<p>This weekend we requested info from a variety of schools for our 3rd child, a rising 8th grader who is interested in entering BS as a 9th grader. The objective is to sort through materials this summer with an eye toward targeted visits in September, or as soon as the admissions season starts (owing to one parent's pending absence for the coming year). She watched her older brother and sister go through the process last year with a mixture of diffidence and then interest. During her sister's revisits, she fell in love with Kent School, which we're starting out with as her #1 choice. Although our older daughter did not in the end choose Kent, we remain keen on the school. We'll keep folks posted (pun intended). Cheers all and best of luck to anyone else also contemplating getting underway for the 2010 season, whether for the first time, or as a repeat offender.</p>
<p>repeat offender?! hahah! :D</p>
<p>i’m definitely trying for 2010. after 7 months (that’s right!) of begging, pleading, and painful powerpoint presentations, my mom finally said yes! by the way, i recorded her saying yes, and i made her sign a statement saying i was allowed to applying.</p>
<p>and i laminated it, but that’s not really important, is it? 
it’s tacked up on my fridge right now. yes, perhaps a bit (okay, who am i kidding? VERY) obsessive, but it means the world to me right now!</p>
<p>what part of Kent did your daughter like the most? i really need to broaden my horizons, methinks.
(oh, and by rising 8th grader, do you mean currently in 7th? or rather, currently in grade 8, planning to repeat ninth? sorry, i never quite understood the term “rising”, heh :D)</p>
<p>Don’t limit yourselves to the East Coast. Take the time to explore Cate and Thacher. While different from one another in ways small and large, they are both extraordinarily different than the usual Mid-Atlantic and New England schools. As a hard-core East Coaster myself with a long history of New England boarding school bias in my family (and in my own life), I discovered that the West Coast gives you everything that you need academically, but is gloriously devoid of some of the less than desirable aspects of the traditional HADES/Milton/Groton/Middlesex-like institutions.</p>
<p>“but is gloriously devoid of some of the less than desirable aspects of the traditional HADES/Milton/Groton/Middlesex-like institutions.”</p>
<p>wow what a phrase :)</p>
<p>don’t know what got into me…</p>
<p>ThacherParent, and what exactly are those " less than desirable aspects of traditional HADES"-like schools, pray tell? Seeing that I have just given written notice, within this very hour, to the private day school, which is located in the middle of these United States and which my son has been attending for the last four years, that he will not be returning to this school this fall but will, instead, be enrolling in a HADES school, should I now start having buyer’s remorse or, worse, withdraw this notice because of these “aspects”? If you think so, I would sure like a list of these “aspects” while the iron is still hot. Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t believe ThacherParent was intentionally being pointedly critical about HADES, et. al, rather I think his intention was to simply illuminate the unique cultures and qualities of Cate and Thacher and suggest that a prospective BS student add them to their list for consideration.</p>
<p>I’m a product of East Coast schools, so I say this with a certain amount of love and affection (and, of course, it’s entirely my opinion), but I’ve never been a fan of that slightly sarcastic-at-other-people’s-expense attitude (or sense of humor depending on your point of view) that is often a marker of the East Coast boarding school experience/kid (and, yes, there are loads of exceptions)! </p>
<p>Also, the physical symbols of the East Coast schools (think Churches, huge edifice-complex buildings, oil paintings of famous alumni lining the walls etc) have always been, to my way of thinking, too akin to “talking” about greatness instead of emphasizing the present-day “doing” of great things. </p>
<p>The West Coast schools seem to take a different path: less dependent on physical symbols (other than the Southern California mountains and the Pacific ocean) and more on doing right by the other guy (or gal). It’s hard to describe, at least for me, but you really notice it when you take the time to visit the campus and meet the kids and faculty.</p>
<p>The HADES + other great East Coast Schools deserve all the kudos they get, but for those willing to consider California’s Thacher or Cate (I’m Thacher-biased of course), you will find something equally great – and also entirely different, in a good way. How’s that for a long and tedious explanation!</p>
