--- title: Mel T. '21 - Big Schools Were Not a Good Fit for Me description: Big public schools were not a good fit for Mel. 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'21 - Big Schools Were Not a Good Fit for Me Posted by [Matt Soule](https://blog.chch.org/story/author/matt-soule) on 6/17/19 10:26 AM ![Matt Soule](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/Matt2025.jpeg) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![4](https://blog.chch.org/hs-fs/hubfs/4.jpg?width=1600&name=4.jpg) Mel attended a big public school and ended up anxious and feeling more like a number instead of the individual she is. She decided to attend Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School as a day student and even she is surprised by the long list of accomplishments in her first year. ## Watch Mel's Story: “I was at a big high school, I started getting anxious, and then things sort of snowballed,” says Mel. After trying public school, an all-girls school, then homeschool, Mel enrolled as a day student at CH-CH in Waltham. Within her first year, she was the lead in the school musical, was a member of a championship softball team, earned a spot on the high honor roll, and a few weeks ago she attended the prom with her tight-knit group of friends. “If I were to go back a year ago and tell myself about the things that I’ve accomplished this year, I don’t think I would have believed it,” says Mel. “I took a leap coming to CH-CH, and I’m really glad that I did, because it is genuinely the best fit for me. And I’m just really happy here.”   *Transcribed from Mel's Video:* Before coming here, school was really stressful for me. I'm Mel, I'm from Dorchester, and I'm a sophomore. I was at a big high school, and I started to get really anxious about classes, starting with just a few classes, and then it sort of snowballed. Then, I hopped around a few schools, because I thought maybe it just had to do with that specific school, but it really didn't; it just continued. I worked with a friend of my mom's coworker and she introduced us to Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall and she said, “I think this is going to be a really good fit for Mel.” I started sophomore year, I was really nervous the first day, I didn't know anyone, but I did soccer in the fall, and I'm really glad that I did. I made a bunch of friends, we've stuck being friends, and we've created this friend group for the entire year, and I am really glad that we're all together. If I were to go back and tell myself about all the things that I've accomplished this year, I don't think I would have believed it. I probably would have thought that it was a different Mel and that it was not me, because I didn't think that I could do any of those things. I've gotten high honors for the majority of the trimesters, I was the lead in the winter musical, and I played softball, and we won the whole IGC championship. I've gone to dances, I went to prom, I've hung out with my friends, and just the fact that I can say that out loud and looking back on this year, and I've gotten all of that from just 180 days out of school, which seems like nothing; is pretty awesome. I took a leap, and I came here, and I'm really glad that I did, because I think it's genuinely the best fit for me, and I'm really happy here.   Topics: [Rewrite Your Story](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/rewrite-your-story), [Day Student](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/day-student) ## Welcome to *Rewrite Your Story.* This is a collection of stories from students that are accomplishing more than they ever thought possible.  ## Quick Facts about Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall (CH-CH): - Grades 9-12/PG (Post Graduate Year) - Located 10 miles from Boston in Waltham, MA - 180 Students, 60% Day/40% Boarding - Average Class Size of 10 - 17 Unique AP, Advanced and Honors Classes - 100% College Acceptance Rate, (over 80% attending a self-identified top choice school) [Learn more](https://www.chch.org/about/our-approach) about our approach to **teaching the way students learn.** ### Recent Posts [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4008772/26717ceb-9011-4aaf-b45f-af459d21cfba.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4008772/26717ceb-9011-4aaf-b45f-af459d21cfba) ### Posts by Tag - [Rewrite Your Story (5)](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/rewrite-your-story) - [boarding (3)](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/boarding) - [Athletics (1)](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/athletics) - [Day Student (1)](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/day-student) - [Leadership (1)](https://blog.chch.org/story/tag/leadership) [![CHCH](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/2018logo.png)](https://www.chch.org/Page) ### Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hall [785 Beaver Street](https://goo.gl/maps/HTzUxaZgVv52) [Waltham, MA 02452](https://goo.gl/maps/HTzUxaZgVv52) [781-314-0800](tel:7813140800) [admissions@chch.org](mailto:admissions@chch.org) - [![Facebook](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/large_link1258166_96536.png)](https://www.facebook.com/ChapelHillChauncyHall) - [![Instagram](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/large_link1258167_96535.png)](http://instagram.com/chchschool/) - [![Twitter](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/large_link1258168_96534.png)](https://twitter.com/chchtweets) - [![Flickr](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/large_link1258169_96533.png)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/chapelhill-chauncyhall/collections) - [![YouTube](https://blog.chch.org/hubfs/ChapelHill_September2018%20Theme/Images/large_link1258170_96532.png)](https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCHCHSchool) Located 10 miles from Boston, Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall is a coeducational college preparatory school that teaches the way students learn. The School welcomes students with diverse learning styles and helps them to develop self-confidence and achieve academic success through personalized, integrated learning. Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall offers 180 boarding and day students a richly diverse cultural and academic environment and opportunities to engage in the arts, athletics and community service. 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