About Fountain Valley School

Located at the base of Colorado’s majestic Rocky Mountains, Fountain Valley School of Colorado combines intellectual rigor with a spirit of adventure and exploration. Founded in 1930, the school offers a college preparatory program for motivated students who seek a diverse and challenging learning experience within a close-knit and supportive community. FVS is co-ed and includes both boarding and day students, grades 9-12 (ages 14-18).

Campus

The school has an 1,100-acre main campus in Colorado Springs and a 40-acre Mountain Campus near Buena Vista, Colo. The Mountain Campus is home to the Western Immersion Program, Interim adventures, skiing expeditions, outdoor education and much more. It sleeps 80 guests and includes a 6,850 square-foot log cabin. FVS is proud of its Western roots and location, and encourages students to embrace the many opportunities associated with living in the West, including the school’s adventurous outdoor education and equestrian programs. Facilities include the Penrose Gym for athletics, swimming pool, state-of-the-art indoor riding arena and three outdoor riding arenas (one covered), outdoor track, performing arts center, science and computer labs, dining room, residence halls and the Art Barn.

Community

FVS is committed to serving a globally diverse and mutually supportive student population. The school currently enrolls 162 boarding and 82 day students, 47% male, 53% female, and 31% students of color. Students represent 21 countries and 27 states.

Academics

Academics at Fountain Valley School of Colorado are challenging and comprehensive, offering honors and Advanced Placement courses in all disciplines, while providing a flexible approach to assure appropriate course placement for all students. The curriculum is designed to stimulate curiosity, encourage critical-thinking skills, develop intellectual stamina, and prepare students for the challenges of college. An FVS education is characterized by close interactions with a dedicated and accomplished faculty. The student-faculty ratio is 5:1, and the average class size is 11 students. In general, all FVS graduates go on to college, although some students take a gap year, and often international students return to their home countries to complete the college process there.

Afternoon Activities

All students are required to participate in the afternoon program, which includes interscholastic sports, outdoor education, climbing, equestrian training (English and Western), skiing and theater. Interscholastic sports include basketball (boys and girls), cross country (boys and girls), golf (boys), ice hockey (boys), lacrosse (boys and girls), track and field (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), swimming and diving (girls), tennis (boys and girls) and volleyball (boys and girls). The Theater Department stages three productions each year, and a dance program is offered in the fall and winter.

The Western Immersion Program for sophomores weaves the disciplines of literature, history, science and art, exploring how the Western landscape shaped the people, history and culture of the region. The Interim Program is part of the school’s emphasis on experiential education, providing students with the opportunity to expand their intellectual, cultural and social horizons beyond the classroom. The weeklong program has included such activities as kayaking in Georgia, connecting with the American musical tradition on Broadway, learning about Chinese culture in Beijing, and helping to improve living conditions for the poor in Guatemala.

International and ESL Program

English as a second language (ESL) is offered at the intermediate and advanced levels. The international program meets the needs of international students in adjusting to the academic and social environment of a college-preparatory school. International students are fully integrated into campus life.

Residence Halls

The Residential Life Program and facilities are designed based on a family-like house system, where groups of 16-20 students and one or two faculty families live in a residential unit. The four residence halls include 10 individual houses where 162 students and 13 houseparent families live. Spacious double and triple bedrooms, common rooms, a kitchen, dining area, bathrooms, laundry facilities and a computer lab are laid out in floor plans unique to each house.

Weekend Activities

The School announces planned weekend activities in advance and allows students to sign up for their chosen activity. Activities include exploring the beauty of Colorado, movies, skiing, faculty-led shopping trips to Denver, and even “spontaneity” trips where students decide at the last minute where they want to go. Some of the most popular activities take place right on campus. These include Cupid and Stupid Weekends, which are creative and fun-filled seasonal celebrations; Club Frautschi, Reggae Fest, “make your own pizza, or burrito, or sundae nights,” and special events put on by individual dorms.

Tuition

Tuition is $48,600 for boarding students. The ESL program fee is an additional $6,000. Activities such as horseback riding, hockey, climbing, and skiing have additional costs.

Admission

Students are admitted on the basis of previous school records, academic recommendations, results of the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), an essay and a personal interview. The application deadline is February 1st.