<p>If what you say, ThacherParent, is so, then the East Coast is not alone in breeding one-up-manship in schools. My son’s all-boys, private day school in Middle America tries to raise this crude and, at times, cruel trait to a low class art form. I have to doubt that NE BS’s, especially those now with both guys and gals, could attempt any level of such rough play equal to the sport now enjoyed in my son’s all-boys school. (“Lord of the Flies” thing, don’t you see.) Maybe the Cal schools are better or more enlightened on this plain than the NE BS’s, but I must hope, and I have ever reason to believe, that almost all of the co-ed BS’s in NE (or elsewhere for that matter) are or would be better than a gang of Alpha males locked in a school for eight to twelve hours a day. </p>
<p>As for churches, paintings of alums, etc., I’m okay with that. Everything taking us to the present and enabling us to reach towards the future is build on the past. Showing the best of the past helps assure us of the best for now or in the future. </p>
<p>I think that we’ll press on to HADES until we hear or see worse tales of woe. Please keep the tales coming, however. We can always change our path.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>What are some of the similarities/differences between Thacher and Cate? Sorry for kidnapping the thread but since we’re on this sidebar…</p>
<p>I’d like to know that also. What would be stereotypes for cate and thatcher?</p>
<p>toombs61, the HADES+ schools are wonderful. Each has its special strengths; I especially like Andover in the large category and Groton in the small. Our choice of Thacher over these two and others was personal to our family, more particularly to my son.</p>
<p>As to the differences between Cate and Thacher, old rivals, I would just point out that what attracted us most to Thacher was the heavy integration of the outdoors into the curriculum, the required horse program, the mountains and the town of Ojai, the kindness of the whole school community, and the fact that the School actually lives by its code of “honor, fairness, kindness and truth.” It is a place that “does” rather than “talks about doing.” When you add these attributes to the rock-solid academics (and their equally excellent outcomes), you get a School materially different than any other that I know.</p>
<p>Maybe CateParent could “stereotype” each school better than I. But, either is worth a careful review and will reward those families that are open to the concept of something special outside of New England and the mid-Atlantic.</p>
<p>Well, Cate was a Harvard man, Thacher was a Yalie. Therein lies the origin of similarities and differences between the schools.</p>
<p>The roots of Cate School are actually linked to Thacher. Curtis Cate, a graduate of Roxbury Latin and Harvard, travelled to California in 1908 with plans to start a boarding school that “combined the academic excellence of the best East Coast prep schools with the can-do, adventurous spirit of the West”. Upon his arrival in California, Mr. Cate was hired by Sherman Thacher to teach English “at his famous school in Ojai Valley”. He spent a happy year teaching at Thacher before moving to Santa Barbara in 1910 to start his own school (Cate School was originally called the Santa Barbara School). Even though Curtis Cate developed his own unique teaching philosophy, Sherman Thacher was a positive influence upon him. (I recently read the history of the school in a book that Mr Cate wrote after the retired in 1950).</p>
<p>From the beginning and through today, I think that both schools have built character of their students in an organic way. They each have superb faculty and a strong sense of community and work ethic, and the outdoors is thoughtfully integrated into each school’s curriculum. As as example of outdoor curriculum at Cate, the students and faculty join together for a week long outings trip each Fall semester to bond with classmates. Freshman typically go to Sequoia National Forest, where they hike during the day and and gather around the campfire in the evening. Sophomores backpack and camp in Yosimite, and Juniors explore the Kern River together. Seniors have the option to visit colleges during Outings Week or join and help lead the new students. </p>
<p>The school motto is “Servons”, a single french word which means let us serve. Service is fundamental to life at Cate, and is exemplified by the respect faculty and students offer one another, and the care they take to improve the lives around them.</p>
