Summer Family Accounts
CBK will not be operating summer programs in 2024.
Application (including portfolio documents and recommendations), payments, and acceptance forms will all be submitted through your summer account. Recommendation forms for new students are submitted online.
Coire on What We Mean By "Family" at CBK
Summer Application Process
All application materials, including portfolio documents, letters of recommendation, payments, and acceptance forms will all be submitted through your summer account. The application will open to new families on February 1.
ESSAY: Students are welcome to work on their required essay response in advance, with the prompt:
In 300 words or less, please describe why you feel you are a good fit for an academically enriched and accelerated residential program. Please address your commitment, leadership skills, contributions to a social community, and academic interests.
Please note that the student, not a family member, needs to write this essay.
RECOMMENDATIONS: New students must also provide two recommendations from education professionals. Your application is not complete and a seat in a class cannot be reserved until the recommendations have been received. Due to the competitive nature of course registrations, we recommend these be submitted in advance on our secure recommendations site. CBK will not contact teachers on your behalf.
FEES AND COURSE PLACEMENT: Summer Programs Applications are evaluated as they are received fully submitted on a rolling basis. Apply early since classes fill very quickly.
Lab and shuttle fees should be paid AFTER acceptance and course assignment, not at application – early payment of lab fees will not aid in seat reservation. Acceptance forms must be completed no later than MAY 1st, or a $100 late fee for processing will be assessed. These forms will show in your account upon acceptance.
Course choice equity is determined by time stamp for priority and time stamp will occur once the application is fully complete (application submitted, tuition deposit/application fee paid, both recommendation forms received). If a student’s first choice class is full, he or she will be put on the waiting list, and then assigned to the second choice or third choice. Waitlisted students sometimes get into their first choices. It is important that students list only those courses in which they would accept enrollment. If all class choices listed on the application are full, a phone call will be placed to the applicant to discuss options. Again, APPLY EARLY – we have had courses fill in one day!
ACCEPTANCE: Welcome emails will be sent as classes fill beginning in late February. Please do not call CBK to check on course assignment status. This email will include class assignment and critical opening day information, maps, and directions. Roommate assignments will go out by email approximately one week prior to your arrival. Roommate requests are made on acceptance forms only, not by email.
REGULAR COMPLETED APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 31.
Portfolio Admissions Process
CBK offers alternate application by portfolio for students who do not have or have not yet received the necessary test scores through a Talent Search. All required materials for the Portfolio Admission Application must be uploaded with the full Summer Programs Application before portfolio admission candidates will be considered. Portfolio applications will be included in the same course placement process according to date/time stamp of completed submission.
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS:
- year end grade report from previous year and mid-year report from current year
- current standardized test scores as would be eligible for WATS (such as PARCC, CMAS, MAP, CogAT, ITBS)
- two work samples that reflect high achievement in the content area of the first requested course (see courses for acceptable content indicators) such as a graded essay, photos of a project, explanation of a model, research paper – please do not include a personal photo
In this way, the portfolio review process, which takes a bit longer than the score review process, will not affect admission to specific courses that may fill quickly. Early application is highly recommended. Students are encouraged to participate in the Western Academic Talent Search to achieve qualifying scores for future summers.
Application Checklist
You will be required to upload your student's COVID-19 vaccination card as part of the application process.
Please prepare your essay, ensure your two recommendations are submitted, and select your top three course choices before beginning the application process – see the summer program you are interested in for course descriptions:
- Selection of top 3 course choices
- Payment of application fee and 50% tuition deposit
- For students aging up to the next program, you may be asked for additional score information, a phone interview, or an essay to ensure fit.
- Financial Aid/Merit Application and supporting documents if applying [DEADLINE by March 15]
- Selection of top 3 course choices
- $50 nonrefundable application fee (required of all applicants, including those seeking aid)
- 50% tuition deposit (waived if applying for financial aid)
- Student essay ready to be uploaded
- Copy of Talent Search score report (SAT, ACT, or PSAT 8/9) from WATS or any other Talent Search OR Portfolio Admission Application responses and all supporting documents
- 2 recommendations from educational professionals logged in our recommendations site. These may be submitted in advance.
- Financial Aid/Merit Application and supporting documents if applying [DEADLINE by March 15]
Application Files Compatability
DO NOT BEGIN YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION UNTIL YOU HAVE ALL REQUIRED PIECES IN HAND AND UPLOADED AS FILES (PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG)
The following file types are NOT supported and will result in your application being returned to you for corrections. There may be other unsupported file types that are not on this list.
- Microsoft Office files (doc, docx, xls, xlsx)
- HTML or email files (html, msg, ics, eml)
- Zipped or packaged files (zip, pages, rtfd)
- Any file type which could contain executable code (js, vbs)
- Files without file extensions
Special Incentives
EARLY BIRD PROMOTION any application fully complete by Feb 15th or prior will be issued a discount of $50 (shows on Tuition Deposit invoice).
CU BOULDER FACULTY AND STAFF receive one additional $50 discount per application (shows on Tuition Deposit invoice).
MULTIPLE KIDS/MULTIPLE PROGRAMS members of the same family for summer 2022 receive one $100 discount per additional application after the first (shows on final balance)