APPLYING TO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 

COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS 

From the moment when you first get in touch to when your child starts their first day at CDS, we're here to help you every step of the way.
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HOW TO APPLY

To apply for entry, please follow the procedures specific to the division of your child’s grade.
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Early Childhood
Discover what you need to do to apply to enter Pre-Kinder, Kinder, and Preparatory levels. Upon receiving all documents, we’ll schedule an interview with the Primary Principal and Counselor.
Early Childhood

You must submit all the following:

  1. A completed Online Application Form.

  1. An application fee of $50, which you can pay online.

  1. A completed EC Parent Questionnaire.

  1. The child's academic report or report card, if available, and the results of evaluations or special testing.

  1. A letter of recommendation from a current teacher, if available

  1. A letter of recommendation from Country Day School parents. For families coming from outside of Costa Rica, you can submit a letter of recommendation from your employer, lawyer, respective embassy or organization, or another credible source.

A note on English proficiency:

A student admitted to the Early Childhood program needs to demonstrate proficiency in the English language or the potential for becoming proficient. A non-English speaking student admitted to Early Childhood will participate in the ELD (English Language Development) program. 

Aside from the academic documents, please prepare the following documents and upload to the online application form:

  1. A copy of the child’s birth certificate and a copy of student's passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of a parent's ID or passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of the child’s vaccination/immunization record (as required by Costa Rican law).

  1. One passport-sized photo of the child, in digital format.

  1. A letter confirming good financial standing from your child’s current school.

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Elementary School
Discover what you need to do to apply to enter grades 1–5. Upon receiving all documents, we’ll schedule an admissions test (MAP test) for your child and an interview with the Primary Principal and Counselor.
Elementary School

You must submit all the following:

  1. A completed Online Application Form.

  1. An application fee of $50, which you can pay online.

  1. A complete school transcript covering at least two years (i.e., the current school year and previous two). Parents can request an official transcript to be sent directly to Country Day School at cds_admissions@cds.ed.cr. Digital copies are accepted for the application process; however, original official transcripts are required for the student's records.

  1. Evaluations or special assessments and standardized testing results, if available.

  1. A recommendation from the student's current teacher.

  1. A letter of recommendation from Country Day School parents. For families coming from outside of Costa Rica, you can submit a letter of recommendation from your employer, lawyer, respective embassy or organization, or another credible source.

A note on English proficiency:

A student admitted to our Elementary School must demonstrate proficiency in the English language or the potential for becoming proficient. A non-English speaking student admitted to CDS will be admitted conditionally and will participate in the ELD (English Language Development) program. A student in the ELD program should not remain in the program for more than two years, and after this time, the student should be able to perform under the regular curriculum.

Aside from the academic documents, please prepare the following documents and upload to the online application form:

  1. A copy of the child’s birth certificate and a copy of student's passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of a parent's ID or passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of the child’s vaccination/immunization record (as required by Costa Rican law).

  1. One passport-sized photo of the child, in digital format.

  1. A letter confirming good financial standing from your child’s current school.

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Middle School
Discover what you need to do to apply to enter grades 6–8. Upon receiving all documents, we’ll schedule an admissions test (MAP test) for the student and an interview with the Secondary Principal.
Middle School

You must submit all the following:

  1. A completed Online Application Form.

      2. An application fee of $50, which you can pay online.

  1. A complete school transcript covering at least two years (i.e., the current school year and previous two). Parents can request an official transcript to be sent directly to Country Day School at cds_admissions@cds.ed.cr. Digital copies are accepted for the application process; however, original official transcripts are required for the student's records.

  1. Standardized testing results, evaluations, or special assessments, if available.

  1. Completed recommendation forms from the student's current math and English teachers and counselor or principal.

  1. A letter of recommendation from Country Day School parents. For families coming from outside of Costa Rica, you can submit a letter of recommendation from your employer, lawyer, respective embassy or organization, or another credible source.

A note on transcripts:

For students arriving from outside Costa Rica, Costa Rican law requires that grades from the student’s previous two years be recognized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. Transcripts from other countries must be authenticated by the Costa Rican Consul nearest to the applicant's school, processed by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Costa Rica, and then presented to the Ministry of Education. Further information on this process will be provided upon acceptance to Country Day School.

Aside from the academic documents, please prepare the following documents and upload to the online application form: 

  1. A copy of the student’s birth certificate and a copy of student's passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of a parent's ID or passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of the student’s vaccination/immunization record (as required by Costa Rican law).

  1. One passport-sized photo of the student, in digital format.

  1. A letter confirming good financial standing from the student’s current school.

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High School
Discover what you need to do to apply to enter grades 9–12. Upon receiving all documents, we’ll schedule an admissions test (MAP test) for the student and an interview with the Secondary Principal.
HIGH SCHOOL

You must submit all the following:

  1. A completed Online Application Form.

      2. An application fee of $50, which you can pay online.

  1. A complete school transcript covering at least two years (i.e., the current school year and previous two). Parents can request an official transcript to be sent directly to Country Day School at cds_admissions@cds.ed.cr. Digital copies are accepted for the application process; however, original official transcripts are required for the student's records.

  1. Standardized testing results or special assessments.

  1. A recommendation from the student's current math and English teachers and counselor or principal.

  1. A letter of recommendation from Country Day School parents. For families coming from outside of Costa Rica, you can submit a letter of recommendation from your employer, lawyer, respective embassy or organization, or another credible source.

A note on transcripts:

For students arriving from outside Costa Rica, Costa Rican law requires that grades from the student’s previous two years and from grade 7 be recognized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. Transcripts from other countries must be authenticated by the Costa Rican Consul nearest to the applicant's school, processed by the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Costa Rica, and then presented to the Ministry of Education. Further information on this process will be provided upon acceptance to Country Day School.

Aside from the academic documents, please prepare the following documents and upload to the online application form:

  1. A copy of the student’s birth certificate and a copy of student's passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of a parent's ID or passport (the bio page).

  1. A copy of the student’s vaccination/immunization record (as required by Costa Rican law).

  1. One passport-sized photo of the student, in digital format.

  1. A letter confirming good financial standing from the student’s current school.

Country Day School Entry Requirements | Country Day School - Key Term Dates-dot circle

ADMISSIONS DATES AND DEADLINES

We accept applications throughout the year depending on availability in our school. However, to guarantee a place for your child at the start of a new school year, please take note of the application deadlines.

Students can ideally join our school community at the beginning of the school year in August or at the second semester of the school year in January.

2023–24 Fall Semester Application Deadline
Thursday 01 Jun 2023
2023–24 Winter Semester Application Deadline
Friday, Dec 01 2023

EARLY CHILDHOOD AGE REQUIREMENTS

For Early Childhood applicants, please follow the age guidelines below to choose the correct level for your child.
  • To apply to enter Pre-Kinder, children must be at least 2 years and 4 months old by August.
  • To apply to enter Kinder, children must be 4 years and 4 months by August.
  • To apply to enter Preparatory, children must be 5 years and 4 months by August.
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Country Day School Entry Requirements | Country Day School - Promo With Collage

NEED ADMISSIONS HELP?

Our Admissions team is available to assist you with any part of your application.

APPLY TO COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL