Cato Middle College High School

Great program, all students are motivated individuals and Cato provides a place to shape and help outline a clearer path to college/university.As part of the first graduating class , I still consider Cato as the best opportunity and decision i made concerning my education. Now that I am graduating from UNC (go heels!) and watching all my other peers graduate 1-2.5 years early and go on to succeed in other areas, we all clearly made the greatest decision. Cato provides the right amount of competitiveness, motivation, and skill refinement. Its small but not too small, everyone is an individual and not a number and everyone actually wants to be there. Plus you can basically complete your first two years of college in high school and spend more time in college discovering new things or graduate early. ~ and it didnt cost an arm/leg . =) . Its a no-brainer
—Submitted by a student

My son has enjoyed, excelled and thrived at Cato MCHS. The smaller size, lower teacher to student ratio and being in classes with predominantly college track students have all been beneficial and made him feel visible rather than one of the masses. While Cato is not a good fit for those more interested in sports and the social life surrounding high school, it offers an opportunity for the academically minded to fit in, show their leadership potential, and standout from the crowd while earning college credits and demonstrating their independence and self-motivation to succeed.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a lot of opportunities here and many great teachers. (: I love love love this school, and would HATE to go back to my home school (Providence). There is a lot of freedom and you are well taken care of.
—Submitted by a student

Cato is a great school. I get to choose my schedule and how many classes I want to take. Depending on how you make your schedule determines if you have time for sports and things. Those who say that Cato doesn't allow time for anything else are wrong. They simply are not ready for a college environment which Cato promotes.
—Submitted by a student

Cato Middle College High School is developing into an educational experience that goes beyond the traditional Middle College Experience. Just this year, two new clubs have been introduced that offer students additional opportunities to explore the broad range of students interests. Although they don't have regular organized clubs, there are many activities that have been developed by the students themselves. This reflects the genuine motivation that students feel from learning in this unique environment. The Teachers demonstrate great leadership in giving the students direction and then letting them pursue interests. One of the most profound observations of both the students and staff is that 100% of them express positive dialog about the school and promote it at every opportunity.
—Submitted by a parent

This school had the second highest EOC scores of all North Carolina High Schools for 2008-2009. All of the students passed their tests. The teachers are fabulous and the Principal is great. He has very high expectations but has put in place support for every student. The college professors work very well with the Principal and things are looking good for the future.
—Submitted by a parent

The best thing about Cato is the amount of freedom you have. Some people don't like the fact that there aren't any extracuriculars, but because I just take classes for a few hours every day, I've actually been able to do more than when I was at a school with regular hours. This program has taught me to be more responsible for myself, because the college teachers aren't going to worry about my grades or attendance. If I want to succeed, I have to do it for myself. The high school teachers at Cato are really the best of the best and are all extremely caring, and passionate about their subjects. And, not to be cliche, but the small number of students at Cato makes it like a big family. Cato is not for someone who thrives off of pep rallies and prom court, but I've loved it.
—Submitted by a student

Cato is a school for students who want a jump start and accelerated learning environment. maturity is important because once you go to cato you can forget about your old highschool. the teachers know what they are doing and each add a different aspect into the total package of school. Yes , cato is great ,but i only reccommend it if you are ready to leave the days of highschool. i will graduate in may and i am fortunate to have enough college credits to be considered a junior in college and i haven't even started yet. ~ it is not a school of geniues just motivated students who understand that in a recession its best to grab the opportunities around , it helps in the long run.
—Submitted by a student

CMCHS is for those students who like to only do school work and nothing else! There is so much academic work given that you probably won't have time for anything else.If you like to participate in clubs and extracurriculars, Cato is definitely not the school for you.They really meant it when they say no extracurriculars are offered here. Also some of the students here think it is 'all about them'.Like every other cms high school, cato has it ups and downs. The staff do care about you but they make a big deal over stupid things. Cato is not the worst school but not the greatest.
—Submitted by a student

Cato Middle College is very helpful to every student. The principal, counselors, and other staff want us to do well and they make sure that all of the students are doing well in their classes. Also the students seem more like a big family, despite our diversity. I love it.
—Submitted by a student