Plan to apply one year prior to when you hope to enroll. Penn Charter requires that students applying to pre-kindergarten have turned four years old before September 1 of the year they enter Penn Charter; for kindergarten applicants, five years old; for first grade applicants, six years old.

The admissions application is available at the beginning of September and can be accessed via the Admissions Portal. The application and additional required items are due December 1 for optimal consideration for admission and financial aid. For questions regarding enrollment, please contact Admissions: admissions@penncharter.com

Complete the Application

Interested in getting a closer look at Penn Charter? Don't miss out on the opportunity to register for one of our Preview events! Families are encouraged to schedule a tour and attend one of our fall or spring Preview Penn Charter events.

Preview Penn Charter!

Lower (PK-5)
A virtual meeting with parents and caregivers will be scheduled to learn more about the student. This also serves as an opportunity for families to ask questions about admissions and PC.

Middle (6-8) & Upper (9-12)
A virtual meeting with parents and caregivers and the student will be scheduled to learn more about them. Middle and Upper School applicants participate in the meeting to share more information about themselves.

Lower (PK-5)
Pre-K, K and first grade applicants visit campus briefly for a play day. Applicants in grades second through five join for a full-day school visit.

Middle (6-8) & Upper (9-12)
Shadow days are scheduled after a student is admitted to Penn Charter. These serve as an additional opportunity for the student to learn about PC. They are not evaluative or part of the formal admissions process.

Request teacher recommendations
When possible, we ask that the teacher recommendations be completed by your student's teacher(s) after October 15. This is the date that teacher recommendations will become available in the admissions portal.  We believe that teachers should be given time to work with the student during the current school year in order to provide us with appropriate feedback about the student's abilities.

• Lower (PK-5)
  We require a confidential recommendation from your child's current teacher. We offer the optional opportunity to submit a personal recommendation from another adult (who is not a family member) who knows your student well.
   
• Middle (6-8) & Upper (9-12)
  We require confidential recommendations from your student's current English and math teachers and offer the optional opportunity to submit a personal recommendation from another adult (who is not a family member) who knows your student well.

Request transcripts/Report cards

Applicants provide transcripts or report cards that include grades from the previous year as well as the first marking period of the current academic year. Some schools may also submit state standardized test results.

Submit additional recommendation forms (optional)

These forms can be found on your Admissions Checklist in the Admissions Portal.

Academic Writing Sample

Middle (6-8) & Upper (9-12)
Please choose a sample of academic writing that has been completed within the last year from English/Language Arts or Social Studies.  This can be of any length, preferably one page or more.  This can be uploaded directly into the Admissions Portal. 

Lower (PK-5)
Pre-Kindergarten: No testing required.
Kindergarten - First Grade: Either the WPPSI (Weschsler Pre-Primary Scale of Intelligence) or the WISC-V (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children). Your testing provider will determine the correct test based on child's age.  Please schedule this assessment with a licensed psychologist.
Second - Fifth Grade: ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam); Penn Charter school code: 393560.  The ISEE can be taken at any testing site or at home, per the test registration.

Middle (6-8) & Upper (9-12)
We require the SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test), or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). As soon as possible, reserve a test date for the SSAT or the ISEE.  Complete the ISEE or SSAT registration form, listing Penn Charter as a score recipient. Penn Charter's school code for the SSAT: 3218 and for the ISEE: 393560.  The ISEE or SSAT can be taken at any testing site or at home, per the test registration. 

Families who complete both the admission and, if applicable, the financial aid requirements by the December 1 deadline will be notified of their admission decision by mid-January. All other decisions will be sent on a rolling basis.

Any student who applies to Penn Charter may apply for financial assistance, reflecting our founding Quaker principles of equity and diversity. Financial aid decisions are made separately from and subsequent to admissions decisions. Grants to new students are usually awarded to students who enter Penn Charter in pre-K, kindergarten, and grades five through nine, and then, as funds remain, to new students entering in all grades.