The School District of Philadelphia building. (Credit: iStock by Getty Images)
The School District of Philadelphia hosts an annual campaign called “Find Your Fit,” which allows students in the district, from pre-K through 11th grade, to apply to other schools within the district with available space – even schools outside of their neighborhood.
“[Similar programs] have been around since the desegregation days,” said Deputy Chief of Student Enrollment and Placement, Ericka Washington. “They had different names and different outlines, but are most recently known as Find Your Fit.”
The process includes researching schools that match the student’s academic goals and interests, and then applying to up to five of them. Students must rank these five schools in order of preference, starting with the one they are most interested in.
“[Find Your Fit] gives students and families an opportunity to find a school that fits their career goals or post-secondary goals,” Washington explained. “[The program] also allows families, particularly in elementary grades, to find schools that fit them with different academic programs, different extracurricular programs, and sports.”
When asked about recent successes within the program, Washington explained that the new implementation of the ranking system has been a huge success for the School District. She explained that this system has allowed them to better match students with schools of their choice, and they have found great satisfaction using this method.
The Find Your Fit process for the 2026-2027 academic year begins on Sept. 8 and closes on Oct. 23, 2025.
School district shares important updates for the school selection process. Learn more here: https://t.co/v6sl1GDNkc #PHLed pic.twitter.com/XRheeQUbtM
When the applications open, students can expect a change in the approved standardized assessment list. The list now consists of only the PSSA, TerraNova, ERB-CTP, and other standardized state assessments. Since there has been a change in the approved list, this year will be a transition year where students will be allowed to use the previously approved assessments dated 2024, including valid CAT, ERB-ISEE, Iowa, or SSAT assessments dated 2024. For any assessments dated 2025, only the standardized assessments listed on the updated fall 2025 list will be accepted.
In addition, students should be aware that zip code preference is still a consideration, Career and Technical Education preferences will be given to middle school students who attend or currently attend a middle school CTE program in the District and are applying to an aligned program for the 2026-2027 academic year, and the sibling preference expanded to include siblings who are applying to the same catchment or school, according to the School District of Philadelphia's letter to district families.
“We really want to encourage families to participate, families that not only attend district schools but charter schools, parochial schools, private schools,” said Washington. “We are always excited to receive them.”
