Academy at Palumbo admissions in Philadelphia start with three numbers: the 65th percentile on both PSSA tests, As and Bs, and 95 percent attendance. Meeting them only enters your child in a lottery. I've seen families treat the cutoff as a guarantee and learn too late that eligibility and an offer are separate steps.
Academy at Palumbo Admissions at a Glance
- Criteria: As and Bs, 95 percent attendance (9 or fewer unexcused absences), and the 65th percentile in both ELA and math.
- Test: PSSA ELA and PSSA Math, or an approved alternative.
- 2027-2028 application: opened October 5, 2026 and closes November 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
- Preliminary eligibility comes in December or January, and lottery offers in February or March.
- ZIP preference: 19132, 19133, 19135, 19138, 19140 and 19141.
- Applicants may rank up to five schools.
Palumbo's Three Criteria and the 65th Percentile
The School District of Philadelphia sorts its criteria-based high schools into tiers. Palumbo shares its tier with Carver Engineering and Science, the Northeast High School magnet program and the Northeast IB program, and Parkway Center City. Each requires As and Bs, 95 percent attendance and the 65th percentile on both tests. Palumbo lists no additional requirements.
Attendance of 95 percent means 9 or fewer unexcused absences. The district takes the best grades and attendance rates from the previous two school years. Grades come from three subjects only: English Language Arts or Reading, Math and Science. Social Studies and Writing no longer count.
A percentile compares your child with other students on the same test. The 65th percentile means your child scored as well as or better than 65 percent of them. It is not 65 percent of the questions answered correctly.
The district publishes a chart to convert a PSSA score to a percentile. The 2025 charts are posted, and the 2026 charts were announced for later in the fall.
Which PSSA Scores Count for Palumbo
For students applying to grades 6 through 10, the district accepts the best percentile from the previous two school years. Applicants in fall 2026 submit 2025 and 2026 results. A student who dipped one year can lean on the other.
Official 2026 scores were released late. Applicants who need them cannot finalize and submit until the scores become available in November, and the district said it would notify them.
The district notes that district and charter students may not opt out of the PSSA if they plan to apply to criteria-based schools. Students who did not take it can use TerraNova, ERB-CTP or another state's standardized assessment, and Pennsylvania homeschooled and private school students can ask to take the PSSA at a local public school.
In my experience, families fix on the math score because it feels like the stricter one. Both ELA and math must reach the line, so a strong math result cannot make up for a weak reading score.
A result near the 65th percentile in either subject is hard to judge from untimed practice, because a few missed questions can decide which side of the line a student lands on. Start the STEM Critical Thinking plan for timed test simulations with progress tracking.
The Palumbo Lottery, Ranking and ZIP Code Preference
Meeting the criteria makes a student eligible, not admitted. Eligible applicants enter a ranked lottery. You may rank up to five schools. Each applicant receives either one offer or none in the initial lottery, and a student is not placed on the waitlist for any school ranked below the offer received.
Rankings can be changed as often as you like until the window closes on November 24 at 11:59 p.m. After that they are locked, so list schools in your true order of preference.
ZIP code preference applies to Palumbo for admission to ninth grade. Families in 19132, 19133, 19135, 19138, 19140 or 19141 may receive priority consideration. The district says these are the ZIP codes with the lowest representation among students accepting offers over the last four years.
Sibling preference does not apply to criteria-based schools. A brother or sister at Palumbo does not help the lottery.
Palumbo Timeline, Documents and Individualized Review
Preliminary eligibility is released in December or January, and the appeal window opens then. Individualized reviews follow in January and February. Final eligibility, the lottery, offers and acceptances come in February and March, and waitlist offers go out in March and April.
All criteria-based applicants submit report cards or transcripts and the Common Transcript Form. Missing documents may make the application ineligible.
Individualized Review is open to students with an IEP, a 504 plan or English Learner status who meet two of the three criteria and ask to waive the one they miss.
I've worked with families who reached the last day with a report card but no Common Transcript Form. Upload both together.
Academy at Palumbo Admissions FAQ
Q: Which years of PSSA scores does Philadelphia use?
A: Applicants in fall 2026 submit PSSA results from 2025 and 2026, and the district takes the best percentile from the two years. Official 2026 scores were delayed, so some applications cannot be finalized until they arrive in November.
Q: What if my child attends a private or out-of-state school?
A: Accepted alternatives are TerraNova, ERB-CTP and another state's standardized assessment. Pennsylvania homeschooled and private school students may also ask to take the PSSA at their local public school, given over two weeks in April and May.
Q: Do Social Studies grades count?
A: No. For the 2027-2028 admissions, final grades in English Language Arts or Reading, Math and Science are used. Social Studies and Writing no longer count toward eligibility.
Q: How many schools can we rank on the application?
A: Up to five, in true order of preference. Each applicant receives either one offer or none in the initial lottery, and rankings lock when the window closes on November 24 at 11:59 p.m.
Q: Does a sibling at Palumbo help in the lottery?
A: No. The district states that sibling preference does not apply to criteria-based schools, and Palumbo is one of them.
Q: What is Individualized Review?
A: A review for students with an IEP, a 504 plan or English Learner status who meet two of the three criteria and ask to waive the third. They are reviewed whether or not they meet the criteria for any school they applied to.
Q: What documents are required for a criteria-based application?
A: Report cards or transcripts and the Common Transcript Form. Missing documents may make an application ineligible, so upload both before the deadline.
Scored Practice for Academy at Palumbo Applicants
Palumbo's line is the 65th percentile in both subjects, so a clear read on your child's timed accuracy helps before test scores matter. Use STEM Critical Thinking Practice Tests for timed test simulations with progress tracking, or compare all plans and pricing first.
