Cate School

1960 Cate Mesa Road, P.O. Box 5005, Carpinteria, CA 93014 - View a map of this school Map
Tel: (805) 684-4127 ext 2
Grades: (Boarding) 9-12 | 265 students
Founded in 1910, Cate School is a grade 9-12, coeducational, college preparatory boarding school in Carpinteria, California. What began as a group of twelve boys and a few teachers has expanded into a 265-student, 65-teacher, deeply academic and talented community with the most diverse student body of any boarding school of its size in the United States. The faculty are experts in their fields: 74% hold advanced degrees, 18% of these have PhDs. Cate is one of this nation’s most selective boarding schools, accepting only 20% applicants each year. 52% of Cate's most recent graduating class attend the 25 top-ranked colleges and universities in the country. The Cate experience combines academics, athletics, art and co-curricular activities in a close-knit, community setting where students are enriched by their relationships with their teachers and each other. When students leave Cate, they have the tools and the conviction to seek out lives full of purpose and meaning. College admissions offices often report back that Cate students are among their schools' brightest, most dynamic, and intellectually curious individuals. Mission: Through commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, each member of the Cate community contributes to what our founder called: "...the spirit of this place...all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work."

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admissions video

Definition of Terms 
| 2012 School Data
Cate School
Boarding School Avg.
School Focus College Preparatory College Preparatory
Grades Offered. 9-12 9-12
School Type Co-ed Co-ed
Support for ADD/ADHD Students No No
Religious Affiliation Non-denominational Non-denominational
Year Founded 1910 1906
Campus Size 150 acres 125 acres
Student Body
Enrollment 265 students 300 students
Percent Students of Color 42% 18%
Percent International Students 16% 19%
Percent Students Boarding 85% 67%
Average SAT Score 1991 * National Avg. »View
SAT range (25th-75th percentile) 1860 - 2130 -
Offers Post-Grad Year No No
Academics and Faculty
Saturday Classes Yes No
Frequency of Saturday Classes Bi-Weekly Less than once a month
Classroom Dress Code Casual Casual
Average Class Size 10 students 12
*National School Avg. » 20
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:5 1:7
# of AP/Advanced Courses Offered 21 14
ESL Courses Offered No Yes
% Faculty with Advanced Degree 81% 65%
Summer Program Offered No Yes
Finances
Endowment Size $72 million $14 million
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students) $45,900 $44,700
Yearly Tuition (Day Students) $36,550 $25,100
Percent Students on Financial Aid 30% 33%
Average Financial Aid Grant $32,000 $19,000
Merit Scholarships Offered No No
Admission
Application Deadline Jan. 15 Jan. 15
SSAT Required Yes Yes
Average Percentile SSAT 82% -
Acceptance Rate 22% 60%
Director of Admissions Charlotte Brownlee '85  
Associate Director of Admissions Gwendolyn Pierce  

Course Listings:
List of Courses Offered Link to List of Courses

Sports:
Total Interscholastic Sports Offered 16 13
Interscholastic Sports
Ballet Baseball
Basketball Cross Country
Football Golf
Lacrosse Soccer
Softball Squash
Swimming Tennis
Track and Field Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball Water Polo

Extracurricular:
Total Extracurricular Organizations 20 24
Extracurriculars
Black Student Union California Mathematics League
Camerata Cate Review (Literary Magazine)
CateNet Masters Chamber Orchestra
El Batidor (school newspaper) Foster Homes (community service)
Gay-Straight Alliance Green Team (recycling)
International Students Club Jazz Band
Kayaking Club Los Ninos (community service)
Mesan (school yearbook) Mock Trial
Peer Tutors Student Book Club
Student Senate Tour Guides

College Matriculation:
Year: -
10 Most Popular College Choices  (# Enrolled)
Link to Matriculation Data

School Notes:

  • With more than 101 courses offered, the goal of the Cate curriculum is to teach students to think and to develop in them a lifelong love of learning. Cate graduates consistently enroll in the country’s top colleges and universities.
  • Cate strongly values diversity. Our student body is comprised of 42% students of color. We enroll boys and girls from 25 states and 14 countries.
  • Our commitment to socio-economic diversity is evidenced by a financial aid budget of more than $2,600,000.
  • School accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
  • Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
    • David Crosby - Singer/songwirter
    • Garrett Lisi - noted physicist
    • Billy Steinberg - musician/songwriter
    • Warren Briedenbach III - pioneering surgeon
    • Sir John R.H. Bond - financier
    • Mona Khalil - United Nations
    • Dr. William New - inventor and physician

Nearby Schools:

Cate School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 0 mi. away
Villanova Preparatory School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 12.5 mi. away
Ojai Valley School
Gr. Pre-K-12 | Co-Ed | 13.0 mi. away
Besant Hill School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 13.9 mi. away
The Thacher School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 17.7 mi. away
Dunn School
Gr. 6-12 | Co-Ed | 39.1 mi. away

View all schools in: California, West Region

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