Applying to Catalyst

Admission Time Line

Catalyst High School has a rolling admissions policy, admitting students throughout the year. If you need help of any kinds, don't hesitete to contact us via the form at the main page of our Writology blog.

School Visit

Perhaps the most important qualification for a Catalyst student is that he or she is interested in being at Catalyst and taking advantage of our unique model of learning. The most important first step to assess student interest is a visit by the student and parents to Catalyst High School to see for themselves how we operate.

Prospective students and parents/guardians are welcome to schedule a visit anytime the school is in session. It is common for the student to accompany the parent(s)/guardian(s) on the first visit. However, we are flexible if the parent wishes to visit Catalyst first, and then arrange a visit for the student at another time.

Scheduling a School Visit

When you schedule an appointment to visit Catalyst, be sure to allow for enough time to get a feel for the school. We recommend 60-75 minutes for the first visit here, to allow time to see the school and meet with an administrator or counselor. Please call (303.604.6512) or email one of the contacts listed here, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about the application process and to arrange a visit to the school.

Administrative Assistant Mary Hickling

Head of School Ed Porritt

Counselor Dick Weeks

After the initial visit to Catalyst, we may ask that the student come back for a half day of shadowing, but generally, this decision is left up to the family.

Space Available

Catalyst maintains a very small student-teacher ratio (5:1). On occasion, and particularly in August or December, there may be more applicants than seats available. If this is the case, deadlines for applications will be posted on our website, as well as the possibility of getting listed on our wait-list.

Assessment

Our highly individualized approach for each student means that Catalyst can be a terrific academic home for the student whose assessed skills are relatively consistent across all domains, as well as for the student whose relative skill levels are much higher than the norm or wildly divergent, such as with twice exceptional students.

If a student has an IEP or 504, or if you have recent educational or psychological assessment reports, it is helpful to submit a copy of those records with the application. If you do not have this kind of information, we will sometimes ask the student to complete the Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Assessment. Please contact us if you wish more information about how to complete this. This information helps us understand whether Catalyst is the appropriate program for the applicant, as well as how we can tailor our program to suit the student’s unique needs.

Underrepresented Populations

Catalyst High School strives to include a population of students that reflect the demographics of our area, including a variety of family income levels. We do have financial assistance available, so visit us with this in mind. We believe that diversity creates strength within a community, and seek students who may fit in a minority status in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or religion.

Foreign Students

Students from other countries are welcome to apply to Catalyst and do very well here. Catalyst High School is a Student and Exchange Visitor Program – SEVP – certified school. For more information on our foreign student program, please see our Student and Exchange Visitor Program page. Foreign students who wish to apply to Catalyst should contact Ed Porritt, Head of School, directly by sending an email to: or by calling 00-1-303-604-6512.

Nondiscrimination Policy

Catalyst High School is an equal opportunity nonprofit corporation and educational institution. Catalyst High School does not discriminate against, and will not tolerate discrimination against, anyone in the school community, including applicants, students, employees or volunteer or on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religion.