<p>Theres a lot of threads on specific types of boarding schools, so I thought that Cate should be in on some of that action. From what Ive heard and seen on their website, it looks pretty terrific and quite competitive (>25 acceptance rate). Just a thread for hopeful students, future students, current students, and alumni.</p>
<p>i got accepted and loved it!!! its really awesome and people seem to ostracize it just b/c its on the west coast… i fell in love with the school but choate was a better fit (by like 1% lol)</p>
<p>I don’t get why west coast schools are put down compared to east coast schools… The only schools I see that people consider with their NE boarding schools are Cate and sometimes Thacher. </p>
<p>Sent from my iPhone using CC</p>
<p>yeahh, I’ve only seen one Stevenson with NE boarding schools. Cate is well known, I’d say. Many people add Cate to their list even though they’re applying to east coast schools only. Cate is awesome :D</p>
<p>BronxKid, what are the similarities between Cate and Choate that you won’t be able to find between any two of the top 20 schools? Genuinely curious here and would like to hear your insights.</p>
<p>Agreed with @DAndrew. I’m also curious about how the dorms at Cate and Choate are (I’m a bit dorm-sessive). XD</p>
<p>ok, I think Cate’s campus is very spacious, and HUGE for a student body of roughly 200 students.</p>
<p>Which dorm is better?
I think it depends on your likings. I liked Choate’s better though, it was really big so that means room for more stuff =P. The only dorm I saw on my Cate revisit was Longhouse, which is all single rooms, Freshman boys (it rotates every 4 years into a girls dorm). It was nice and roomy, small enough for no distractions and a nice homey feeling but big enough to pace around in and stuff. </p>
<p>Cate’s architecture was very interesting. It reminded me of my home country so I was automatically drawn to it. (Latino) this applies to the entire campus itself and to the town of Carpenteria (commonly called “Carp” among students)</p>
<p>I think that Cate and Choate are a bit too different to compare. Although, they do meet similarly in academics.</p>
<p>Although academically challenging, Cate’s atmosphere was more of a “go-with-the-flow’” while Choate’s was a very preppy, NE environment</p>
<p>Heh, while Cate sounds excellent, I like what you were describing about Choate’s prep school feel. And I’m looking for a place with ACTUAL seasons lol.</p>
<p>Cate is excellent. It’s students aren’t molded by the same structural pretensions of the classic East Coast boarding schools, which makes it a nicer and less snobby place in my personal view. But others feel quite the opposite. As to seasons, summer you’re home. That leaves Fall, Winter and Spring. Fall is the best on the East Coast, but winter (when you step outside the romanticized Christmas Card image) is mostly a long slog of short days, mud, dirty slush, colds etc. You might get a week’s worth of picturesque white snowfall, but that’s about it. And Spring? Well, by the time that it gets underway, you’re packing up to go home. So, don’t be quite so cocksure about your ACTUAL seasons lol.</p>
<p>I am currently a Cate School senior and for what it is worth I think that Cate is really only looking for a specific kind of person and if you aren’t them you will most assuredly have a very rocky 4 years (similar to mine)</p>
<p>Athena444 - Can you clarify? What is the “specific type of person” that they’re looking for at Cate? More information (and concrete examples) would be very helpful.</p>
<p>Well, (this is all in my opinion and I don’t want to sound like some Holden Caulfield re-run) but
Cate is:</p>
<p>A. Really interested in a student who wants to take a jack of all trades route to learning rather than any specialization in subject interests (at a school as small as Cate the electives are sparse and extremely hard to fit into your schedule and you’re expected to continue taking subjects that you may not be interested in taking instead of more/harder courses in things you do like.)</p>
<p>and, to risk being even more subjective and obscure,</p>
<p>B. Not particularly interested in people who have thoughts or ideas that are different than your average semi-inteligent, sports loving, school spirited, American kid. The people who succeed at Cate are goal oriented, type-a personality folks. If you think your child is at anytime going to go through any sort of existential crisis Cate probably is not the right place for them. Cate wants hard working people who don’t think very far outside of the box. (On a more petty note also take in consideration the fact that sports are mandatory every single school day for your entire Cate career… so if your kid isn’t sporty he/she probably won’t have that much fun from 3:15-5 p.m. 5 days a week 26 weeks a year for four years.)</p>
