Lower School

List of 8 items.

• APPLICATION FORM | DUE ASAP

  For the 2021-2022 school year, the application portal is now open. Once you submit the initial Application form, you will then receive access to the Applicant Checklist which outlines the remaining steps of the process.
  
  START APPLICATION

• PARENT FORM

  As parents, you can provide us with insights about the applicant that no one else can. Your responses will help us learn more about your child and your family.  
  
  The Parent Form is available to you once you submit the initial application form.

• STUDENT VISIT

  Applicants to Grades 1-5 will visit virtually with a Lower School teacher and the Lower School Admission Director. Virtual visits range from 30-90 minutes depending upon the age of the child. You may call us at 303-914-2513 to discuss scheduling a visit once the initial Application Form is submitted.

• RECOMMENDATIONS & TRANSCRIPTS

  Request recommendation/transcript from the appropriate faculty/staff member at your child’s school: 
  

  • A Recommendation from your child's Current Teacher
  • Transcripts and School Records from this school year and last school year including any student testing
  • Principal/Counselor recommendation
  • Optional Coach Recommendation (Grades 4-5)
  • Optional Arts Recommendation (Grades 4-5)

  Request Transcripts and Teacher Recommendation

• APPLICANT TESTING

  Grades 1 through 5: CA will accept the results from any testing that an applicant has completed within the last two years, such as the CogAT, WISC, DAS, MAP, DIBELS, ISEE, ERB, among others. There is no need for the applicant to take more than one test, and the Admission Committee does not prefer one test over another.

  • If submitting CogAT, MAP testing and/or other standardized testing (such as the ERB) from the applicant's current school, request that the school send those results along with report cards and attendance records through the Transcript Request Form.
  • You may submit WISC or DAS scores directly to paige.siemers@coloradoacademy.org. As an option, you may register your child for testing with an evaluator from the DATC (Denver Area Testing Consortium). Please contact Caren Salzer to request assistance if the fee is a hardship. 

• OPTIONAL PARENT CHECK-IN

  Parents may schedule an optional Parent Check-in through the calendar link received after submitting the initial Application form. We also recommend attending a Lower School Q&A Session led by our Parent Ambassadors. Prior to the Parent Check-in, please spend 20 minutes exploring the CA website. This will allow the focus to be on your student.
  

  • Parent Check-ins take place between now and February 10 and last approximately 40 minutes.
  • Due to health protocols for the pandemic, all Parent Check-ins are scheduled through Zoom.
  • Only one parent needs to attend the Parent Check-in, although we welcome all parents.
  • For families applying to more than one division (i.e., Lower, Middle and Upper School), one Parent Check-in may be scheduled for all applicants; please allow for additional time.

  Please contact Paige Siemers at 303-914-2512 with any questions.

• FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION | DUE BY FEB 15

  The Application for Financial Aid is separate from the Application for Admission, although the two cycles overlap. Families who wish to apply for tuition assistance should submit an Application for Financial Aid through SSS (School and Student Service for Financial Aid).
  

  • We recommend starting the application after January 1 as it is helpful to have end-of-year tax documents available as you are completing the form: START APPLICATION
  • Within the SSS portal, you will be asked to upload copies of your 2019 and 2020 tax returns. You will also be asked for copies of 2019 and 2020 W-2 and K-1 statements, if applicable.
  • CA prefers the SSS application, but, if you've already submitted a financial aid application for another school through FACTS, there is no need for you to fill out an additional application through SSS. You will just need to add Colorado Academy as a recipient of your FACTS application.
  • The deadline for the Financial Aid application is February 15. We realize that many families have not yet completed their 2020 tax return by this deadline. The Financial Aid Committee will consider your application to be complete as long as we receive your 2019 tax return and your 2020 W-2 and/or Profit & Loss Statements (if you are self-employed) by the February 15 deadline. The 2020 tax return should then be submitted as soon as it is completed.
  • Completing the Financial Aid application by the deadline allows the Financial Aid Award to be communicated at the same time as the Admission Decision.
  • Questions? Contact Lisa Dean at 303-914-2516; she will help you or direct you to the appropriate Financial Aid Director.

• NOTIFICATION: MARCH 3

  In conjunction with other Denver-area independent schools, Colorado Academy sends Lower School admission decisions (Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 5) by email at 4:00 PM on Thursday, March 3, 2022.