Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall School

I have mixed feelings about this school. On the bright side, it is very good academically. The teachers are kind and helpful, boarding life is fun, and this school turned me around academically. The cultural and racial diversity is a plus as well. CH-CH is not competitive academically, but unfortunately it does compensate by being competitive socially. It is a very small school, and many students don't go there by choice, so most are pessimistic and do not want to be there. Everyone wants to have a good reputation, so students that are more confident socially will often make fun of students that might be struggling socially. The students that do well academically are usually picked on as well (mostly out of jealously, it seems). Yes, there are some nice kids at this school, but the majority were only concerned about who was the best looking girl or boy on campus, who was the best looking teacher on campus, who has dated with who, and who was the ugliest person on campus. CH-CH is a great school academically, but either something needs to be done about the student mindset, or the school needs to find a way to attract more kind-hearted students.

Sending our son to CHCH was one of the best decisions we have made for his education. The small class size, engaged faculty and staff, opportunity to participate in all school activities and the culture of acceptance not only set the school apart but also allowed our son to reach his potential. In the public school setting he often felt he was on the outside looking in. CHCH encouraged him and gave him the platform to become involved and express himself. He grew academically and socially, becoming a self-assured young man with the skills to advocate for himself and let his voice be heard. His intelligence and academic interests were supported. It has been a joy to see the young man he has become. We credit CHCH with helping him find his footing.
--Submitted by a parent

As parents of a Sophomore at CH-CH we have been very pleased with our son's educational experience. Small class sizes & longer class sessions provide opportunities for varied learning experiences, benefiting all learning types. It's not the 'students take notes and then take a test' learning. It allows students to think and learn 'out of the box'. The international student community brings an interesting learning component to classes - especially history - where varied points of view enable the students to develop a world view. It makes for interesting conversations at home too. Our son has had the opportunity to try new athletic sports and play on teams, learning sports he would not have been able to do at a large school. The Learning Center (if used) helps student's learn with a goal of teaching students how to study effectively, organize work and project completion with the goal of self-sufficient learners who advocate for themselves. The school faculty and staff are responsive to parents and supportive of students (I've had email responses on the weekends from faculty.) Extra info-all school meals are included in tuition & day students are welcome at weekend events.
--Submitted by a parent

CHCH is an excellent, nurturing environment. Our freshman has adjusted wonderfully well to the small class sizes, smaller student body, and has really enjoyed interacting with the caring faculty. She came in as a very shy child, who was having trouble with the larger class sizes at her local school. The small, focused classes are giving her a chance to reach her full potential and shine as an individual. We feel the classes are well-paced and that the teaching style is geared towards each student. One major advantage of CH-CH is that the faculty are able to truly get to know the students and design assessments that are tailored to each individual. Each student is able to go for extra help each week. We feel included and involved as parents; the level of communication from each individual class is remarkable. Leadership from the top is truly excellent; we really feel that the faculty is incredibly cohesive and that they all share a vision that is well-communicated and articulated from the school president on down. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend CH-CH to anyone considering a new school for their child. The level of attention and thoughtful education is second to none.
--Submitted by a parent

While it is not going to be right for everyone (what school is?), as the parent of a Junior, I can say that CH-CH is the ideal school setting for our student. The school boasts small class sizes and dedicated faculty. They emphasize their dedication to teaching to a variety of learning styles and they truly "walk the walk". Contrary to a previous post, the CH-CH faculty is made up of a good mix of young and older teachers. The Learning Center is a great resource that helps all the students organize, priortize and execute their assignments. If you're looking for a consistent athletic powerhouse, this is not the school for you, though everyone gets the chance to play and they do produce a few solid teams and elite athletes. Their arts department & activities is strong, as well. For a small school they have a very diverse student body, including a sizeable international contingent.
--Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill- Chauncy Hall School is richly diverse-- racially and internationally-- and demonstrates a progressive approach to teaching to students with learning style differences. It is a welcoming school with a fairly young, and highly qualified, faculty. CH-CH has been around for a long time, but is not as well known as most of the Boston area independent schools. It is the merger of three schools- Huntington, Chapel Hill and Chauncy Hall schools. CH-CH is not exclusively intended for students with language based learning differences, but it is certainly a strength and commitment of the school. The arts are as encouraged here as athletics; in fact, participating in a theater production counts toward a "team activity," required each trimester. Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hill is a very good school quickly on its way to becoming an excellent school.
--Submitted by a parent

Individualized quality education is how I would describe Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School. Our son is a junior at CH-CH, and we credit his experience there for the quality of the colleges he's able to consider as he begins his college search process. There's a wonderful synergy between CH-CH advisors, teachers, and administrators as they work effectively to nurture each student according to his or her individual learning style, talents, and inclinations. As with any activity your kids are involved in, due diligence is required at CH-CH; we've had a couple of minor hiccups, particularly with the advisory program, but everyone involved quickly owned up to their responsibility and stepped up to correct the issue. If one person drops a ball, there's a mindful network in place to catch it. The school also makes it easy to stay on top of school performance with detailed, individualized weekly performance reports on the parent portal on Podium; and these are not just glowing reports. We were able to work with our son to get up to date on math corrections last winter by monitoring these weekly postings. Plus, he loves his CH-CH life and can't imagine going anywhere else!
--Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful place for students who need a small, nurturing learning environment that allows them to learn and express themselves in the way that is best for them. if you have a child who would be lost in a large, highly competitive high school, this is a place for him or her. The more understanding teaching approach reduces the student's stress and enables them to better deal with the social and emotional challenges of being an adolescent. My daughter went here for 3 years after a very unhappy freshman year at a large high school. She emerged as a confident, eager learner, and is attending a local private college that is a very happy fit for her. CHCH is a school on a mission. It has strong leadership, a solid, well thought out strategic plan, with a teaching philosophy that is based on an understanding of the strengths and potential of each individual student.
--Submitted by a parent

Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall is a great school that provides an excellent college preparatory education and experience. The faculty and staff are extremely committed to all the students and provide a wonderful environment for students to learn and grow.
--Submitted by a parent

I graduated CHCH this past June, and I have very mixed feelings about my four years there. Academically, it was wonderful. The small classes and wonderful teachers truly did help me and prepare me for college. However,there are many students, who admissions understandably do not use in their marketing of the school, who basically either have been expelled from other private schools or who have been forced to be at CHCH by their parents. For these students, no matter how much the faculty tries to help them, CHCH is not the lifesaver it markets itself to be for everyone. Also, like any high school, there are cliques, gossip, and general cattiness. My main concern is that this is an inherent part of high school, yet CHCH paints a portrait of itself as a wonderful utopia where these problems somehow magically evaporate, and they market themselves to hopeful 14-year olds who pin their hopes on their new, cool private high school being perfect. Once students realize that it is not, it is easy for them to beome disillusioned , which undermines the sense of community which the school claims to have. Only attend if you are prepared for a very mixed bag of a high school experience.