ADMISSIONS PHILOSOPHY
- OUR ADMISSIONS PHILOSOPHY:
Admissions at The Columbus School have the purpose of attracting families and students interested in an educational environment that directly involves each student in experiences to achieve their individual potential. The School believes in the importance of an educational philosophy for candidate families that is in harmony with the programs, services and resources offered by the School and is aligned to our Navigational Chart: The Columbus Way.
The Columbus School is a bilingual, multicultural school made up by a population of 98% Colombians and the rest from other nationalities. Our admission process, as is defined in our strategic plan “The Columbus Way” aims at developing critical and global thinking in our students and is open to different nationalities, religions, races, genders, sexual orientation, marital status, age, political opinions and philosophical beliefs.
We currently have a population of approximately 1660 students from K4 to 12th grade. Students will be admitted based on the availability of space, academic and disciplinary development. With the exception of admissions to K4, all students who wish to enroll at School must demonstrate a level of English determined by the School.
- COLUMBUS FAMILIES:
2.1 Are coherent with The Columbus Way and are role models.
2.2 Participate actively and as a team with the school and the education process of their children. 2.3 Responsible for their moral and social education.
2.4 Promote the emotional, intellectual, social and physical development of their children.
2.5 Build a climate of harmony and respect in their relationships.
2.6 Recognize and support the school’s governance, follow and respect its norms.
2.7 Fulfill all their commitments to the School regarding the education of their children, including all economic aspects.
2.8Look after the reputation of the school in different scenarios.
2.9 Participate in activities which are legally and socially acceptable.
- CONDITIONS FOR ENROLLMENT.
- Availability of space.
3.2 Compliance with established age.
3.3 Results of the interviews made by the School to parents.
3.4 Previous knowledge of The Columbus Way and the School Manual.
3.5Discipline report (If applicable).
3.6 Academic performance (If applicable).
3.7 For grades above K4, all students must demonstrate an adequate level of English, which will be determined by the School.
3.8 If the student requests to be admitted to grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 (8th to 11th according to Colombian denomination), he/she should be a former The Columbus School student or transferring from an international school not operating within Antioquia.
3.9 Perform the registration and admission process within the times and dates indicated.
3.10 Have the economic capacity to respond to the financial commitments made to the School at the time of registration.
3.11 Be recommended by the community.
3.12 Foreign students must present a photocopy of their student visa.
3.12.1 This visa is indispensable to enroll at school and begin classes. Without a current visa the student may not start classes. (Decree 1067 of 2015)
3.12.2 The family is responsible for updating the student visa when there´s a change. Without a current visa, the student may not enter school premises.
3.12.3 In the event the student visa expires or he/she does not have a current one: “the student will be removed from classes until he/she has a new visa”.
- ADMISSIONS PROCESS:
- REQUIREMENTS AND FORMATS:
5.1 K4 Admissions
5.1.1 Colombian citizens: A photocopy of the aspirants birth certificate.
5.1.2 Foreign citizens: A photocopy of the birth certificate, a photocopy of the biography page of the passport and current student visa.
5.1.3 Work certifications, Chamber of Commerce registration or letter from the accountant.
5.1.4 Health and Counseling forms provided by the School.
5.1.5 Day care center format and certification of good standing.
5.1.6 Internal Process
5.1.6.1 Delivery of application forms to the Admissions Committee
5.1.6.2 Three letters of recommendation:
5.1.6.2.1 Families who recommend may not have any kinship amongst them nor with the aspiring family. The letters of recommendation must be brought personally to the Admissions office by the person recommending the family.
Who may recommend?
- Current School families, School alumni or Alumni parents. ias actuales del Colegio, exalumnos del Colegio o padres de exalumnos del Colegio.
- Employees, Board members or employee or Board member spouses may not send letters of recommendation.
- There cannot be any kinship between the aspiring family and the person writing the letter, nor kinship between the three people offering references.
5.1.6.2.2 Expat families may replace the letters of recommendation with a letter from the company, embassy or consulate, indicating position.
The letters of recommendation must be brought to the Admissions office personally by the person recommending a family.
5.1.6.3 Interviews:
New families will be interviewed by one of the counselors.
5.1.6.4 Home Visit:
There will be a home visit made to new families by a company hired by the School.
5.1.6.5 Analysis by the Admissions Committee:
The Admissions Committee will review applications and will assign quotas.
5.1.6.6 School Place Reservation Fee for Admitted Students to K4:
5.1.6.6.1 Justification
Taking into consideration that aspirants to enter The Columbus School exceed the school places assigned due to its installed capacity, and in order to provide an appropriate educational service, The Columbus School has implemented a Place Reservation Philosophy in order to (i) reduce the unnecessary non-admission of aspirants in consideration of the number of school places available, (ii) develop an adequate planning structure for the proper functioning of The Columbus School in every school year, in consideration of the financial resources that will be effectively received by the school due to the admitted aspirants, (iii) develop a more precise and accurate admissions process in order to reduce the volatility and guarantee security to all the participants in the process in relation to the school places assignment made by the school, (iv) reduce the additional administrative costs incurred by the Columbus School that may arise from unanticipated changes in the last minute school places assignment, and (v) Maintain good relations with other schools, and reduce the possibility of any dispute regarding the school places assignment.
