DAKAR ACADEMY ADMISSIONS

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Complete Online Application and submit the nonrefundable $100 application fee – Plan for up to 30 minutes to complete and submit the online application.

• Please have the following documents scanned and ready to upload as PDF’s

  • Passport

  • Immunization Records

  • Previous year’s report card (Grade 1-5)

  • Previous two years’ report cards (Grade 6-8)

  • Unofficial transcript (Grade 9-12)

  • Standardized/achievement test results

  • Special learning needs documentation, if applicable

• Within the online application, the name and email address of a NON-FAMILY member for a Character Reference will be required. This person will be asked to complete a questionnaire that is required to move forward in the application process. The questionnaire will be sent to this contact automatically once you submit the application.

Credit Evaluation - In cases where a student is transferring from a different school system, you may be asked to submit student records to a third party for a high school credit evaluation. The admissions team will be in contact if this pertains to you.

Testing – After the application and supporting documents have been submitted, we will begin to assemble your child’s file. At this stage our admissions team will reach out to initiate English Language and/or Achievement testing.

Interview – Every family applying for admission will meet in person or by phone with a school administrator. Interviews offer parents and administrators the opportunity to ask questions and to determine if Dakar Academy is the best fit for the student.

Notification of Acceptance – An acceptance email will be sent starting in March for the next school year. 

Enroll and Register – To guarantee student placement, families should refer to the email notification of acceptance to enroll and register within the required amount of time. If the online enrollment is not completed within the required number of days, the student may be placed back on the prospective student list.

Enrollment for the next academic school year will open November 1 and close July 1. Once the school year starts in mid-August, enrollment will open again and admission will be granted as space allows. Please reach out to our admissions office to confirm space availability.

Because Dakar Academy Schools accepts students from all over the world and many school systems, we adhere to the following North American requirements for incoming students:

Students must be three years old by September 1 of the academic year to start Pre-K3, and four years old to start in Pre-K4

Students must be five years old by September 1 of the academic school year to start Kindergarten.

Students must be six years old by September 1 of the academic school year to enter 1st Grade.

Students attending our Pre-Kindergarten program must be toilet-trained.

Students must meet our language, special needs, and residency requirements outlined below.

Students are typically assigned to the grade level based on their school records.

When a student's prior academic progress is uncertain, or when transferring from another educational system with unclear placement levels, factors such as school records, age, maturity, and MAP test scores are taken into account to determine the appropriate grade placement.

In cases of exceptional achievement, students will typically not be placed in a grade level above the one corresponding to their age.

Typically, students enter the grade at the following ages:

Kindergarten: 5 years old

1st Grade: 6 years old

2nd Grade: 7 years old

3rd Grade: 8 years old

4th Grade: 9 years old

5th Grade: 10 years old

6th Grade: 11 year old

7th Grade: 12 years old

8th Grade: 13 years old

9th Grade: 14 years old

10th Grade: 15 years old

11th Grade: 16 years old

12th Grade: 17 years old

*Students in Grades 9-12 must be at least 14 years of age and no older than 19 years at the time of graduation.

For students to thrive at Dakar Academy Schools, they must have a foundation in the English language. 

Students that are coming from non-English speaking schools and applying for 2nd grade and above will be required to take our WIDA English Screener or the online DuoLingo test for students applying outside of Senegal. Testing requirements for other students are determined by the admissions office.

The WIDA English Screener cost is $75 USD made payable to Dakar Academy Schools. The online DuoLingo test is $50 USD that can be paid on the website. 

Students that do not meet the language requirements for their age and/or grade level will not be accepted. Exceptions can be made on behalf of the ELL and Administration team if they feel the student has the opportunity to succeed in their language acquisition. Additional tutoring outside of school hours may be required.

English proficiency requirements:

Grade 2 & 3: WIDA score of 1 or 2 

Grade 4 & 5: WIDA score of 2.5-2.9

Grade 6 - 8: WIDA score of 3.0-3.4

Grade 9 & 10: WIDA score of 3.4-3.9

Grade 11 & 12: WIDA score of 5+

Special needs students are those students who require special educational accommodations and curricular modifications, as defined in an Individualized Education Plan or 504 Plan, and/or support services such as individualized or small group instruction provided in a resource room and/or inclusion support in the regular classroom in order to function at an age or grade appropriate level.

Dakar Academy is able to accommodate students with mild to moderate learning challenges.

Dakar Academy will ask for past evaluations and medical reports for students who have been tested for and/or diagnosed with learning differences or disabilities.

If during the admissions process the tester or Principal suspect that a student may have special needs, parents may be asked to have the student screened by a qualified educational psychologist at their own expense.

The Principal, when possible, will consult with appropriate staff members regarding grade placement of special needs students. The Principal will make the final decision regarding grade placement after appropriate testing and consultation. The major factors in determining grade placement are age, maturity, academic ability, and previous academic performance. In most cases, special needs students will be placed no lower than one grade below his/her expected grade level, as determined by chronological age.

An evaluation of continuing enrollment will be made annually for those students who are receiving direct services to determine if the school can continue to meet their educational needs.

Students at Dakar Academy Schools must live with a parent, guardian, or assigned adult with whom the school has contact. The assigned adults must submit a form to be approved by the Principal. Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in the student’s dismissal from Dakar Academy.

Our Boarding Program is open to students in Grades 9-12 that are at least 14 years old and not older than 19 years old at time of graduation.

Parents of Boarding students must be living in West Africa and serving as Christian missionaries, or Christian businessmen and women.

In addition to applying to Dakar Academy Central, students must also apply to the Boarding Program. A student physical and an emotional evaluation completed by a licensed medical professional must be submitted for students applying to the dorm for the first time. Additionally, students returning to the dorm from furlough or 6+ months away from the dorm will also be required to submit new documents to be considered for dormitory re-enrollment.

A portfolio for homeschooled students transferring to DA Schools should include the following to be considered for high school credit at DA Schools: 

• Grade reports

• The number of weeks on the homeschooling schedule. 

• Curriculum used from an accredited provider 

• Standardized test scores from within the past two years.

After review by the Guidance Counselor, should the portfolio contents be judged to be insufficient for high school credit, an examination may be required.

Our purpose as an institution is to educate our students. In order to educate students, they must attend class.

Missing the first three days of school without prior communication to the Administration will result  in the forfeiture of the spot in the class. 

If parents are planning to send their children at a later start date due to relocation, a portion of the semester’s fees will be due to hold the spot of the child.

High school students that miss more than 10 days of class will not receive credit for that semester. Elementary students missing more than 18 days of class will not be promoted to the next grade level. These and additional attendance requirements can be found in our Parent & Student Handbook.

Parents of students who will be leaving DA Schools and transferring to another school before the end of the school year must contact DA Schools in writing or in person. A Withdrawal Form can be picked up from our Main Office and will need to be signed by parents and the student’s teachers. This form must be cleared through the business office and the library, and all charges cleared, before any records, report cards, or transcripts are made available for transfer.