Cate/Thacher Impressions

Prep School Admissions
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<p>(re-posted from another thread)</p>

<p>Just wanted to give you all a brief update on our Cate/Thacher visits this past weekend. Thanks for the terrific recommendations - we tried to do as much as we could! We did stay to check out the games at both schools, although DS felt a bit uncomfortable and didn't want to linger too long. We stayed for lunch at Cate, and went to Boccalli's for lunch near Thacher.</p>

<p>Anyway, after seeing both schools and spending an extra day in Santa Barbara, my son looked at me and said "Why would anybody NOT want to go to those schools?" They are now his top favorites, by a long shot. I'll admit that I feel the same way. What I found really interesting however, was the fact that they felt very different to us (in terms of vibe, not necessarily points on paper) yet my son would be hard-pressed to say which one he liked better.</p>

<p>I'd love to know if our impressions seem accurate, to those of you who are parents at the schools? Because virtually nobody applies from where we live, I don't really have much to go on.</p>

<p>Thacher: definitely got a more outdoorsy, sporty vibe. Kids seemed funky, sophisticated and smart. After presentations by both Bill McMahon and Mike Mulligan, really felt confident about Thacher's philosophy - that they practice what they preach. Loved the honor code, horse program etc etc etc... Felt very New England-y but without the old school elitism.</p>

<p>Cate: felt more diverse, international. Maybe more New York to Thacher's Boston? Less clear about their philosophy, yet same fantastic programs and an equally impressive outdoor program. Maybe more "open" and real-world than Thacher.</p>

<p>I will say, as much as I try not to let this impact my impressions too much, the Cate admissions process was far more welcoming. My DS felt a bit stressed at Thacher - on edge. He had what he considered to be a "tough" interview with Bill McMahon and he thinks that he didn't do so well. The logistics seemed tough, with lots of families and coordination - not a lot of room to get off of the Admissions track.</p>

<p>We loved seeing a Tuesday talk at Cate, and my DS really appreciated the chance to sit in on a class. At Thacher, the assembly was fantastic - so happy to be able to witness that - and the extra talk from the head of school was really valuable as well.</p>

<p>So, just my ramblings. I think that my DS would choose Thacher over Cate, primarily because of the "challenge yourself, leap off a cliff" mentality. That's really who he is and what he's looking for. However, I think that he felt more at ease at Cate. An interesting side note is that he felt that Cate was MUCH more diverse and international than Thacher. The numbers don't really support that, and I personally didn't feel that way (I thought that they were equally impressive) but he was very conscious of it.</p>

<p>Anyway, thoughts, comments, whatever welcome! Thanks again for all of your great advice!!!</p>

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<p>“Why would anybody NOT want to go to those schools?”</p>

<p>Two reasons:

  • They are not “HADES” schools
  • Distance and added cost of travel</p>

<p>The latter was the limiting factor for us.</p>

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<p>I apologize SevenDad, I didn’t mean to be insensitive about the cost issue. We are fortunate that it’s not a limiting factor for us, although it’s not easy & definitely a consideration. DS’s quote was only meant to illustrate his enthusiasm for those schools. I think that he was obviously very pleasantly surprised, since all he ever hears about from his friends are the same HADES-ish group of schools.</p>

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<p>@GMC2918: No worries at all. We were very close to putting Thacher on the list for my younger daughter this year…having pulled an unofficial visit back in 2012 when we were on the coast for a family wedding. But a discussion with the admissions folks over the summer revealed that it would not be a good fit due to 7D2’s training and competition schedule in a sport not supported by Thacher. That said, I plug the school whenever I can.</p>

<p>My point in Post #2 was more of my same “People should look past the ACRONYMS.” prattle (CM!). I truly do think far too many prospective BS families focus on the East Coast “Big Names”…for whatever reasons. Just look at some of the recent posts.</p>

<p>If distance and the added expense of travel is not a factor (for example for people in the middle of the country who are flying their kid to/from school regardless of the coast), certainly both Cate and Thacher should at least be in the “to consider” set.</p>

<p>Best of luck to your child come M10. May your choices be abundant!</p>

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<p>My daughter is currently a sophomore at Cate and is thriving. When we visited both schools, Thacher was clearly my favorite and I thought a better fit for my daughter with their talk of their academics, honor code and “positive risk taking”. My daugther’s interview at Thacher was frustrating as the coach kept looking at his watch from the moment he met with her and us. Her interview at Cate was clearly better and she immediately “clicked” with her interviewer. Little did I know that Cate provided all of the same experiences as Thacher and more. The academics have been top notch. Her instructors are often available outside of class for extra help, a quick chat or to help bake cookies. She taken risks from her Freshman Outings Week as she jumped off a boulder into water many feet below to trying out for the school’s plays. Cate provides service opportunities locally and internationally each semster in Mexico as well as through Round Square. Bottom line, I’m convienced that both schools provide amazing opportutnities to foster growth and I hope that your son find the right fit.</p>

