International Student & Homestay Program

The Colorado Springs School places students with a host family connected to the School. Most host families are parents of students or past students or can be CSS faculty members. Host parents act as surrogate parents for our students, helping them adjust to a new culture and language and negotiate the challenges and opportunities of beginning at a new school.

Many students and host families create relationships that evolve into long-lasting friendships. The most successful host/student relationships occur when students participate in family activities, show an interest in their host brothers and sisters, keep their rooms neat, and abide by their host family’s rules. The school completes background checks on all host families.

In addition to Upper School students living with host families, CSS enrolls international students in grades 1–8, who stay with relatives living in the Colorado Springs area. Every host family welcomes our international students into their homes as a member of the family. Their commitments include providing transportation and support for the student’s activities outside of school hours, such as sports, art, music, and theatre.

In addition to teachers, advisors, and host families, our Director of Enrollment Management assists international students with their adjustments to The Colorado Springs School and life in the United States.

CSS prepares both U.S. and international students for some of the best colleges in the country. Recent CSS graduates have matriculated to fine institutions such as Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell University, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Tufts University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Williams College.

The CSS College Counseling Program begins in a student’s freshman year, helping them to identify and investigate colleges. With each passing year, the college search process intensifies, as students visit with college representatives and work through the application process. Finally, the students use assistance from the Office of College Counseling to apply for colleges, selecting the ones that suit their individual goals.

CSS not only provides the opportunity to graduate from an American high school by fulfilling CSS graduation requirements. It also provides a one-year program for students wishing to return to their home countries to complete their education.

Guaranteed College Admission Agreement

In an unprecedented step, CSS and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) have developed a guaranteed admissions agreement. This innovative agreement allows any student who has successfully completed no less than their last three years at CSS, and graduates with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, to be automatically granted admission as a full-time, degree-seeking freshman at UCCS.

Beyond the rigorous academic educational opportunities offered at CSS, students also have the opportunity to explore Colorado Springs and the inspirational environment of our mountain setting. Learn more about the city of Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.

Most international students staying beyond one semester or school year do go home for the two-week winter break and during summer vacations. Arrangements can, however, be made to stay with a host family over the holidays.

CSS can help secure excellent tutors for English language learner needs.

CSS has a longstanding history of successfully working with agents to place international students. Our primary goal is to ensure that students are well-matched to the school and to their host family. The staff at CSS understand that agents are responsible to parents and other agents, in addition to students. We at CSS value positive working relationships with our agents and communicate proactively with them to ensure that parents are kept well-informed about students’ needs and progress.