<p>Heyy everyone!</p>
<p>Sooo I've decided to reapply for Cate as a sophomore this year after being waitlisted last year. But the problem is that my grades are not as good as they use to be! </p>
<p>Last year I was in middle school so the teachers graded leniently but this year a few of my teachers grades really hard!</p>
<p>I'm taking 7 courses this year and I'm guessing that I'll get 2 or 3 B's after final exams. Last year I had straight A's.</p>
<p>Taking the SSAT in a few days and looking to score somewhere around 2100?</p>
<p>My teachers seem to like me this year so I'm guessing that my teacher recs would be solid. </p>
<p>Last year I did quite bad on my interview and I choked on my own words a few times! Honestly I was surprised that I was waitlisted after such a horrible interview!</p>
<p>I play a lot of sports and I'm really energetic all the time hahaha ummm I play soccer basketball volleyball badminton a little bit of lacrosse and I also swim pretty well.</p>
<p>For extracurricular, I'm doing community service every week in the local environment, I'm class president for 9th grade student council (I've been apart of student council for 4 years now), I've played the piano for many years and started viola in 6th grade.</p>
<p>But I just got an e-mail from Cate saying that they'll be taking 8-10 sophomores and I'm guessing 4-5 girls! But I'm not sure if I might have an advantage over other applicants since I'm reapplying after being waitlisted.</p>
<p>Give me some feedback? Do you guys think I have a chance with a couple of B's?
Thanks!!!!</p>
<p>Make the best of interview to show your passion and heart toward Cate. Show your leadership potential and tell them what made you reapply. </p>
<p>I wish you all the best and hope that you will get in.</p>
<p>I have a child applying to Cate for next year’s freshman class. All elements of application are good and the interview was great. SSAT score disappointing. What’s the lowest SSAT score that can still get you into Cate?</p>
<p>I’m wondering the same thing, and if it’s more difficult to be admitted if you’re from California.</p>
<p>Same thing with Thacher - are the standards ever-so-slightly lower for out of state applicants?</p>
<p>Have a discussion w the Cate AO about the advisability of applying as a repeat freshman. There are simply more openings for freshman.</p>
<p>I think any boarding school, Thacher included, likes to see out of state applicants. Applying to Thacher or Cate from California is like applying to Exeter and Andover from New England…your odds of admission are smaller.</p>
<p>Thanks @ThacherParent. We are applying from the East Coast to both Thacher & Cate, and I’m feeling a bit lost in terms of how much (if at all) geography may help DS. Both schools say that appx 50% of their students are from CA. I’m wondering if this is by design, or are they looking to increase their out of state %.</p>
<p>
All schools want to increase their global cachet by boasting the vast number of states and countries their kids hail from. </p>
<p>At some point in the admission process, your application will be compared to applications from your same state/country; therefore, better to apply from an under-represented state/country.</p>
<p>Look, state may be more like “Tie-breaker” than a deciding factor. Cate is like every other selective prep school in that it wants good grades, a good SSAT, and good feeling that it’s applicant will fit in well. If there are two of these applicants fighting for one spot, the geography may play the deciding factor, but otherwise it’s always the more remarkable kid. More kids just apply from California because it’s a household name in places like San Francisco and L.A., while some research and convincing is needed by those in the eastern states.</p>