Start Your Journey

Start Your Journey

 

Welcome, friends!

 

We could not be happier that you are considering Friends Select School as your student's educational home. Whether you are looking to join our lower, middle, or upper school division, you will find that Friend Select is a warm and welcoming community with our Quaker roots serving as the foundation of everything that we do. Not only does our community reflect the rich diversity of Philadelphia and beyond, but the city is an extension of our classroom, allowing for learning in real time and with real-world application. In this community, your student can be their true authentic self every day while being stretched academically, extracurricularly, physically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Through this transformative Friends Select education and experience, all of our students have the power to become the best version of themselves; they will be prepared to navigate the ever-evolving world around them with self-confidence and awareness, voice and agency, and ready to let their lives speak by using their passions to make a difference. 

We know that the application process can be stressful, and the admission team is here to help make it as easy as possible. This should be an exciting time and journey as you search for a school and community to partner with in helping your student thrive, so we want you to enjoy it! The partnership starts now. We invite you to begin our family-centered admission process by completing our inquiry form and then visiting campus for a tour, open house, or both, so you can explore our educational program and community.

Our admission team is eager to get to know your family and share all of the amazing things that make Friends Select a special place!

Make it a great day.

In friendship,

Rohan M. Arjun

Director of Enrollment Management & Financial Aid

 

Start Your Journey

 

GET TO KNOW FRIENDS SELECT

 

Visiting Friends Select School is a wonderful introduction to the school. Several times a year, we open our doors to prospective families. If you are interested in Friends Select for the 2025-26 school year, please sign up for one of our open houses.

If you are interested for the 2024-25 school year, please contact:
Deandra Witt | Email | Phone
Admission Coordinator

Thank you for your interest in Friends Select School. We look forward to welcoming you and meeting your family.
 


 

Start Your Journey
 

OPEN HOUSES

 
Tuesday, September 24, 8:45 a.m.

Grades Pre-K & K

Saturday, October 19, 9:30 a.m.

Grades Pre-K-12

Tuesday, November 12, 8:45 a.m.

Grades Pre-K-4

Thursday, November 14, 8:45 a.m.

Grades 5-12

Saturday, November 16, 9:30 a.m.

Athletic Open House, Grades 5-12

Tuesday, April 8, 8:45 a.m.

Grades Pre-K-12

 

Register for an open house today! 


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INFORMATION
SESSIONS

 
Pre-kindergarten/Kindergarten

Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, October 17 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 14 at 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, November 21 at 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1-4

Thursday, November 7 at 9:00 a.m.

Have questions about Friends Select School, the admission timeline, or our application and financial aid processes? Join us for an informal chat with a member of the admission team and other community members. These sessions are intended for parents and guardians considering Friends Select for their children for the 2025-26 school year. Attendance will be capped at 10 participants per session to allow for greater interaction.

REGISTER FOR A SESSION! 

 

VISIT FRIENDS SELECT SCHOOL

 

How to Set up Your Visit Day
We invite you to attend an Open House. Next, we ask you to complete and submit our online application, along with payment of the $65 application fee, to the admission office. Once we receive your completed application form (supplements included), we will schedule a parent/guardian visit with you to discuss your student and your educational aspirations for them, and to discuss the admission process in more detail. You will also have the chance to learn more about Friends Select.
 
Directions and Parking

Planning your visit? Please see below for more information regarding how to get to Friends Select for your visit or an Open House!
 

By Car
  • From the Northwest, West, or Southwest, take I-76, the Schuylkill Expressway, to I-676 East.
  • From the Northeast, take I-95 South to I-676 West.
  • From New Jersey, take the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to I-676 West
  • From I-676, exit at Central Philadelphia/15th Street. Follow 15th Street south to Cherry Street and turn right. The school is on the right, at the corner of 17th Street.
     
By Public Transportation
  • SEPTA

Commuter High-Speed Rail, SEPTA Trolleys, and Market-Frankford Subway: Exit the Penn Center Suburban Station at either 16th Street or 17th Street and JFK Boulevard and walk two blocks north to 17th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

  • Broad Street Subway

Exit the Vine Street Station and walk three blocks west and one block south to 17th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway.

  • SEPTA Bus Routes

2, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 121, 124, 125 and C all stop within three blocks of the school.

  • PATCO

Exit the 15th-16th Street Station on Locust Street. Walk two blocks west to 17th Street and four blocks north to the Ben Franklin Parkway.
 

Parking

Metered parking is available on many streets near Friends Select, and parking garages surround the school on almost every block.

Parking garages close by:

  • Philadelphia Gateway Parking, 1540 Vine Street, 215.246.0300
  • Central Parking System, 1717 Cherry Street, 215.567.0971
  • Central Parking System, 17th Street at the Ben Franklin Parkway, 215.569.0899
  • Inter Parking, 18th and Cherry Streets, 215.496.1070
  • Philadelphia Parking Authority, 1501 Arch Street, 215.683.9812
  • Network Parking, 18th and Callowhill Streets, 215.751.0485
     

 


 

 

MEET THE TEAM

 

“I say yes to Friends Select because, as a product of a Quaker high school education, I know firsthand the impact and value. That experience truly made me the person I am today, and I could only imagine if I had been afforded the opportunity to learn in a Quaker environment pre-K through 12. I say yes to being a part of the Friend Select community because it equips students with voice, agency, self-awareness, and self-confidence, among many other soft and hard skills, which ultimately empower them to navigate an ever-evolving and diverse world, while letting their lives speak.”
 

Rohan M. Arjun

Director of Enrollment Management & Financial Aid

Email

Rohan

 


 

“I say yes to Friends Select because I want to be a part of a school community that, year after year, prepares young people to enter the world equipped not just with academic skills, but also with a profound sense of self and purpose, as well as the ability to speak their truths and follow their passions. I wanted to join a community where students, faculty, and staff are all expected to “lean in” to the difficult work of learning and growing. I am part of a community that is preparing kids for the kind of world I want to live in—that’s an incredible feeling.”
 

Marnie Christian

Director of Lower School Admission

Email

Marine

 


 

“I say yes to Friends Select simply because of the sense of community, which I am proud to be a part of and makes me love coming to work each day.”
 

Ellen Gershman

Admission Operations & Data Manager

Email

Ellen

 


 

“I say yes to Friends Select because, as an employee and parent of two alums, I love it here! We are right in the middle of the city; it is who we are. We are committed to the concept of urban citizenship, learning and living together in community, diversity, curiosity, and discovery.”
 

Pam McCabe

Advancement Event Coordinator & Admission Associate

Email

Pam

 


 

“I say yes to Friends Select because it is a school that wears its heart on its sleeve. We invite all students, faculty, and staff to bring their authentic selves to our community, and this creates an environment that is warm, welcoming, and kind. This warmth and self-awareness drew me to the Friends Select community!”
 

Caroline Slingluff

Associate Director of Middle & Upper School Admission

Email

Carolyn

 


 

“I say yes to Friends Select because our students, families, faculty, and staff choose to live our principles every day. It is the energy our community members bring into school and reflect into the world.”
 

Deandra Witt

Admission Coordinator

Email

Deandra

 


 

 

 

Where Next?

 

Join Us

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Register Today!