Prepare to Fly the Eagles Nest
Credit Requirements:
Earn 23.5 credits in key content area
4 in English
3 in Mathematics
3 in Science
3 in Social Studies
1 in African American History
2 in World Language
2 in Arts and Humanities
1 in Physical Education
0.5 in Health
4 in electives – One elective must be a college preparatory Mathematics or Science course, an IB course, an AP course, or a terminal CTE course. Schools or programs may predetermine specific subject area elective credits.
Act 158:
Besides Credit requirements, students need to meet the criteria for one of the five Pathways to Graduation outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Graduation Pathways. See more here.
Senior Project:
Please check that your student has completed or has a plan to complete their senior project in their senior seminar class.
Community Service:
Ensure that your student has completed or has a plan to submit documentation of their community service hours. 10 hours are mandatory. They can obtain a form from their senior seminar teacher.
Attendance:
Students need to maintain at least 90% attendance which equals to 18 days of unexcused absences during the school year.
Academic Probation:
Students will be at risk of being placed on academic probation if they fail at least 1 course each quarter including Credit Recovery classes. Please encourage your student to work on all the credits that they need to graduate. Please schedule a meeting with your counselor or grade level Assistant Principal if you have any concerns.
What is Dual Enrollment?
Dual enrollment is when a student takes a college course while enrolled in both high school and an Institution of Higher Education. Dual enrollment provides students with an opportunity to complete college-level coursework and earn college credits which saves students time and money.
Why is Dual Enrollment a good choice for me?
The School District of Philadelphia will cover the costs of books and tuition for eligible juniors and seniors with a current GPA of 2.75 at participating colleges and universities. Each college/university has its own admission requirements so please review them before submitting your application. Find more information in the link here.
Please schedule a meeting with your academic counselor to see if you are eligible and for support with the application process.
How do I apply to colleges?
The college application process begins right away at the beginning of each students senior year. Students will be provided with the resources they need to complete the Common App. It is highly recommended that students work on the Common App in time increments until they finish completely. The Common App guide and other college resources on how to apply to college is also listed in the Counseling Senior Google classroom.
Please note that some colleges are not on the Common App, please see your advisors for further guidance.
Transcripts, Counselor Forms, and Teacher Recommendations need to be requested through Xello.
How do I apply to Career or Trade schools?
The Counseling Google classroom also contains information on how to apply to Career and Trade schools.
I’m not sure exactly where I should apply/what I want to do?
Please help and encourage your student to find, complete, and share their Post Secondary Plan with their counselor so they can receive appropriate help.
Students can complete Matchmaker activities on Xello to help identify career interests.
FAFSA Application
The FAFSA application 2025/2026 is now available for students and families to complete. Families can apply for FAFSA ID (student + parents) and gather documents in order to prepare for the application. Click here for a presentation on how to use FAFSA.
Please note that when applying to FAFSA you are applying to receive financial aid for the following academic year. For example, if you are attending college in Fall of 2025-Spring 2026, you will need to complete the FAFSA forms for 2025/2026.
CSS Profile
In addition to the FAFSA some private institutions require a separate application called CSS profile. Please check with your student to ensure that they check their college application requirements so they don’t miss this deadline. CSS info/application can be found here.
Scholarships
Information on applying to scholarships can be found on the Senior Counseling Google Classroom and Xello.
For more information, click here to see a list of scholarship opportunities the School District of Philadelphia has compiled.