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<p>Thanks SevenDad! DS looked at many hidden gems suggested here (SAS included!) and liked those more than the big names. We live in NYC, and it’s tough to find a school without a significant NY contingent. He loves his friends, but he’d like a fresh start. That immediately eliminates Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Choate etc. from the list. </p>

<p>Our fingers are really crossed for Thacher. I must admit (and DS felt the same way) that as we were driving away I immediately felt depressed about liking a school so much. We had made a pact not to do that :wink: Luckily, we liked Cate almost as much, almost…</p>

<p>And to your point of distance, the waiting rooms of both schools were filled with kids from Florida, Texas, NC, Shanghai etc.</p>

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<p>Thanks CalGal2 for your post! It’s helpful, because frankly we have much less information on Cate. DS’s interview there was fantastic, and we got very positive feedback (which I hope is realistic). I agree that on paper, they seem to have the same offerings. They “felt” very different to us - maybe the setting has a lot to do with it? Anyway, it’s not worth worrying about it too much at this point I suppose. DS would be very fortunate to be accepted at one of them, let alone two!</p>

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<p>GMC - you are right to notice both the similarities and differences between the schools. Cate and Thacher are not the same. One is not “better” than the other generally; however, one can be better than the other for a specific kid. Cate does not provide all the same experiences as Thacher and the same holds true the other way around. I hope you have the benefit of choosing either!</p>

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<p>I am curious, as a Cate parent who has never seen Thacher (and really don’t feel any of the rivalry!): why do you like Thacher a bit better GMC2918?</p>

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<p>RuralMama - sure!</p>

<p>I liked Thacher a slight bit more, which after one visit may or may not be valid. That’s why this all seems moot, but… I like the specific idea of the honor code, the horse program and the more broad idea of planned risk-taking. Those concepts make a lot of sense to me, and based on my conversations with students there, it seems like they truly are a focus at the school. Cate may well have all that (except for horses) but they didn’t articulate it quite as clearly, so maybe I have less of an idea of what they’re all about. Does that make sense? To send my kid all the way across the country instead of keeping him here in the northeast where there are plenty of excellent options, there needs to be a hook (ha!) Thacher seemed (again, this is just me talking and based on only one visit) to be clear about their difference/value, vs. the east coast schools. Both my son and I loved Cate, and like I said it is a very very close second choice to Thacher, but I’m less clear on their philosophy.</p>

<p>There were quite a few families who visited both schools this weekend. FWIW, the ones that I spoke to liked Cate better. They felt that the whole Thacher philosophy presentation began to feel like a hard sell. They thought that Thacher seemed a bit full of itself and overly scripted. BOTH schools asked about the other, so there is definitely a rivalry, at least in Admissions ;-)</p>

<p>Again, if DS is fortunate enough to have a choice in March, he will definitely be going to the revisit days. If he is fortunate enough to get in to one of them, he would go happily.</p>

<p>I hope that this makes sense!</p>

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<p>Thanks, GMC. Yes, the horse program is something which not many schools offer, and I’d never heard about the Thacher planned risk philosophy. That does sound well - exciting!<br>
I’ve been curious these last few years because Thacher has such a low admit rate, it is obviously doing something that has huge appeal to applicants and many enthusiastic supporters once they attend (as I witness on CC pretty much daily!)</p>

<p>In case it got buried during your Cate intro: the Cate motto/philosophy is “Servons” (Let us Serve). </p>

<p>Good luck, I wish you and your son the best!</p>

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<p>As a Cate student, “Servons” is probably the most ambiguous motto there is for any of the big-name schools (just my opinion). It makes sense in everyday life, sure, but I can definitely see where you’re coming from, GMC. I’m not really sure I can define our “philosophy”, or at least not in the way you would like, but I’d be happy to try and fill in the blanks anywhere I can. PM me some time!</p>

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<p>My friend goes to Thacher. He really likes it and the equestrian program there is amazing. But he’s a horseback rider.</p>

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<p>GMC: we had exactly the same impression from our Cate and Thacher interviews with AOs. Cate took their time crafting a personal experience and had a much more conversational feeling while Thacher felt (in comparison to Cate only) more rushed and regimented. My daughter’s Cate interview lasted more than 20 minutes longer than scheduled, and parent portion was another 15 minutes over while Thacher’s AO ended both interviews right on time. The Cate AO has also personally called me a few times in response to emails I’ve sent and seems to be really pitching the school.</p>