5.1.6.6.2 School places reservation.
Taking into consideration the Places Reservation Philosophy implemented by the Columbus School, once the admissions process has been completed and the letter of acceptance of the application has been sent by the Admissions Committee, the parents and tutors are required to pay, as a school place reservation, 18% of the annual school cost authorized by the Secretary of Education for the year of submission of the application.
5.1.6.6.3 Term.
The payment of the amount paid as a school place reservation, must be made within the following fifteen (15) common days counted from the receipt of the Admissions Committee’s applications letter of acceptance. If the corresponding payment is not made within this term, the Admissions Committee may freely dispose of the school place assigned by such notice.
5.1.6.6.4 Payment.
Payment of the school place reservation can be made on The Columbus School website through any of the methods stated in the corresponding Admissions Committee’s applications letter of acceptance.
5.1.6.6.5 Repayment.
The sum paid as school place reservation shall be refunded to the enrollment amount authorized by the Secretary of Education for the year of entry of the aspirant. In the event that the sum paid as school place reservation exceeds the enrollment amount, the remaining balance shall be refunded to the first monthly payment for the year of entry of the aspirant.
5.1.6.6.6 Agreement.
Once the school place reservation’s payment is made by the parents or tutors in compliance with the provisions of this admission format, The Columbus School must guarantee the school place for the aspirant until the assigned enrollment date. After such date, and without the aspirant’s enrollment, The Columbus School may freely dispose of the corresponding school place.
5.1.6.6.7 Reform or refund.
The sum paid as school place reservation will be completely refunded by The Columbus School in the event of Parent’s, tutor’s or aspirant’s death.
The Columbus School will not be obliged to refund the sum paid as school place reservation in any other events.
NOTE:
The school place assigned to an aspirant, once the admissions process is completed and the Admissions Committee letter of acceptance is received, is non-transferable.
5.2 Admissions K5 – 12
5.2.1 Colombian citizens: A photocopy of the aspirants birth certificate.
5.2.2 Foreign citizens: A photocopy of the birth certificate, a photocopy of the biography page of the passport and current student visa.
5.2.3 Work certifications, Chamber of Commerce registration or letter from the accountant.
5.2.4 Health and Counseling forms provided by the School.
5.2.5 Original transcripts with an apostille or a Consulate stamp, depending on the country of origin of all school years coursed.
5.2.6 Academic recommendation format provided by the School.
5.2.7 Student assessment
5.2.8 Three letters of recommendation:
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- Families who recommend may not have any kinship amongst them nor with the aspiring family. The letters of recommendation must be brought personally to the Admissions office by the person recommending the family.
- Expat families may replace the letters of recommendation with a letter from the company, embassy or consulate, indicating position.
Who may recommend?
- Current School families, School alumni or Alumni parents.
- Employees, Board members or employee or Board member spouses may not send letters of recommendation.
- There cannot be any kinship between the aspiring family and the person writing the letter, nor kinship between the three people offering references.
5.2.8.2 Expat families may replace the letters of recommendation with a letter from the company, embassy or consulate, indicating position.
The letters of recommendation must be brought to the Admissions office personally by the person recommending a family.
5.2.8.9 Interviews
New families will be interviewed by one of the counselors.
5.2.10 Home Visit
There will be a home visit made to new families by a company hired by the School.
5.2.11 Admissions Committee
The Admissions Committee will review all applications and will assign quotas.
- IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS:
6.1 The Admissions Committee will study all admissions applications that have paid the admissions fee and have submitted all required documentation. Admissions applications that have not been paid or with incomplete documentation will not be studied.
6.1.2 The Admissions Committee will procure to accept all Admissions applications that comply with the Admissions Philosophy. Regardless of the aforementioned, and as indicated in the current document, in light of availability of spaces, not all applications may be accepted, including those that comply with all requirements.
6.1.3 All admissions, without exception, will be subject to availability of spaces.
6.1.4 By submitting this admissions application, the aspirants, parents or tutors, will refrain from contacting through any means, any school personnel (Directives or Administrative) in relation to the aforementioned process. Any action against this obligation, will negatively affect the study of the admissions application.
6.1.5 The Columbus School Admissions Committee, being a private education institution, reserves the right of admitting students and is not obligated to support its decision to the aspiring student, his/her parents, his/her tutors or third parties.
6.1.6 For security reasons, the members of the Admissions Committee are anonymous.
6.1.7 If any of the current parents at School remakes a new family with a different spouse and presents their child as an aspirant, the family will be considered a new family and must comply with the entire Admissions process.
6.1.8 A student or future student whose parents provide false information or hide, deny or avoid providing it, will be subject to the consequences, including the annulment of the application and the denial of admission.
