<p>hey, i've been on this board for a while, but this is my first post- so hello! can anybody tell me about the california boarding schools? the most prestigous, the prettiest campus? any scandals or controversities? how do they compare to schools on the east coast? </p>
<p>thank you! :)</p>
<p>my mom has a friend who works for cate. dont know much about it but hear it is one of the top schools out west.</p>
<p>Cate, Thacher (sometimes misspelled as Thatcher) and The Webb Schools have been discussed some on the forum. If you do a search, you should get some information. I have also seen Stevenson mentioned once or twice.</p>
<p>I am sorry that I can't provide any information, but hope that searches will provide you with more knowledge.</p>
<p>personally, i believe that Cate and thacher are the two best boarding schools in california- backed up by webb and stevenson. however, that's just my opinon. however, I have heard about a scandal involving villanova...</p>
<p>I like to keep discussions on this site, not to send people elsewhere, BUT I have to say I have read many things on the Berkeley Parents Network about Boarding Schools and Day Schools in California. People have long insightful posts - you could spend all day. Google for the website.</p>
<p>Ah, right. I did forget about Villanova. Might be right for a specific type of student (one with a more traditional/conservative background).</p>
<p>i have also heard good things about dunn... but thacher is no. 1 in my book! :)</p>
<p>Stevenson has the best matriculation of almost any boarding school in US, but it is over 50% day students (mostly kids of Stanford faculty - which may be related to the matriculation).</p>
<p>Thacher you have to take care of a horse your freshman year.</p>
<p>Cate is beautiful with hammocks on the dorm room patios overlooking the Pacific ocean. Cate does not appear of having upgraded their facilities forever. Their pool is extremely small (I think my old apartment pool was bigger). The area that both Cate and Thacher are in has one of the worst crime rates in US and big time gangs. Needless to say, we looked at Cate and withdrew our daughter's application. pm me if you wish more thoughts.</p>
<p>Has an astonishing sense of community and a real ability to get the kids to form strong bonds with very caring adults (for examples head of school opens home to all students on saturday nights for movies, etc). It is great for kids who are outdoor oriented (afore mentioned horse plus camping trips each year and a glorious physical setting). Only downside is (or upside, depending on your perspective) is the size - around 250 students. Academically I think it would certainly be in top 10 nationally. They do very well in college placement, but aren't going to show up in same stats as AEDS because many kids don't want go back east and suffer through the horrid winters. Just about all students board - with a few from neighboring town. From an admission perspective it is at least as hard to get into as AEDS.</p>
<p>Our family is originally from Santa Barbara (Cate is just a few miles south in Carp). We have toured Cate and Thacher, and have known people who have attended Cate.</p>
<p>My daughter did not want to attend the schools after she toured them, however, we do love Boccali's Pizza (sp?) down the hill from Thacher.</p>
<p>the california schools seem to have an overall more "relaxed" feel on campus, as opposed to some of the east coast schools. probably due to the laid back, california mentality. however, the academics are just as riguorous as the "top ten" schools back east...</p>
<p>Princess'Dad,
I don't know where you get your information, but Thacher is in the community of Ojai, which is about as far away from gang life as one can get. The community is full of people who have fled LA life for a more peaceful existence. It's a huge arts community with tons of galleries, and many writers and musicians live there. Housing is quite expensive, with very little transient housing available. A plain 1950's 1200 s.f. house was running about 850K before the recent housing decline, but I can't imagine it has dropped much. it's a VERY desirable place to live. </p>
<p>Cate may be closer to gang activity, but again, Carpinteria is right on the coast. Coastal housing is at such a premium that few gang members would be able to afford it. Both schools are 1 1/2 hours outside of LA. As I have in the past, I'd like to mention The Webb Schools. It is located in Claremont, where the Claremont colleges are. My niece at Webb has developed wonderful relationships with the faculty there. If anyone is interested, pm me and I can send you a piece that she wrote about Webb and her experience there.</p>
<p>I agree that the spots these schools in are in nicer areas than say Downey, south Central LA, etc. Even Claremont and LaVerne (town to the west) are extremely nice areas. No problem with kids riding bikes, walking in groups to downtown (cute downtown), going to the parks, the mall in Montclair, etc. (Average income is just under $100k.) Smog is probably more of an issue :)</p>
<p>Sure, drop south to parts of Pomona and you'd be a little more careful -- kinda like you would around UCLA or even a block or two away from Disneyland.</p>
<p>You can look online at maps of the area. Here's one of The Webb School: [url=<a href="http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=ppmf6w55njr5&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11269673&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1%5DMap%5B/url">http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=ppmf6w55njr5&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=11269673&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1]Map[/url</a>]</p>
<p>No, I've spent a lot of time in Carp, growing up in Montecito, and as an adult. I can confirm that you can have problems in Carp, and I would never advertise that I was from Cate there. However, things do look a lot better than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Ace,
Mountains ok, but kids go to Carpinteria for beach, etc
The are both just outside Carpinteria.
When we visited, the schools' paper reported big gang fight with deaths in Carpinteria.<br>
Schools warned students about wearing school logo stuff if they went to town.
On checking with Law Enforcement afterwards, confirmed that Santa Barbara to Carpinteria big gang activity.</p>
<p>I currently attend Cate, actually I was searching for something completely different, but when I read this post, I thought I could be of service. The schools I know of in southern cali are Cate and Thacher (most prestigious- a friend of mine left after freshman year to go to andover where the students consider cate and thacher to be their west caost equivalents) then there are also dunn (which I am sad to say regards the previous schools as somewhat elitist, and doesn't have as great a rep). villanova is in ojai also- I think they have a lot of international students (don't really know much about them) Laguna Blanca is primarily a day school- tends to be seen as for rich and spoiled students.
Midland is unlike any of the above because it has no caretakers(meaning students cook clean etc for themselves) this school will build character or something like that.
For Bay Area schools, I have just heard names such as Kirby, Hamlin and Drew college.</p>
<p>I guess I am biased, but I can tell you that whatever you want to say about Cate, you can't say it isn't safe. It has the distinction of being one of the only schools in America to have never lost a student. I never feel safer than when I am there. (It's all the way at the top of a hill! and we have a gate and a guard, i am sure thacher is just as safe as well)</p>
<p>undecided,
did not one of your recent school papers suggest that students not go into "town" with their cate sweatshirts on?</p>