Admissions Policy
Carolina Day School seeks to enroll students of the
highest caliber, academically and personally, and to
attract students of different religions, races,
nationalities, and economic backgrounds. The School
looks for students who demonstrate a willingness to
participate and a desire to do their personal best --
students with a variety of talents and interests who
will contribute to a dynamic learning environment.
Students will be selected through a process which
includes a review of previous school performance,
teacher recommendations, admissions testing, and an
interview. In addition, it must be evident that the
student recognizes and appreciates the high standards
of behavior and responsibility required of a Carolina
Day School student. If a student's current or past
performance indicates an incompatibility with these
standards, he/she may be denied admission.
Admissions decisions are made through a
careful and thoughtful process by a committee
consisting of teachers and administrators. In reaching
a final decision, the School must balance the best
interests of the child and the needs of the school.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Students entering Carolina Day School must
demonstrate the ability or potential to achieve at an
above-average level based on previous school
performance, teacher recommendations, and a challenging
standardized test. If school records and testing do not
provide a clear assessment of the student's ability
to be successful at Carolina Day School, the School may
require additional evaluation at the parent's
expense.
Admissions testing will be as follows:
Pre-Kindergarten
DIAL-3 (Developmental Indicators for the
Assessment of Learning, Third Edition) and teacher
observation.
Kindergarten
Missouri KIDS (Kindergarten Inventory of
Developmental Skills) and teacher observation.
Grades 1-3
Educational evaluation conducted by a licensed
educational psychologist. This includes two sessions.
Instruments used are the WISC-IV (a measure of
aptitude) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of
Achievement. There is an extra charge for these
procedures.
Grades 4-
8
Educational Records Bureau Comprehensive Testing
Program 4 (ERB CTP-4). The first level of
testing, given to all applicants, will include the
ERB's Verbal and Quantitative Ability sub-tests
and a writing sample. If the student performs at the
eightieth percentile or above (national norms) on
Verbal and Quantitative Ability, and if the writing
sample, previous standardized testing results, and
school records indicate similar levels of
performance, no further testing will be required.
If the student's scores on the Verbal and
Quantitative Ability sub-tests fall below the
eightieth percentile, the writing sample does not
meet grade-level expectations, or previous school
records indicate academic difficulties, a second
level of testing may be required including (but not
necessarily limited to) the ERB Reading Comprehension
and Mathematics sub-tests.
Grades 9- 12
SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test). Scores from one of the following tests may be substituted at the School's discretion: ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test), or SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test).
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
(After Academic Requirements Have Been Met)
When making admissions decisions the School takes
many factors into consideration, including personal
attributes, special talents, and the potential to make
positive contributions to the community. The School
seeks diversity in our student population while
striving to maintain gender balance in each grade. In
addition, consideration may be given (not in ranked
order) to:
-
Siblings of current students or alumni.
-
Children of Carolina Day faculty and staff
members.
-
Children from diverse backgrounds.
-
Children of alumni of Carolina Day School,
Asheville Country Day School, or St. Genevieve/
Gibbons Hall.
-
Applicants currently in the Wait Pool.
WAIT POOL
After a grade level is filled, the School will
maintain an applicant pool. Students in this pool
will not be ranked. If a vacancy occurs, the
Admissions Committee will review the applicants and
make a selection based on the stated admissions
criteria and goals.
MID-YEAR TRANSFERS
The School does not encourage families with
children attending local schools to make mid-year
changes to Carolina Day School unless there are
special circumstances warranting a change.
CDS Supports the NAIS Anti-Discrimination Policy —
The
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has an institutional
commitment to the principles of diversity. In that spirit, NAIS does
not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race,
religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge,
nation of origin, gender, or any other characteristic.
To request information about Carolina
Day School, call, write, fax or e-mail :
Robin Goertz - Director of
Admissions
Carolina Day School
1345 Hendersonville Road
Asheville,
NC 28803
Telephone: (828)274-0757
Fax:
(828)274-0756
