their schools for the 2025-26 school year, for the first time the district is allowing them to rank their top five preferences when they apply.
The new selective admissions system uses an algorithm that generates the best school offer for students based on their eligibility for certain schools and their preferences.
It’s the latest change for the School District of Philadelphia since it went to a lottery system three years ago in the interest of equity, taking the input of principals out of the mix.
Also under the new system, students only get one offer during the first round of selection. Previously, some students were accepted into more than one school and others weren’t accepted into any even if they were eligible.
Applications for schools will be accepted from Sept. 13 to Oct. 23.