The academics at Cate are quite rigorous from the get-go. There isn't much room for students to select their own classes in a typical freshman schedule, but the structure often helps freshman become familiar with a breadth of disciplines before they reach the upper levels of study. It's normal for students to struggle with the transition from middle school level academics to high school academics; however, Cate offers loads of resources and will take an active role in each student's academic career. This is not to say all Cate students thrive, as there are definitely those who continue to struggle or do not care enough to meet their teacher's demanding expectations. For the most part, though, Cate students care about not only doing the work, but doing the work well and often beyond their teacher's expectations. As far as the academic environment at Cate, there is definitely a high level of achievement and accomplishment that leads to stress and anxiety in the student body. By the time junior year rolls around, many students are taking as many as five advanced courses, on top of SAT prep classes, everyday after-school sports, a host of extracurriculars, and God forbid a social life at that point. Some students say it's the teacher's unreasonable expectations or demands that lead to such overextension of the students' capabilities, but it seemed to me this type of pressure comes more from the students' desire to outperform the rest of their peers. The culmination of this stress is manifested in the college process, when Ivy Leagues are a first choice of almost a third, if not more, of the student body. Nonetheless, collaboration is very common at Cate--you'll be hard pressed not to find students each night in empty classrooms writing equations on boards and furiously marking up first drafts. Most students just want their friends to succeed. Cate's strengths academically are not limited to one area of study. There is a definite emphasis on the ability to write persuasively and effectively, which has been integral to my current success in college academics. Most Cate students will have found at least one topic they enjoy by the end of their time, whether it be history, writing, Spanish Literature, computer science, or whatever else their callings are. I was able to undertake a directed study my senior year at Cate with my favorite teacher, allowing me to dive further into my favorite area of study--creative writing. It was an absolutely rewarding experience and has helped me immensely in college. For the motivated and applied student, Cate's academic opportunities are some of the best for high school students in the country.