Cate School

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Applying to Cate

Thank you for considering Cate School. Detailed below are all of the steps to the application process. The inquiry form will always be the first step for all applicants.

You may apply through Gateway to Prep Schools. As a reminder, the Cate application deadline is January 15.

If you have any questions, please contact the Admission Office at (805) 684-4127 ext. 217, admission@cate.org.

Inquire Now

Please fill out the Inquiry Form to set up your Admission Portal account.

Our visit program is designed for prospective students and their families. You will experience a student-led tour, attend an all-school gathering, and have a chance to chat casually with faculty and tour guides. Visiting students will even have an opportunity to attend a class. The day ends with an interview with an admission committee member. Please expect to spend 3 hours on campus.

Our campus visits are reserved for prospective candidates applying for the 2025-26 academic year. We offer two arrival time slots for campus visits and interviews: 8:20 AM arrival or 9:30 AM arrival on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Cate also offers two Saturday visit days:

  • Saturday, November 16, 2024
  • Saturday, January 11, 2025

We offer campus visits when school is in session. To schedule your campus visit, please contact the Admission Office at 805-684-4127 ext. 217, admission@cate.org.

Virtual interviews are reserved for students outside California.

To schedule a virtual interview, we require the following:

Virtual interviews are also available for students applying through A Better Chance (ABC), Breakthrough, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation (DMSF), Harlem Leadership and Lacrosse (HLL), Independent School Alliance (ISA), Inspiring Young Minds (IYM), New Jersey Seeds Foundation, Oliver Scholars, Queen City Foundation, SMART Foundation, Stepping Stone Foundation, TEAK Fellowship or Young Eisner Scholars (YES).

In lieu of an interview, Cate School welcomes applicants to submit a personal video. Sharing a personal video is a helpful way to show us what makes you unique and why you are interested in attending Cate School.

Personal Video Submission Requirements:

  • Shoot from a close-up and show your face clearly.
  • Create a .mp4 video that does not exceed 3.5 minutes and is no shorter than 2 minutes.
  • State your name.
  • Where are you from?
  • What is your current grade?
  • What is your application status (boarding/day)?
  • Why are you applying to Cate School, and how will you contribute to our community?
  • Email Admission at admission@cate.org, attaching your video.
  • Email Subject Line: Personal Video Submission_FirstName_LastName

Please contact us at admission@cate.org or (805) 684-4127 ext. 217 if you have any questions.

Standardized testing is required for all applicants. We accept the SSAT, ISEE, and PSAT. All tests must be taken within one year of the application deadline.

Please be sure to request, at the time the test is taken, that the test results be sent directly to Cate School. Required testing must be completed and submitted to the admission office by January 15.

SSAT: Visit SSAT or call (609) 683-4440. The Cate School code: 2170
ISEE: Visit ISEE or call (646) 503-2600. The Cate School code: 050485
TOEFL: Visit TOEFL or call (877) 863-3546 or (609) 951-1100. The Cate School code: 8529
IELTS: Visit IELTS USA or call (323) 255-2771.
DUOLINGO: Visit DUOLINGO

9th and 10th Grade Applicants: SSAT or ISEE

The average SSAT score for accepted students to Cate School has historically been in the 80th percentile, earning 2100-2400 on the Upper School Level SSAT. The average ISEE score range is 7-9, landing in the 77th percentile or above.

We do not have an SSAT or ISEE score cut-off, and we recognize that each applicant comes from a different background when it comes to test preparation. We aim to evaluate an entire applicant’s profile, with the SSAT or ISEE being one part of the process.

11th Grade Applicants: PSAT

The average PSAT score for accepted students to Cate School: 1070 – 1520

Competitive PSAT Math Scores: 560-610
Competitive PSAT Writing & Reading Scores: 560-610
Competitive Overall PSAT Scores: 1070-1200 (top 25% of all PSAT test takers)

Best PSAT Math Scores: 620+
Best PSAT Writing & Reading Scores: 620+
Best Overall PSAT Scores: 1210-1520 (top 1% of all PSAT test takers)

We do not have a PSAT score cut-off, and we recognize that each applicant comes from a different background when it comes to test preparation. We aim to evaluate an entire applicant’s profile, with the PSAT being one part of the process.

