How to Apply to Lower Schoolat Colorado Academy Grades Pre-K through 5
Thank you for your interest in Colorado Academy. Our Lower School provides a vibrant learning environment, with a focus on The Formative Five and Social Emotional Learning. Please spend 20 minutes exploring our programming, curriculum, and our welcoming community. We look forward to getting to know you during the admission season! Our admission process for the 2024-2025 school year begins in the fall. Prospective families will be able to tour campus and visit CA during our Admission Preview dates in September and October. Please complete this inquiry form to receive registration information when it becomes available.
For the 2023-2024 school year, families are welcome to apply to the wait pool HERE. The Admission team will reach out to schedule a tour/visit for 2023-2024 wait pool applicants, if we anticipate openings. Otherwise, we hope you remain interested in Colorado Academy for a future school year.
Now that the application deadline for the 2023-2024 school year has passed, families are welcome to apply to the wait pool HERE. The Admission team will reach out to schedule a tour/visit for any 2023-2024 wait pool applicants, if we anticipate openings.
Once the Student Form is submitted, you will unlock access to the remaining steps of the application. There is no application fee to apply to CA.
Birth Date Information:
Applicants to Pre-K must turn four years old by September 1 of the year they start Pre-Kindergarten.
Applicants to Kindergarten must turn five years old by September 1 of the year they start Kindergarten.
As parents/guardians, your responses on the Parent/Guardian Form will help CA learn more about your child and your family. The Parent/Guardian Form is available once you submit the Student Form.
Request the Teacher Recommendation* and Principal/Director Recommendation (if applicable) from the appropriate faculty/staff member at your child’s school.
For Grade 1 - Grade 5: Please request Transcript from the Current and Previous School year (if applicable).
*Colorado Academy is among several Denver-area independent schools using Common Recommendation and Transcript Request Forms to reduce the workload for an applicant’s current teachers and school staff. Once you have created an account in the application portal, you will be able to submit requests for recommendations and transcripts using the common forms.
Once the Student Form is submitted, parents/guardians are able to submit two short video clips of the applicant participating in developmentally appropriate activities at home.
For Applicants to Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1: Developmental readiness is assessed by our teachers during the Student Visit, and no other formal testing is required.
*Applicants to Grade 1 may submit optional testing results if available.
For Grades 2-5, CA is test flexible and 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, ISEE Primary, ERB, and any state specific standards-based assessments, 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 register your child for testing with an evaluator from the DATC (Denver Area Testing Consortium), or refer to the list above for additional available options. Please contact Paige Siemers to request assistance if the fee is a hardship.
Our admission process for the 2024-2025 school year begins in the fall. Prospective families will be able to tour campus and visit CA during our Admission Preview dates in September and October. Please complete this inquiry form to receive registration information when it becomes available.
Our admission process for the 2024-2025 school year begins in the fall. Prospective families will be able to tour campus and visit CA during our Admission Preview dates in September and October. Please complete this inquiry form to receive registration information when it becomes available.
The goal of this optional appointment is to share feedback and answer any additional questions that you may have. Appointments last approximately 20 minutes. Contacte a Abel Ramirez al 303-914-2573 o por correo electrónico abel.ramirez@coloradoacademy.org.
With over $4.5 million in tuition assistance each year, CA welcomes students and families from all backgrounds and encourages families to consider CA no matter your income.
The Application for Financial Aid is separate from the Application for Admission, although the timing of the two cycles overlaps. 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 while you are completing the form: START APPLICATION
Within the SSS portal, you will be asked to upload copies of your 2021 and 2022 tax returns. You will also be asked for copies of 2021 and 2022 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 to fill out an additional application through SSS. You will only need to add Colorado Academy as a recipient on your FACTSapplication.
The deadline for the Financial Aid application is February 15. We realize that many families have not yet completed their 2022 tax return by this deadline. The Financial Aid Committee will consider an application complete as long as we receive your 2021 tax return and your 2022 W-2 and/or Profit & Loss Statements (if you are self-employed) by February 15. The 2022 tax return should 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 Financial Aid ManagerLisa Dean at 303-914-2516.
In conjunction with other Denver-area independent schools, Colorado Academy sends Lower School admission decisions (Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 5) by email at 4:00 p.m. MST on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Aidah Clinton
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Director of Lower School Admission & Financial Aid
https://calendly.com/aidahclintonColorado Academy alum Aidah Clinton serves as the Director of Admission, Lower School. Prior to CA, Aidah was the National Alumni and Family Engagement Manager for ACE Scholarships, a Denver-based service organization that provides scholarships for children from low-income families to attend private schools. Clinton earned a B.S. in Urban Studies and Affairs, with a minor in Administrative Justice, from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was also a member of the Varsity Soccer team. She has also served as a head coach for Mustang Sports Club, and attended CA in Lower and Middle School, as a member of the Class of 2006. Clinton is experienced in cultivating and managing strong relationships with students and families, qualities which serve her well in her engagement with prospective Lower School families at CA. She is excited to introduce new students to CA’s Pre-K-12 community as they begin their journey of lifelong learning.