Read more details about Cate School on their 2025 profile page.
Reflections and Advice:
1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
We had an active volunteer program where we could teach after school bilingual children, and spend time with developmentally disabled adult men. We also had an Outdoors program where we could take advantage of being by the beach and having a large avocado orchard.
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
The international friends that I made. I entered college as an amazing writer. It was challenging to have no privacy.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
I would have been a day student. I don't like the lack of privacy. I would've trusted a couple teachers more.
4.) What did you like most about your school?
It was pretty and the food wasn't that bad.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
Tortilla soup. Go to the beach.
Academics:
1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Small classes, great teachers that you could meet with outside of class,
Athletics:
1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
That there tennis courts, a swimming pool, large indoor court, two big fields, two squash courts. A lot of outdoor space. Mandatory participation in a sport every semester.
Art, Music, and Theatre:
1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
Theater productions were fantastic. I also participated in chorus and took individual guitar and singing lessons.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
Volunteer offerings see above.
Dorm Life:
1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
Overlooking the ocean. Individual rooms for everyone but sophomores. Common rooms were you can watch tv and eat pizza etc.
Dining:
1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
Beautiful dining hall. A formal dinner every week where we all dressed up and sat with different students. We also served formal dinner.
Social and Town Life:
1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
Downtown Santa Barbara on sundays had a lot of store etc. carpenteria the local town only had a grocery store Starbucks and a couple Mexican restaurants.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
It was diverse with international students but also a lot of wealthy Californians that weren't that intelligent.
Daily Schedule:
Weekday
7:00 AM
Clean room inspection
8:00 AM
Breakfast
9:00 AM
Classes
12:00 AM
Lunch
1:00 PM
Classes
4:00 PM
Sports
6:00 PM
Dinner
7:00 PM
Study hours
Weekend
9:00 AM
Class
1:00 PM
Lunch
2:00 PM
Sports away games
6:00 PM
Dinner
8:00 PM
Movies or hanging out in the common rooms
Read more details about Cate School on their 2025 profile page.
Alumni Reviews Review School
Review
Description
Cate is a smaller boarding school and has a very much community bubble. This is a west coast boarding school so people are more liberal and open to alternative teaching. They also emphasize outdoor learning. . .
One aspect of Cate School that I think makes it unique is its campus. When I was doing my research for what kind of boarding school, I wanted to apply to, there were a few. . .
Cate is one of the unique places you could ever imagine. High up on a mesa with an ocean view surrounded by hundreds of acres of avocado trees, a utopian little community exists and thrives. . .
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