To begin the application process, you must complete the Admission Inquiry Form to create your Cate Admission Portal account.

Cate School accepts the Gateway to Prep Schools Application.

Application requirements:

    • Candidate Profile
    • Short Responses, Essays, Parent Statement
    • Interview (In-person or virtual) or Personal Video Submission
    • Principal/Counselor Recommendation
    • Current English Teacher Recommendation
    • Current Math Teacher Recommendation
    • Standardized Testing (SSAT or ISEE)
    • Transcript Report (current and previous year grades)
    • Special Interest Recommendation (optional)
    • Language Testing Required for International Applicants (TOEFL, DuoLingo, IELTS)

We are not accepting a graded writing sample.

Given the demands of Cate’s program and the number of applications, all candidates within the following boundaries will be considered day-student applicants. A family’s primary physical address is used to make that determination. The perimeter of this boundary is defined by specific towns below, from which families expect to apply as day student candidates.

Day Student Boundary Towns/Cities:
Oxnard
Ventura
Santa Paula
Carpinteria
Summerland
Montecito
Santa Barbara
Goleta

Your family must apply for day-student status if you reside in one of the towns/cities listed above.

If your family resides outside of the set boundaries, please proceed as a boarding student applicant.

Pursuant to Bylaw 204 of the CIF- Southern Section Blue Book, In California, student-athletes are not permitted to repeat a year of high school or middle school (Grade 9 or above) and retain athletic eligibility for their 12th-grade year. Students have eight consecutive semesters of athletic eligibility once they begin the 9th grade, this clock is ticking regardless of whether or not you play a specific sport. In short, once you begin 9th grade (middle or high school), you have four consecutive years of eligibility, no more. This is a different policy than many of the boarding schools in other states. 

CIF-SS Blue Book Bylaw 204, Paragraph B:
A student who first enters the 9th grade of any school following the student’s completion of the 8th grade in any school may be eligible for athletic competition during a maximum period of time that is not to exceed eight (8) consecutive semesters following the initial enrollment in the 9th grade of any school and/or in any classes taken subsequent to the completion of the 8th grade, whether or not the student is enrolled in school, whether or not the student is academically or otherwise eligible and whether or not the student avails themselves of the opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports during this time. Eligibility is only available during the student’s first eight (8) consecutive semesters of enrollment in high school (grades 9-12).

This Bylaw is not subject to appeal, unless you have been absent from school for more than half of a semester due to hardship, such as extreme medical conditions. There are no other grounds for appeal of this bylaw. All other CIF eligibility bylaws and rules still apply and may be found at www.ciifss.org

If you are applying through one of the following programs that use a program-specific application, we request that you complete the Admission Inquiry Form to create your Cate Admission Portal account. Once your account is active, you may log in at any time to track the status of your application. In addition, we ask that you download and complete our Supplemental Application Form. All completed submissions can be scanned and emailed to admission@cate.org.

If you wish to learn more about Cate’s partnership with Programs and Community Based Organizations, please contact Joe Cordero at joseph_cordero@cate.org.

Programs and Community Based Organizations:
A Better Chance (ABC), Breakthrough, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation (DMSF), Harlem Leadership and Lacrosse (HLL), Independent School Alliance (ISA), Inspiring Young Minds (IYM), New Jersey Seeds Foundation, Oliver Scholars, Queen City Foundation, SMART Foundation, Stepping Stone Foundation, TEAK Fellowship or Young Eisner Scholars (YES), ORION Scholars, and Jack Kent Cooke Scholars.

Statement of Application Integrity

Cate School considers any form of intellectual and academic dishonesty a serious breach of community standards. Our admission process is aligned with our Academic Honor Code. We want to see student work written exclusively by the student to understand their voice, personality, and passions best. Further, an applicant’s use of artificial intelligence is not permitted under any circumstances. All essays, short answer questions, and any other material submitted by an applicant must be the work of the individual, unassisted by programs such as ChatGPT and GrammarlyGo.

Our Non-Discrimination Policy

Cate School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship, athletic, and other school-administered programs.

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