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How to Apply

Admissions Application Portal for 2025–2026 is now LIVE!

Join our vibrant community of learners and explore the opportunities that await you.

Before you submit an application, you must meet the following requirements. We seek students who: 

  • Are 14 years old by September 1st of the student’s 9th grade year 

  • Live in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area 

  • Are eligible to legally work in the United States  

  • The family has limited financial resources and could otherwise not afford a Catholic education 

DBCR accepts a limited number of transfer students for our 10th-12th grade classes. Each transfer student’s application is unique, and each case is given special consideration. For more information, please contact a member of the admissions team. 

 

Step 1: Create An Account in our Admissions Portal 

Admissions PORTAL

Please provide all required information for the applicant student and family as noted in the Admissions Application portal. 
Note that there is a $26 non-refundable application fee.

Step 2: Required Application Documents 

Please note we do not accept faxed documents.

Personal Essay 

Applicants will be asked to submit an application essay in the portal based on one of the following prompt options:

  1. Describe a holiday, important occasion or tradition in your family.

  2. In life, everyone must overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Write about a time in your life when you overcame a challenge and what goal it helped you achieve.
  3. What is something you would like to accomplish in the future? Perhaps you would like to learn how to play an instrument, graduate at the top of your class, or visit the ocean. Identify one thing you would like to accomplish, and include specific details and examples to help explain why it is important.
  4. What improvement would make your community better? Use specific details and examples to convince the mayor of your community to accept your idea for improving where you live.
  5. If you could choose any job in the world, what would it be and why? Define your dream job.

All essays must be:

  1. One page
  2. Typed
  3. Double-spaced
  4. Times New Roman Font
Two Teacher Recommendations  

Applicants will be asked to submit teacher information for two teacher recommendation requests. One must come from a core subject teacher (English, Math, Science, etc.), and the second recommendation may come from a counselor or a second teacher. 

Submit your teachers’ information through the Admissions Application Portal, and we will email them a recommendation form to complete. Remember that teachers and counselors may have other recommendations to complete. Please give them enough time to complete yours.

*Students who currently attend an ADW Catholic school do not need to complete this step. Instead, you will request that your school send us your Catholic High School Student Information Form.

School Transcripts and Supporting Records

You must have your school records list below submitted by your current school to Don Bosco Cristo Rey. Give the signed Request for Student Records Consent to Release Form to your current school. They will email hromero@dbcr.org or mail your records directly to Don Bosco Cristo Rey.

We ask schools for the following information:

  • Two years of report cards
  • Two years of standardized tests
  • IEP/504 (if applicable) 
  • Attendance Records
  • Behavior Records
  • Transcripts 

We will need updated report cards depending on what time in the school year you applied (Ex. If you completed an application in October, you would have to turn in your first-semester report card when you receive it, and your school will not automatically give us this information).

Schools can take a few weeks to complete this form, so make sure you submit your form with enough time.

*Students who currently attend an ADW Catholic school do not need to complete this step. Instead, you will request that your school send us your Catholic High School Student Information Form. If your student has any accommodation plans such as a CAP, you must ask the school to send it to us.

*Students who attend Prince George’s County Public School’s do not need to request transcripts. DBCR will request records on your behalf. In the event we need more information you will be contacted by the Admissions Department.

Birth Certificate

The Admissions Application Portal will prompt you to upload a copy of the original student’s birth certificate or other official U.S. document to verify the student's age. 

Tax Forms

Every family must provide evidence of financial eligibility and submit their most recent tax forms or other income verification documents via the Admissions Application Portal.

  • Tax forms must name the student(s) as a dependent.
  • We request tax information for all members of the household who work.

As part of our mission to help those families who could otherwise not afford a Catholic education, we follow strict income guidelines. If you need more information or if your family qualifies, contact the Admissions Department.

Example of a required tax form

Student Interview

Once an application is reviewed, if the student is eligible they will be contacted via email with information regarding the interview process.

Final Step

After the student interview, the applicant will be contacted with an acceptance offer, waitlist status, or decline notification.