<p>While there is a mutual respect among the students Cate School and Thacher, there’s also a deeply rooted, fun-spirited rivalry. Cate is located near Santa Barbara on a Mesa that overlooks the pacific ocean in one direction and the Santa Ynez Mountains in the other. Students have the flexibility to travel into Santa Barbara to shop, watch films, go to the the beach to surf, or elsewhere on their off day (usually Sunday). Thacher is slightly more remote in the Ojai Valley, but its location is ideal for their unique horse program (Cate discontinued its horse program in the 1950’s). </p>
<p>I’m not sure I can accurately offer a stereotype of the students at either school, although I can say that the Cate students I’ve met seem to be bright, engaging, confident and well spoken. There are a series of videos on Cate’s website that might help you develop your own stereotype of the students. Here’s the link - [CATE</a> SCHOOL - Multimedia](<a href=“http://www.cate.org/public/?id=106]CATE”>http://www.cate.org/public/?id=106)</p>
<p>It was late last night when I posted above ^^^^, and now too much time has passed to edit the grammatical errors…</p>
<p>There are a few other unique outdoor aspects of Cate worth mentioning. Each week the headmaster and students (voluntarily) gather in the early morning before classes for a 30 to 50 mile bike ride throughout the spectacular countryside around the school. </p>
<p>Cate students are also given the athletic option of an outdoor activity program where they spend their afternoons surfing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, rock climbing and hiking. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, there is no “off season” in Santa Barbara. The result is a comfortable year-round average temperature of 64 degrees, with an average maximum of 74 and an average minimum of 56 degrees. Thacher is a bit farther inland from the coast and the temperature can be noticeably warmer, even hot at times.</p>
<p>I think the year-round temperate climate, continually blooming flowers and the many out of door activities contribute to the positive and happy nature of the students and faculty at Cate and Thacher. Both schools balance rigorous work with vigorous play.</p>
<p>Not that i am knocking Cali as I am from there but there are plenty of out door winter activities. Skiing, sledding, snow shoeing, ice climbing, hockey, Xcountry ski.</p>
<p>Fair comment. These schools aren’t a fit for everyone. To my knowledge neither Cate nor Thacher even have an ice hockey team. I don’t think it snows very there often either… But if it snows and a student can manage a snowball…and if that snowball can maintain some substance as it speeds through the air…and if, in its travels, it makes contact with Headmaster Ben Williams, a free day will be declared. </p>
<p>Cate isn’t completely devoid of winter activities. The school organizes ski trips to Mammoth Mountain on long weekends for its students.</p>
<p>I know, I was just teasing you.
When I first moved to the east coast, I hibrinated in the winter until I started to enjoy the winter sports.
S has international friends at school who absolutely love the winter, they get to try things they would never have been able to do at home where its warm.
PS…Mammoth is a bunny hill compared to ski areas in NE. But then again, surfing out here is pretty much non existent so I will give you that one.</p>
<p>Mammoth is a bunny hill? It has a 3100’ vertical drop (11.000’ peak) with 150 trails (longest about 3 miles), 29 lifts and about 3500 skiable acres (averaging 400" of snow per year). There must be some VERY impressive ski areas in the NE!</p>
<p>We had limited experience with Thacher. Speaking of it, what immediately came to my mind is Beautiful campus and fantastic weather! When we visited, Adcoms were very friendly and it had the “family feel” that no NE schools we visited could compare with. I can never forget the outdoor assemly we attended under the southern california sun - it was surreal! What we didn’t like so much included its location (quite remote, 100 some miles from LAX), and it was very small compared with some NE schools (not necessarily a bad thing, but S happened to like a bigger school). Also the school is not as strong financially as at least some of the HADES. Eventually we chose a NE school but I agree Thacher is a great school.</p>
<p>nylecoj007 and catg -
Here’s a link to a thread that appeared on this forum in 2007. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=404586&referrerid=254241[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=404586&referrerid=254241</a>
One of the posters offered a subjective comparative analysis of Cate and Thacher that might help answer your questions.</p>