<p>The two schools are obviously highly competitive with one another due to the lack of really good BS options in CA and West Coast in general. My question is: has there been a deliberate and concerted effort by Cate in the past several years to improve yield and lower admit rates so they want you to feel that you’re really wanted and special? Has Cate been less successful when it comes to head-to-head competition with Thacher or HADES schools? I feel like they haven’t been totally upfront with yield rates in their most current literature and have a loose way of talking about the Admit rate so that’s why I ask. Just comparing sheer number of applications received by both schools, it seems Thacher certainly has the “glow” right now with BS applicants.</p>

<p>That being said, my daughter would be thrilled to be accepted by either school and it would be a tough tough call if she were given the opportunity to choose.</p>

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<p>I’ll chime in here: We also had similar experiences. We were surprised by the relative (relative being the important distinction) lack of interest and ‘eye on the clock’ at Thacher where as Cate was noticeably lengthy with a lingering interview. Outside of admissions, Thacher was as warm and friendly as they come. At least this was our very strong impression. This could mean so many different things. One being Thacher clearly did not see a good fit and perhaps Cate did? I am simply not reading much into it, and I am encouraging my daughter to do the same. If you go back on these boards, kids are surprised on 3/10. just thought it was noteworthy to mention we had similar experiences inside Admissions—</p>

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<p>Glad to hear a consensus. We had the exact same feelings. The Thacher visit seemed regimented and scripted, which took us by surprise. There were a few legacies interviewing at the same time, so we took the seeming disinterest to be related to our lack of VIP status. Having made a long trek from Texas, the relatively short interviews were disappointing…although we still loved the school. It just didn’t seem like we were loved.</p>

<p>On the other hand, our visit to Cate could not have been more welcoming. We too had extended visits with the admissions officer. I also really liked the fact that several Cate students were available in the waiting room for questions. We visited four schools and Cate was the only school that did that.</p>

<p>My son was obsessed Thacher before our visit to the west coast. Since our visit, his first choice seems to be Cate. He pretty much gave up on Thacher and spent more of his time on the Cate essays. I tried to tell him not to read too much into the interview, but that’s hard to do on either end of the spectrum (i.e. having great, long interview or short interview). </p>

<p>Perhaps, rather than Cate getting friendlier, maybe Thacher is trying to be less friendly so they break less hearts on M10. </p>

<p>Both schools are great. I’m glad to be able to read other’s impressions since there aren’t many kids in our area applying to boarding schools. Until now, there wasn’t a board I could ■■■■■ related to Cate & Thacher. We’ve got good local options, but none resonated with my son as much as the couple of boarding schools he visited. </p>

<p>I’m putting my faith in the system and assuming that he’ll get into the school(s) that are the best fit for him…boarding or local.</p>

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<p>Hi All,</p>

<p>We toured/interviewed at quite a few schools (10!) this fall, and they each had their own “style” in terms of how the admissions office was run. Looking at all 10, I’d say that Cate was indeed the friendliest & most easy-going of the lot. However, Thacher was not the most regimented or cold, not by a long shot. I think that the two get compared, naturally because of their location and the fact that most people visit them on consecutive days. When DS and I looked back on all of our admissions experiences however, Thacher fell more in the middle. </p>

<p>I also don’t know how much of this - friendly vs non-friendly (for lack of a better word) - has to do with us personally. Did they really not like us, or is that just their style? I can’t help but think that the interview is tremendously important, and I’d be curious to hear if anyone had what they felt was a bad or even mediocre interview, yet still was admitted. To any school, not just Thacher.</p>

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<p>Texasboymom - we also had an unbelievably bad experience at another school, which involved high levels of “legacy-fawning”. I felt like we had landed in the middle of an SNL skit it was so over the top! Needless to say that school got crossed off our list.</p>

<p>Another thing that Cate did, which we didn’t experience anywhere else, was let DS sit in on a class. I realize that it would be tough on the schools to allow everybody to do this, but DS really found it helpful at Cate. He got to see the students “at work” in a real academic setting.</p>

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<p>GMC-- my DS had a very mediocre interview last year at Deerfield–stilted, short predictable questions, not very warm-- but he got in. In fact, ONCE he was accepted, they were VERY warm and very much encouraged him to go (which he did)-- but it really wasn’t a good interview. Our brief parent interview with the same AO wasn’t great either, although it wasn’t bad-- just not very warm or welcoming (although, again, from revisit day on everyone was and continues to be great). I agree with you that classroom visits in the fall would be really helpful, but the only place that did that for is was a day school he looked at. However, every school seems to include sitting in on multiple classes on revisit day. It think most BS just have too many people applying and think it would disrupt their regular classes too much. But your DS will definitely get to sit in on classes before he makes his final decision (once admissions decisions are done). Anyway, we ended up feeling like you can’t read too much into the interview, but maybe that’s just our experience.</p>

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<p>Thanks Daykidmom! Very interesting…</p>