<p>I’m not trying to completely pan Cate, there are aspects I have enjoyed. Some of the teachers here are absolutely fantastic. Just don’t expect to have really any free time, and really don’t come if you are alternatively minded at all. </p>
<p>Hope that was helpful.</p>
<p>yours,</p>
<p>Athena</p>
<p>Athena - </p>
<p>THANK YOU for taking the time to respond!</p>
<p>Looking at some of your comments, though, it seems that they might apply equally to many other small boarding schools. For example, having difficulty fitting in if you are “alternatively minded” seems a common complaint in smaller boarding schools. The unfortunate tendency in such schools is towards homogeneity . . . as you apparently experienced at Cate.</p>
<p>The “no free time” complaint is also the norm at many, if not most boarding schools. Students at the larger New England schools are shocked by the workloads they’re expected to carry.</p>
<p>The sports requirement seems more specific to Cate, though. Although all boarding schools have some athletic requirement, it isn’t always an every day - every week - every term thing. At some schools, theatre/performing arts can be substituted for sports. At others, there are non-competitive athletic options, like dance, yoga, and wall climbing. If there aren’t such options available at Cate, that’s too bad.</p>
<p>The lack of curriculum choice also sounds unfortunate. Most boarding schools are focused on developing a well-rounded student, rather than a specialist. But still, what’s the point of being at a school like this if you can’t ever take any of the really cool classes that you want to take? Obviously, the smaller the school, the more difficult it’s going to be to take all of your first choice classes . . . but how much of a problem was this? Did you really never get to take the classes you wanted?</p>
<p>And I’m curious . . . obviously this ended up not being the right school for you, but do have any sense of how many other students feel the same way? In your experience, are there a lot of students who aren’t happy? Or do most of them just “go with the flow” and do what the school expects them to do?</p>
<p>I appreciate your insights . . . and anything you can add to your above comments without “outing” yourself. And one other question - can you tell us what things about Cate you’ve especially enjoyed? Any particular activities that were special? Or any particular subject areas that had fantastic teachers?</p>
<p>Thanks very much again - Your contribution to the forum will certainly be a help to families who are considering Cate.</p>
<p>I’m glad I could help. </p>
<p>I would say 50% loves Cate and thinks it was the best 4 years of their life or what ever but there is a solid 20% of Cate that really feels ostracized and is actively angry at the school. </p>
<p>The sports program is inflexible and totalitarian if you are someone who doesn’t enjoy sports. </p>
<p>The curriculum problems are, I’m sure, a problem at most small schools.</p>
<p>I know a couple of girls who are applying to Cate right now. One of their moms told me that if you want to come in as a tenth grader it is very difficult, not only because there are such limited spaces, but also because they want someone who can “jump right in” and be a part of everything immediately.<br>
That being said, Cate is GORGEOUS. Their viewbook is incredible. I met a Cate boy last year who lived not 15 minutes from the school- yet boarded- and he was incredibly positive, polished, and polite. Water polo is a big deal. There is definitely a rivalry with Thacher.</p>
<p>Athena444, thanks for your valuable insight. My son was just accepted to Cate and we are trying to decide if it’s a good choice. My son is super athletic and thrives on sports, but he is also very thoughtful and a really hard worker. I am disturbed that 20% of the kids are unhappy and even angry. When you say ostracized, do you mean that the other students have not been kind to them. I was watching the Tuesday talks and the last few have definitely given off a vibe of unhappiness. My son is really positive though, so he might just fit into the 50%. Also, question: I keep hearing of discipline hearings, have there been many drug problems? And if so, are they occurring equally among the day and boarding students? Thanks!</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted to Cate as a sophomore for 2012-13. If I understand correctly, there are other activities that can count for 2 of the 3 sports seasons. She is a dancer, not so much an athlete, but she is looking forward to trying some new things.</p>
<p>My daughter has been offered admission to Cate for 2012-13, and I’m wondering if there are any current Cate parents and/or students out there that I could PM with some questions. Many thanks!!</p>
<p>PM CateParent</p>
<p>I would also love to help if you have any questions… Im Class of '15</p>