At Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall (CH-CH), the intimate learning environment allows students to build meaningful relationships, take safe risks, and go on to college with confidence in who they are and what they want to accomplish. Last year, over 20 students in a senior class of 52 were engaged in curricular opportunities beyond the standard program, including independent studies, teaching assistantships, and college courses. The emphasis on personalized education resulted in remarkable outcomes: 52 students sent 404 applications to 201 colleges and universities, with impressive acceptance rates that speak to how well-prepared CH-CH students are for higher education.

Building Meaningful Faculty-Student Relationships

For transfer student Sarah Antonetti ‘25, the contrast between her previous high school experience and CH-CH couldn't be more striking. "At my other school, I was in a class full of 30 kids, maybe more," she recalls. "I just felt like I was doing the work. The teacher maybe knew my name, I don't know."

What Sarah found at CH-CH transformed her educational experience. "Here at CH-CH, I talk to all my teachers on a regular basis, not even about the class. I have relationships with them. I see them just to talk to them," she explains. This connection extends beyond current enrollment: "When I visited my sister's school, none of the teachers even glanced at me. But I am certain when I come back here to visit, as an alum, people will know my name, people will talk to me, my teachers will recognize me, and I think that is so incredibly special."

This emphasis on relationship-building has directly influenced the colleges Sarah applied to. "For deciding what college I wanted to go to, I knew I wanted a smaller school," she says. "The faculty-student relationships we develop here at Chapel are so incredibly special."

Sarah Antonetti ‘25

A Safe Space to Take Risks

The small school environment at CH-CH creates a setting where students feel comfortable stepping outside their comfort zones. Sarah, who describes herself as "very much into the arts," surprised herself by trying volleyball. "I'm not a sports person. If you know me, I'm very much into the arts, but I tried volleyball and I actually had a lot of fun," she shares. "CH-CH really gives you the space to try new things without feeling judged."

For boarding student Xaivien Witherspoon ‘25 from Boston, the environment at CH-CH helped him see beyond his identity as a basketball player. "Basketball was the only thing that could get me out of my seat or get me focused," he explains about his time before CH-CH. When he stepped foot on campus, he discovered new parts of himself through community service, particularly working with the Special Olympics. "I realized that I'm more than a basketball player. I can be that person for other people."

This broadened self-perception has shifted his college plans: "As much as I'm not opposed to playing basketball in college, I'm mainly switching up my focus and I really want to go in for education and special education."

Xaivien Witherspoon ‘25

Individualized Attention and Customized Learning

Director of College Counseling Brooke Fincke detailed the school's approach to curriculum flexibility. "We have the ability to be really creative and flexible outside of our traditional program, and that is unique to our school and it's unique to a school our size," she explains.

This flexibility manifests in multiple ways: Independent studies, teaching assistantships, and the Distinguished Scholar diploma are all options available to students. Through partnerships with online education programs and local colleges, students can pursue courses not offered in the traditional curriculum or accelerate their learning in areas of interest.

The Distinguished Scholar diploma program, which Fincke describes as "intrinsically student-driven," allows students to dive deeper into disciplines they're passionate about. "This is a student-driven vehicle, which I absolutely love," says Fincke. "In a variety of disciplines, students can say, 'I am really into this work. I am excited about history, STEM, social justice, language arts, and I want to dive into this and explore this discipline outside of what I can do in our school community.'"

Camila Lizarbe-Olivares ‘25, from New Jersey, embraced these opportunities. She completed an AP independent study in biology and a Distinguished Scholars diploma in STEM. "Over the summer before senior year, I participated in different science programs," she explains, including a three-month summer program at Rutgers University focused on anatomy and physiolo and an Epigenetics research program at Brown University that was inspired by a project centered on Alzheimer's disease in CH-CH's Integrated Life Sciences II class.

Camila Lizarbe-Olivares ‘25

College Preparation "Boot Camp"

CH-CH's approach to college preparation extends beyond academic readiness to include practical support through the application process. Sarah highlighted the school's week-long summer "boot camp" where seniors work directly with college counselors before the school year begins.

"Even before your senior year starts, you have some of those first steps drafted out, which is incredibly helpful," Sarah explains. "At all of the colleges that offered early action, I submitted all my applications by mid-October. It was such a relief to have those spaces set up for work time that I could really just enjoy my senior year."

Camila also found this program invaluable: "The bootcamp thing was extremely helpful," she notes, especially for her early QuestBridge application deadline. The QuestBridge National College Match program has a mid-September deadline- with a successful application resulting in a four-year full ride scholarship.

The school's college counseling philosophy centers on "authenticity, simplicity, the happiness/challenge balance, and finding your fit," according to Fincke. The process is student-driven but supported. "You are in the driver's seat, but you are not the only person in the vehicle," Fincke tells students. "It's the role of the college counselors to serve as project managers to ensure the car stays on track and on time, and that everyone in the car is heard and considered so that the student can focus on driving."

CH-CH Director of College Counseling, Brooke Fincke

A Community That Transforms

Perhaps no story better exemplifies the impact of CH-CH's supportive community than Xaivien Witherspoon's journey. Coming from a school where he "kind of didn't feel like I needed to do the work" and where basketball was his only focus, Xaivien found himself in a completely different environment at CH-CH.

"I was surrounded by people in class who wanted to learn as opposed to people being on their phones for the whole class," he explains. "I realized that it was something that I needed. Everybody here was interested. Everybody here wanted to be different. Everybody wanted to learn, and that was nothing like I've had before."

This environment inspired Xaivien to reimagine his future. He worked with CH-CH staff to develop a plan that could help him play basketball in college, taking up to four summer classes at a time to improve his grades. But along the way, something changed: "Yes, I was doing it for basketball, but more so I'm really doing it for me. Basketball is a big part of my life, but I believe my education is more important."

Preparing for the Next Chapter

As Sarah, Xaivien, and Camila embark on their journey ahead, they credit CH-CH's small school environment with giving them the confidence and skills they need for college success. Each feels prepared for their next steps, having benefited from close relationships with teachers, opportunities to explore their interests, and personalized guidance through the college application process.

• Sarah is attending Skidmore College
• Xaivien is attending Mass Bay Community College
• Camila is attending the University of Pennsylvania

For these students and many others, CH-CH has proven that a small school can open big doors, creating pathways to success as unique as the students themselves.