Day Student Applicants

Day students are an integral part of Cate School’s community. The only thing that differentiates many local students from the boarders is that they don’t sleep on campus! Day students arrive for first-period class, and while they may depart after their final commitment of the day in the afternoon, many choose to stay through the evening to study in the library, eat dinner with friends, get extra help from a teacher, or attend student-led labs.

Representing approximately 20% of the student body, day students at Cate School derive from local communities and neighboring towns. 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.

Day students follow the same application process as boarding students. 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.

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Financial Assistance for Day Student Applicants
Cate’s need-based financial assistance program works to ensure that attendance costs do not preclude access to an extraordinary educational experience. We are committed to making the Cate experience accessible to families of all income levels. Need-based Financial Assistance is available for day student families who qualify.

Day students may arrive on campus after 6:00 am and can visit dormitories after 7:00 am. Day students are welcome to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining hall if they so desire.

On school nights, day students are welcome to remain on campus until their grades’ in dorm time. For 9th-11th graders, that’s 10:00 pm. For 12th graders, that’s 11:00 pm. On non-school nights, day students can remain on campus until 11:30 pm.

Play rehearsals, club meetings, individual tutoring sessions, and collaborative academic assignments extend the traditional school day. For parents of day students, the reality of this approach to schooling requires some adjustment.

Day students are expected to attend all daily functions through the conclusion of the athletic period every day, plus Convocation and seated dinners on Monday evenings. They are also required to attend all classes and mandatory community functions, even when they fall on national holidays (e.g., Columbus Day, Veterans Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day Weekend, etc.).

When day students are on the Mesa, they are subject to the same School policies and expectations as boarding students.

There are certain nights that our day students are permitted to stay on campus overnight. Those will be communicated with our families well in advance at the start of the year.

Yes. Cate does have Saturday classes; however, the frequency will vary. Each week, the school sends out a preview of required commitments, which includes information about Saturday classes. Students will also have access to the academic calendar via our school portal.

Day students have a number of options as to where they spend free time during the academic day.

9th and new 10th graders are affiliated with corresponding dormitories (female-identifying students with ’25 House; male-identifying students with Long House) so that they will experience a strong dorm community connection, and they are assigned individual ‘cubbies’ to store their books and such. Returning 10th, 11th, and 12th grade day students are encouraged to select a dorm buddy & whose room they may ‘use’ during the school day. The Fleischmann Gym day student locker rooms can also store clothing for seated dinners and showers.

We do not offer transportation to and from campus but encourage carpooling. At the start of the school year, Cate will help pair you with other families interested in carpooling.

Underclassman Driving Permission
Day students who are not 12th graders may not drive during the academic day (including during study periods and athletics). Non 12th grade day students are not allowed to drive other day students who are not immediate family members to or from school without permission from the dean of students and the parents of the students involved. They must also abide by the relevant California license restrictions.

12th Grade Driving Permission
12th graders who have had a driver’s license for one year or turned 18 may drive other day, and boarding 12th graders if all students involved have secured and registered parental permission with the Student Services Office.

The Role of Day Student Prefects

The prefects are a group of service-minded student leaders identified by the community and appointed by the head of school at the end of their eleventh-grade year. They are selected based on community respect, personal integrity, and the ability to affect life in the community positively. By acting as intermediaries, doing informal counseling, and leading by example, the prefects help set the tone for the School community. Under the guidance of the assistant head for students and the director of residential life, the prefects work closely with the dorm heads and day student coordinator to ensure that the needs of the students are being addressed in a timely and organized fashion.

Each year, Cate appoints Senior Day Student Prefects.

Meet our Day Student Coordinator

David Soto ’08
Senior Associate Director of Admission & Day Student Coordinator

david_soto@cate.org / 805-684-4127 x247

Cate School 2008
BA, Gonzaga University
MA, Gonzaga University
Appointed: 2012

“Day students are such an important and integral part of the Cate community; I’m thrilled to be able to help support and represent them on and off the Mesa. In this role, I aim to be a source of support for not just the students, but families as well. Please utilize me as a resource as you navigate the application process and beyond.”

Dave is a Carpinteria native, growing up in the city known for the California Avocado Festival and the “World’s Safest Beach”. After graduating from Cate in 2008, Dave found his way to the inland northwest, completing four years at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA where he graduated with a degree in broadcast studies and journalism. During his time at Gonzaga, Dave worked with several media outlets as well as working in digital journalism. He also served as the vice president of the Kennel Club, Gonzaga’s student athletic fan club…Go Zags! Since then, Dave completed his master’s in Sports and Athletic Administration from Gonzaga.

Dave returned to the Mesa after graduation to take a role in Cate’s communications office. Now in the admission office, Dave looks forward to looking for and working with the next group of Rams. When he’s not in the office, Dave can be found coaching football and baseball at Cate or walking his dog, Sammy, around campus. Dave lives on campus with his wife and two young daughters.

Applying to Cate as a Day Student