Frequently Asked Questions

List of 20 items.

• How may I request more information about Colorado Academy?

  Simply click on Request Info, and we will send you information.

• How do I apply?

  Prospective families apply to CA using our secure, online application. Simply create your own username and password, complete the information at your convenience, and submit when you are finished.

• When is CA’s annual Parent Preview? How is that visit different from scheduling a private tour at any other time during the year?

  We invite prospective families to attend our Admission Parent Preview, CA’s version of an open house. Parent Preview is a campus tour and information session about the school on Friday, October 23, 2020, and Wednesday, October 28, 2020, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Parent Preview offers access to our Head of School, division principals, current students and parents, and classrooms. 

• How may I schedule a tour?

  We offer individual campus tours on school days throughout the year. Please call 303-914-2513 to arrange a time. You do not need to submit an application to tour the campus.

• When is the deadline for applying?

  Please complete the Application Form as soon as possible; all additional application materials are then due by January 31. 

• What admission tests are required? When and where are they administered?

  No outside testing is required for Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten applicants. For applicants to Grades 1-5, we require cognitive testing such as the DAS or WISC. Parents may arrange for this testing with an evaluator in the Denver Area Testing Consortium. For Grades 6-12, we require the ISEE or SSAT; please register at www.iseetest.org.

• How many spaces are available each year by grade?

  Prospective students may apply to CA at any grade level. Each year, we don’t know how many openings we will have until after reenrollment in February. Major entry points, when we add a new section to each grade, are at Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 6th Grade, and 9th Grade.

• How many students are in each grade?

  Typically, our Pre-Kindergarten enrolls no more than 36 students, and our Twelfth Grade class has approximately 100 students graduating. We add new students at most every grade in between, with Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 6, and Grade 9 as major entry points.

• What is the age requirement for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten?

  Children must turn 4 years old by September 1 of the year they are entering Pre-Kindergarten, and 5 years old by September 1 of the year they are entering Kindergarten.

• What are you looking for in an applicant?

  We are looking for students who ask questions, who love to read, who work well with others, who express themselves in creative ways, who are respected by their teachers and peers, who are interested in playing athletics, and who love to learn and problem solve. Our goal is to help shape students into people that will contribute to their communities in productive and interesting ways.

• What can we expect during our student’s shadow day?

  Lower School Visits/Shadow Days:
  Pre-K and Kindergarten applicants participate in playgroups on select Saturday mornings in December and January. For Grades 1-5, applicants shadow a CA student in their current grade from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Mondays-Fridays. Visits for applicants to Grades 1-5 include a morning snack and lunch in the CA Campus Center.
  
  

  Middle School Visits/Shadow Days:
  Sixth Grade applicants have the option to shadow a CA Fifth Grader from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. or a Sixth Grader from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Seventh and Eighth Grade applicants shadow in their current grade from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Applicants interview with an admission counselor or a Middle School teacher. Class visits occur on school days and include lunch in the CA Campus Center.
  
  

  Upper School Visits/Shadow Days:
  Applicants shadow a CA student in the grade to which they are applying and interview with an admission counselor or an Upper School teacher. Class visits include lunch in the CA Campus Center and occur on school days between September 25 and January 31 from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

• Where is the Admission Office located? Where should we park?

  The Admission Office is located in the historic Welborn House. When you drive onto campus, check in at the Welcome Center and then bear right. Take the next left into the small visitor parking lot. The Welborn House is just south of the visitor lot; please enter through the front door.

• Do siblings or children of alumni receive admission preference?

  Siblings of current students receive preference in the admission process, provided that they are qualified and there are enough openings at that grade level. Children of alumni are reviewed favorably by the Admission Committee, but there is not a specific policy preference given to children of alumni over unaffiliated applicants.

• Should I include an outside letter of reference in addition to the required recommendations?

  Outside letters of reference are only helpful when the person writing the letter knows the student well and can attest to the student’s character, academic motivation, and/or skills. CA requires recommendations from the current Principal or Counselor, English and math teachers. We have optional recommendation forms available for coaches, music instructors, arts teachers, and other academic teachers.

• How much is tuition? Books? Transportation?

  Annual 2020-2021 tuition rates are $25,000 for Pre-Kindergarten; $28,470 for K-Grade 5; $30,840 for Grades 6-12.
  
  CA strives to be as comprehensive with tuition as possible. Financial aid is available for families who qualify based on need. Additional fees include approximately $200 for Middle School textbooks and $300-$500 for Upper School textbooks/supplies. Round-trip CA bus service costs between $685-$3,035 depending on proximity to school; there is a sibling discount for the bus fees.
  
  Read more about Extra Fees.

• How is financial aid awarded? What is the deadline?

  Financial aid is based on a family’s ability to pay tuition as determined by CA’s Financial Aid Committee and an outside service: SSS (School and Student Service for Financial Aid). By February 15, parents must submit two years’ worth of tax returns and W-2’s and complete an online financial aid application outlining income, assets, and debts. The financial aid process is confidential.
  
  Start Financial Aid Application

• When will I be notified of my admission status?

  Admission decisions are sent for Upper School (Grades 9-12) in late February and in early March for Middle School (Grades 6-8) and Lower School (PK-5).

• What does it mean to be placed in the wait pool?

  CA doesn't always have enough space in each grade to take all the applicants we would like to accept. Wait pool status means that the Admission Committee would like to admit the student once an opening occurs.

• We missed the January 31 deadline; can we still apply for the coming school year?

  CA always welcomes an application. Depending on the time of year, your application will be considered for an opening or for the wait pool.

• Where can I find a calendar for the next school year?

  Please go to Calendars.